How to Watch Illinois vs. Ohio State: TV Channel, Live Stream, Time

The Illinois Fighting Illini visit the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 12 p.m. ET from Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH. Illinois visits Ohio State on Saturday for a Big Ten meeting at Ohio Stadium with both teams coming off bounce-back wins. The Fighting Illini are 2-1 after a 48-10 win over Southern Illinois, while the Buckeyes are 2-1 after a 59-3 win over Kent State. Ohio State has owned its home dates. The Buckeyes have allowed six total points across two home wins and give up 10 points per game overall with 85.7 rushing yards per game. Illinois brings a 39-point offense on the road. The Fighting Illini average 153 rushing yards per game, with the 31 points allowed to Duke standing as their only defeat. The Buckeyes are 27.5-point favorites over the Fighting Illini. Below, we’ll give you all the details you need to know about how to watch this game. How to Watch Illinois vs. Ohio State Players To Watch Illinois arrives in Columbus at 2-1, and the transfer quarterback’s job is to avoid a repeat of the mistakes that turned a 31-27 loss to Duke into the Illini’s only blemish. Houser has completed 74.1 percent of his passes for 758 yards with eight touchdowns against two interceptions through three games, opening with a three-touchdown, 182-yard outing against UAB before bouncing between a 271-yard, three-score showing against Duke and a 305-yard, two-touchdown effort last week against Southern Illinois. Ohio State’s only loss this season came on the road at Texas, and in its two home wins the Buckeyes defense has allowed a combined six points. That kind of resistance at home makes Houser’s ball security, not just his production, the bigger question in this one. Dixon has emerged as Houser’s clear top target, catching 25 passes for 367 yards and seven touchdowns across Illinois’ first three games. He opened with two touchdown grabs against UAB, exploded for 11 catches, 166 yards and three scores against Duke, then added eight receptions, 131 yards and two more touchdowns against Southern Illinois. Ohio State’s secondary already has a blemish on its resume, having allowed 278 passing yards in the loss at Texas, and Dixon’s combination of size and catch-and-run ability gives Illinois a way to attack that same group on the road. Ohio State’s only loss this season is the 24-23 defeat at Texas, and Sayin has otherwise been about as clean as a quarterback can be, completing 70.9 percent of his passes for 839 yards, six touchdowns and just one interception through three games. He opened 21-of-25 for 320 yards and three scores against Ball State, threw his lone interception in the Texas loss, then answered with an 18-of-22, 241-yard, two-touchdown performance against Kent State. Illinois allowed 31 points in its lone loss to Duke, and an Ohio State offense averaging 46 points a game will test whether that defense has cleaned up the issues from that outing. Smith already owns Ohio State’s all-time receiving yards record, and he’s kept producing at that level with 21 catches for 400 yards and three touchdowns through three games. He opened with a two-touchdown, 151-yard game against Ball State, caught eight passes for 164 yards in the loss at Texas, then was held without a touchdown against Kent State despite five catches for 85 yards. Illinois hasn’t faced a passing attack with this much firepower yet this season, and how the secondary handles Smith early could shape whether Ohio State pulls away or leaves the door open for a shootout. Illinois vs. Ohio State Odds Learn more about the Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Ohio State Buckeyes game and check the full schedule on FOX Sports! Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.