Julian Sayin completed 27 of 36 passes for 367 yards and four touchdown passes, then added a rushing score as Ohio State beat Illinois 42-19 in its Big Ten opener. He threw no interceptions; the Buckeyes converted 8 of 12 third downs and all four red-zone trips.
Jeremiah Smith caught 12 passes for 217 yards and all four of Sayin’s passing touchdowns. The rest of Ohio State’s offense added 15 catches for 150 yards; Sayin also went 6-of-7 for 75 yards on a two-minute drive that ended with his 7-yard rushing score, giving the Buckeyes a 28-10 halftime lead.
Illinois did not sack Sayin despite Ohio State playing without starting right tackle Phillip Daniels. The Illini gained 462 yards, Ohio State’s most allowed since its 2024 regular-season loss at Oregon, and held the ball for more than half the game. Ohio State visits No. 17 Iowa next Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
