NO. 1 OHIO STATE WILL NOT BE FOOLED BY NO. 17 ILLINOIS’ 53-POINT LOSS TO INDIANA
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Illinois’ 53-point loss three weeks ago at Indiana isn’t fooling Ohio State coach Ryan Day as he prepares his No. 1-ranked Buckeyes to face the No. 17 Illini on the road Saturday.
“I can’t explain that game. It’s an outlier,” Day said. “You have to throw out the film because that’s not who we’re playing. That’s not who they are. Bret (Illinois coach Bret Bielema) is one of the best coaches in the country. He’s a resilient guy, and he has a resilient team.”
Illinois (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) bounced back from the embarrassing loss to Indiana with wins over Southern California and Purdue.
“We need to have our best week of practice all year this week, and play with a ton of energy Saturday,” Day said. “There’s going to be a great atmosphere there. I know that, and our players know that.”
Bielema knows his Illini will be facing an Ohio State team (5-0, 2-0) that has outscored its opponents 187-25 and allowed only two touchdowns, none in the first half. Illinois is a 14.5-point underdog, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
“I don’t know if we’ve played a game yet where we’ve put it all together for four quarters,” Bielema said. “Now would be a good time to do it.”
Each team has an outstanding quarterback.
Ohio State’s Julian Sayin leads the nation in completion percentage (80.2). He’s 101-of-126 passing for 1,313 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Illinois’ Luke Altmyer has 12 TD passes and no interceptions. He thrown for 1,573 yards.
“I’ve been in this business a long time,” Bielema said. “I’ve had QBs play in the NFL and are still playing in the NFL. Luke is as good as I’ve ever had.”
No ego, lots of TDs
Illinois receiver Hank Beatty is the only player in the nation with a passing, rushing, receiving and punt return touchdown. He caught five passes for a career-high 186 yards against Purdue and is the Illini’s leading receiver with 569 yards.
The Altmyer-Beatty connection goes beyond the field.
“Hank’s ego is non-existent,” Altmyer said. “He doesn’t boast about or flaunt his abilities. He’s quiet and reserved in the best way possible. He’s everything you want a human being to be.”
Field goals are good and bad
Illinois kicker David Olano has made 10 straight field goals, including a walk-off game winner vs. Southern California. He had five field goals and scored 19 points against Purdue.
“It’s great to kick five field goals, but it’s also not great to kick five field goals,” Bielema said, referencing the Illini’s need to put the ball in the end zone more often against high-scoring Ohio State.
Unselfish receivers
Ohio State’s dangerous receiving corps is led by Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, who have combined for 59 receptions, 898 yards and 10 TDs.
“I can’t say enough about Jeremiah, Carnell, Brandon Inniss and Max Klare,” Day said. “They all want the ball and have expectations. To see unselfishness from guys who just want to win, that’s winning football.”
Historical perspective
It’s been 75 years since a ranked Illinois team played host to a No. 1 team. No. 8 Illinois beat No. 1 Ohio State in 1950. Illinois last hosted the No. 1 team in 2006, when it lost 17-10 to Ohio State. The Illini are 3-13 through the years vs. the top-ranked team, with the last win vs. Ohio State in 2007 in Columbus.
COVID-19 cancellation
This will be the first time Illinois and Ohio State have played since 2017, when the Buckeyes won 52-14 at Ohio Stadium and extended their winning streak against the Illini to nine. A Nov. 28, 2020, game between the teams in Champaign was canceled on the Friday night before the Saturday game because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
BIG TEN SCHEDULE INCLUDES TWO TOP 25 MATCHUPS IN INDIANA-OREGON AND OHIO STATE-ILLINOIS
Things to watch this week in the Big Ten Conference:
Game of the week
No. 7 Indiana (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) at No. 3 Oregon (5-0, 2-0), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (CBS)
After having last week off, Oregon follows up its double-overtime victory at then-No. 3 Penn State by facing another top-10 opponent. The Ducks are seeking their 24th straight regular-season win, the longest active streak for any Bowl Subdivision team. Oregon and Indiana are two of the only three FBS teams that are ranked in the top 10 in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The other is No. 9 Texas Tech.
BetMGM has Oregon as a 7 1/2-point favorite.
The undercard
No. 1 Ohio State (5-0, 2-0) at No. 17 Illinois (5-1, 2-1), Saturday, noon ET (Fox)
Illinois attempts to beat a top-ranked team for the first time since 2007, when the Illini knocked off No. 1 Ohio State 28-21 at Columbus. This marks the first time a ranked Illinois squad has hosted a top-ranked team since 1950, when the eighth-ranked Illini beat Ohio State 14-7.
BetMGM lists Ohio State as a 14 1/2-point favorite.
Impact players
— Michigan RB Justice Haynes has rushed for at least 104 yards in each of the 15th-ranked Wolverines’ five games. He ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns Saturday in a 24-10 triumph over Wisconsin, which entered that game leading the nation in run defense.
— UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava is the reigning Associated Press national player of the week after accounting for five touchdowns in the Bruins’ 42-37 upset of then-No. 7 Penn State, which dropped the Nittany Lions out of the Top 25. He went 17 of 24 for 166 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 128 yards and three more scores.
Think you know who belongs in the Top 25? Now it’s your turn to vote with the AP Top 25 fan poll.
Inside the numbers
Oregon has won 18 straight home games, the longest active streak of any FBS team. … Indiana is the only FBS team in the last 30 years to have at least 1,300 yards passing, 1,300 yards rushing and no more than two turnovers through the first five games of a season. … Ohio State has allowed only two touchdowns all season, and none before halftime. … Illinois QB Luke Altmyer has thrown 12 touchdown passes without an interception. … Washington’s 24-20 victory at Maryland marked the first time the Huskies had won a road game they had trailed by at least 20 points since a 24-23 victory at California in 1993. … UCLA’s upset of Penn State marked only the fifth time ever that a team with a record of 0-4 or worse beat a team ranked in the top 10. The last time it happened was in 1985, when UTEP beat No. 7 BYU 23-16.
Get to know them
Iowa and Wisconsin both have uncertain quarterback situations heading into their matchup Saturday. Wisconsin’s Billy Edwards Jr. has missed most of the season after spraining his knee in a season-opening win over Miami (Ohio), while Iowa’s Mark Gronowski got hurt in a loss to Indiana.
If Edwards doesn’t play, Wisconsin likely will turn to Southern Illinois transfer Hunter Simmons, who made his first start as a Badger against Michigan last week. Iowa’s alternatives to Gronowski would be Auburn transfer Hank Brown or Wake Forest transfer Jeremy Hecklinski.
NC STATE VISITS NO. 16 NOTRE DAME, NO. 25 FLORIDA STATE HOSTS PITTSBURGH TO TOP ACC’S WEEKLY SLATE
Things to watch this weekend in the Atlantic Coast Conference:
Game of the week
N.C. State (4-2) at No. 16 Notre Dame (3-2), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (Peacock)
This game is part of the football independent Fighting Irish’s annual scheduling partnership with the ACC, so it doesn’t matter in the league race. But Notre Dame needs to keep winning to build its College Football Playoff case after close losses to Miami and Texas A&M.
Then there’s the Wolfpack, who started 3-0 before losing back-to-back games against Duke and Virginia Tech — led by an interim coach — before last weekend’s win against Campbell. This is the start of a tough second half of the schedule for N.C. State, which has games ahead with No. 2 Miami, No. 13 Georgia Tech and No. 25 Florida State as it pushes toward bowl eligibility.
The undercard
Pittsburgh (3-2, 1-1 ACC) at No. 25 Florida State (3-2, 0-2), Saturday, noon ET (ESPN)
The Seminoles have lost two straight against ranked league teams, falling in double overtime at No. 19 Virginia before last weekend’s home loss to Miami. They get a chance to regroup with a home date against the Panthers, who rolled past Boston College last weekend behind a surprise starter at quarterback in true freshman Mason Heintschel.
Virginia Tech (2-4, 1-1) at No. 13 Georgia Tech (5-0, 2-0), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ACC Network)
The Yellow Jackets survived an overtime win at Wake Forest and then had an open date to regroup in the program’s first 5-0 start since 2014. Now they get a visit from the Hokies, who surprised N.C. State on the road only to follow that with a home loss to the Demon Deacons last weekend.
Impact players
— Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik. The preseason Associated Press All-American emerged from an open date by completing 22 of 24 passes and throwing four TD passes in last week’s win at North Carolina after an open date. Afterward, coach Dabo Swinney said Klubnik and many of his teammates played with more confidence than they had in the program’s first 1-3 start under the longtime coach. They visit Boston College on Saturday night.
— Wake Forest defensive back Nick Andersen. Andersen had 11 tackles in losses to N.C. State and Georgia Tech, then had seven more stops in the Virginia Tech win as a veteran fixture in the secondary. The Demon Deacons visit Oregon State on Saturday.
Inside the numbers
The league has four ranked teams in the AP Top 25 poll. with Miami, Georgia Tech, Virginia and FSU. … Stanford visits SMU on Saturday in a matchup of two of the league’s newest additions in expansion. The Mustangs won last year’s game on the road during their 8-0 debut ACC season. … Miami is tied for 13th nationally in scoring defense (13.6) entering is open date. … California, Duke, Louisville, North Carolina, Syracuse and Virginia are also on byes this week.
WHAT TO WATCH IN THE SEC: TIGERS TRY TO STEM THE TIDE, AND A QUIETER RED RIVER RIVALRY
Things to watch for this week in the Southeastern Conference:
Game of the week
No. 8 Alabama (4-1, 2-0 SEC) at No. 14 Missouri (5-0, 1-0), Saturday, noon ET (ABC)
Fresh off convincing wins against ranked foes Georgia and Vanderbilt, Alabama takes a four-game winning streak to No. 14 Missouri, which has hammered three overmatched opponents and won closer games against Kansas and South Carolina.
The Tigers average a conference-best 547.6 yards per game. Running back Ahmad Hardy plays a major role, accounting for an FBS-high 730 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Alabama is just 87th in rushing yards allowed but is a 3-point favorite, per BetMGM Sportsbook.
The undercard
No. 6 Oklahoma (5-0, 1-0 SEC) vs. Texas (3-2, 0-1), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
Texas and Oklahoma in the historic Red River Rivalry game is usually a must-watch game and maybe this is too, though it’s lost some luster with a second loss for preseason No. 1 Texas. Arch Manning and Co. get an Oklahoma team that has lost two of the last three in this series but won five of the past seven. The Sooners allow just 7.2 points per game, second-best in the FBS behind Ohio State.
Oklahoma has some uncertainty at quarterback, with starter John Mateer recovering from thumb surgery. Sophomore Michael Hawkins Jr. filled in for Mateer in Week 6, leading the Sooners to a 44-0 win over Kent State. The Texas defense is far more formidable and the Longhorns are a 1.5-point favorite, per BetMGM.
Impact players
— Texas A&M defensive end Cashius Howell became the first Aggie to record several three-sack outings in a season since Von Miller (2009), helping the team to a 31-9 win against Mississippi State. Howell’s three sacks upped his season total to seven, the most in the SEC. He gets a chance this weekend to chase Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, who threw for a season-best 289 yards and two touchdowns in the upset of Texas.
— Alabama linebacker Justin Jefferson earned co-defensive player of the week honors after a standout performance against Vanderbilt, accumulating a team-high 14 tackles, one sack, a forced fumble and a tackle for loss.
Inside the numbers
Alabama leads the conference with 17 passing touchdowns and ranks second in completions (124), completion percentage (70.5) and passing yards (1,627). … Missouri has the most rushing yards (1,460) while holding opponents to the fewest rushing yards per game (62.40). … Ole Miss kicker Lucas Carneiro has made 11 of 12 field goal attempts, the most in the conference. … Oklahoma and Tennessee tie for the most sacks in the league (21). … Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green averages the most all-purpose yards per game of all SEC quarterbacks (367.8). … Missouri leads the conference in first downs (145) and third-down conversions (45 of 73).
NO. 18 BYU GOES FOR BACK-TO BACK 6-0 STARTS, ARIZONA ALREADY MATCHED WIN TOTAL OF BIG 12 DEBUT
Things to watch this week in the Big 12 Conference:
Game of the week
No. 18 BYU (5-0, 2-0) at Arizona (4-1, 1-1), Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
The Cougars are 5-0 for the second year in a row, and fourth time in six seasons under coach Kalani Sitake. BYU’s 9-0 start last year included a 41-19 win over Arizona. BYU freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier has seven TDs and only one interception while completing 79 of 115 passes (68.7%). He threw for 351 yards and ran for 43 last week against West Virginia.
Arizona is the nation’s only team that hasn’t allowed a passing touchdown and tops the Big 12 allowing 736 yards passing, one yard fewer than BYU. Noah Fifita has 13 TDs and three interceptions. The Wildcats have already matched their overall win total from last year’s disappointing Big 12 debut of 4-8.
The undercard
No. 21 Arizona State (4-1, 2-0) at Utah (4-1, 1-1), Saturday, 10:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Both teams are coming off an open date. The defending Big 12 champion Sun Devils have won both of their conference games 27-24. Jesus Gomez is the first Big 12 kicker since 2015 with game-winning field goals in consecutive games: a 43-yarder on the final play at Baylor, and a 23-yarder with 1:14 left at home against TCU.
None of the Utes’ games have been close. Their wins have been by an average margin of 36 1/2 points, including 48-14 at West Virginia in their last game to rebound from a 34-10 home loss to Texas Tech.
Impact players
— TCU QB Josh Hoover has 57 touchdown passes in 24 career starts after throwing four more in a 35-21 win over Colorado, when he ran for the other score. He has 1,517 yards and 15 TDs passing this season for the Horned Frogs (4-1, 1-1 Big 12), who play at Kansas State (2-4, 1-2).
— Brendan Sorsby has multiple TD passes in four consecutive games for Cincinnati (4-1, 2-0), which hosts UCF (3-2, 0-2). Sorsby has been sacked only once while passing for 1,257 yards and 12 TDs with one interception.
Inside the numbers
Jordyn Tyson has a TD catch in all five games, the longest streak by an Arizona State player to begin a season since Keith Poole’s six in a row in 1996. The last Big 12 player with a longer streak was CeeDee Lamb’s six for Oklahoma in 2009. … Oklahoma State (1-4, 0-2) has lost its last 12 games against Big 12 opponents, a streak that began with a 49-21 loss to Texas in the 2023 Big 12 championship game. The Cowboys have allowed at least 38 points in each of their last 10 conference games. They host Houston (4-1, 0-1). … No. 22 Iowa State (5-1, 2-1) has won nine of its last 12 true road games in the Big 12. The Cyclones play at Colorado (2-4, 0-3), which already has more conference losses than last year.
Good on offense and defense
Ninth-ranked Texas Tech (5-0, 2-0) plays its first game as an AP top 10 team since 2013 when hosting Kansas (4-2, 2-1). The Red Raiders rank second among FBS teams averaging 48.6 points a game, and fourth defensively giving up only 11.2 points per game. The last Big 12 team to start 5-0 with an average winning margin of at least 37 points was Baylor (42 points in 2015). BYU and Utah are also top 25 among FBS teams in both scoring offense and defense.
BIG 10 FOOTBALL
WEEK 7 FOOTBALL RELEASE
• Week seven of the 2025 college football season features all 18 schools in action as conference play continues. The conference slate kicks off when Rutgers travels to Washington in a Friday night showdown at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Two AP top 25 matchups headline Saturday’s action, starting with No. 1 Ohio State at No. 17 Illinois at noon ET, followed by No. 7 Indiana at No. 3 Oregon at 3:30 p.m. ET.
• Ten of the Big Ten’s 18 teams are mentioned in this week’s AP or US LBM Coaches Polls, announced on Sunday. The AP poll includes No. 1 Ohio State, No. 3 Oregon, No. 7 Indiana, No. 15 Michigan, and No. 17 Illinois with Penn State, Nebraska, USC and Washington receiving votes. At No. 1, Ohio State leads 10 Big Ten teams in the coaches’ poll (No. 2 Oregon, No. 7 Indiana, No. 15 Michigan, No. 17 Illinois, and No. 22 Penn State), Washington, USC, Nebraska, and Iowa also received recognition.
• Three Big Ten teams remain undefeated through six weeks of the 2025 season. Indiana, Ohio State, and Oregon rank among the 15 NCAA FBS teams sporting perfect records entering Week Seven.
• The Big Ten announced its Football Players of the Week, presented by IFS.ai on Monday, with UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava earning Offensive Player of the Week honors. Iamaleava lead UCLA to a 42-37 upset over then-No. 7 Penn State by accounting for five total touchdowns and 294 total yards of offense. He also set single-game career highs in rushing yards and touchdowns and tied a program record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.
• Nebraska’s DeShon Singleton earned Defensive Player of the Week honors after becoming the first Husker to record a pair of interceptions in a game since 2023. Singleton also added six tackles in Nebraska’s win over Michigan State.
• Illinois’ David Olano claimed Special Teams Player of the Week after accounting for 19 points in the Fighting Illini’s win over Purdue. He boasted a perfect 5-for-5 outing on field goals and 4-for-4 on extra points, which leads the Big Ten in most field goals made in game by a Big Ten player this season.
• Ohio State’s Julian Sayin won his second Freshman of the Week award this year after leading the Buckeyes to a 42-3 win over Minnesota. He completed 23 of 27 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns.
• UCLA became the fourth team since 1936 with a record of 0-4 or worse to beat an AP top 10 and the first since 1985. It marked the Bruins’ first win over an AP top-10 opponent since Sept. 24, 2010 when UCLA defeated No. 7 Texas on the road.
• Ahead of their matchup, Indiana and Oregon both boast a top ten scoring offense and defense. The Hoosiers rank fourth in scoring offense (47.8 points per game), while ranking sixth in scoring defense (47.8 points per game). The Ducks rank sixth nationally in scoring offense (46.8 points per game), while ranking 3rd in scoring defense (9.6 points per game).
• No. 1 Ohio State’s and No. 17 Illinois’ matchup marks the first time the two meet as ranked teams since 2001 when the No. 12 Fighting Illini defeated the No. 25 Buckeyes 34-22 in Champaign en route to the Big Ten title.
• Heading into Saturday, Illinois’ quarterback Luke Altmeyer is sixth in the nation in passing yards (1,573) and Ohio State is the nations top scoring defense (5.0 points per game).
• The Big Ten currently leads all other conferences with 15 blocked punts on the season. Five schools have recorded multiple blocked punts (Rutgers, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, and Penn State) and the conference has nine total that have recorded at least one.
• The Big Ten claimed back-to-back national titles for the first time since 1942 last season as Ohio State defeated Notre Dame, 34-23, in the 2024 College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The Buckeyes brought home their sixth national championship to the Horseshoe in Columbus and first since the inaugural CFP National Championship in the 2014-15 season.
• The 2025 Discover Big Ten Championship Game will be held on Saturday, December 6, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and will be broadcast by FOX. The winner will represent the conference as the Automatic Qualifier (AQ) to the College Football Playoff.
