The Ultimate OSU Game Day Guide: Ohio State Football Schedule, Illibuck History & Week 7 National Predictions

By Rohit Hegde
The Ultimate OSU Game Day Guide: Ohio State Football Schedule, Illibuck History & Week 7 National Predictions

Where to Watch Ohio State Buckeyes Football vs Illinois Fighting Illini Football

It's Saturday, and the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes football team faces a major Big Ten road challenge against the No. 17 Illinois Fighting Illini. If you’re trying to find where to watch ohio state buckeyes football vs illinois fighting illini football, you’re in luck—the osu game today is easy to catch.

The ohio state game against the illinois is kicking off at 12:00 PM ET. The live broadcast can be found nationally on FOX, which carries the Big Noon Kickoff matchup. For those listening on the go, the official ohio state football radio broadcast can be heard on 97.1 The Fan. While we're talking radio, keep in mind that the alabama football radio network operates separately for their SEC matchups!

Decoding the Ohio State vs Illinois Prediction

The conversation surrounding this game revolves entirely around defense versus efficiency. The ohio state vs illinois prediction model strongly favors the Buckeyes. Why? Because the osu defense has allowed an absurdly low 25 total points this season, dominating the line of scrimmage.

The challenge for the illini offensive coordinator is figuring out how to protect quarterback Luke Altmyer. Altmyer (who plays for the university of illinois) has been great at avoiding mistakes this year, a critical factor for the illinois football team. However, the porous illinois offensive line has surrendered 19 sacks, which is a major problem against an elite ohio state buckeyes defensive front.

Most experts making an ohio state illinois prediction lean toward Ohio State winning by more than two touchdowns, resulting in a low osu score for the opponent. The consensus sees this as a 38-13 type of victory for Ohio State.

The Full Ohio State Schedule Outlook

This road game is a crucial step in the ohio state schedule as they head toward the final push for the College Football Playoff. The upcoming slate remains challenging.

Date Opponent TV Channel
Oct. 11 at No. 17 Illinois FOX
Oct. 18 at Wisconsin CBS
Nov. 1 vs Penn State TBA
Nov. 15 vs UCLA TBA
Nov. 29 at Michigan FOX

Week 7 National Predictions: Beyond the OSU Game

While the osu vs illinois game is the Big Ten centerpiece, the rest of the college landscape is full of drama. Here are a few notable college football predictions for games that impact the national rankings:

  • Alabama vs Missouri Prediction: In an intriguing SEC matchup, many are picking an upset or a close game. The Missouri Tigers are an advanced metrics darling, leading experts to bet on them covering the spread against the Crimson Tide. The feeling is the physicality of the Missouri defensive front will contain Alabama, despite quarterback Ty Simpson's strong play.
  • UCLA vs Michigan State (UCLA vs mi state): Following their upset victory last week, the UCLA Bruins face the Michigan State Spartans. The UCLA vs Michigan State prediction favors the Spartans covering the -7.5 spread at home, capitalizing on an emotional letdown spot for UCLA.
  • Indiana vs Oregon Predictions: Oregon is a clear favorite and is expected to cover the spread against Indiana.

Whether you’re catching the action on FOXSPORTS, listening on the ohio state football radio network, or keeping up with the osu score, this Saturday is prime college football viewing!