Buckeyes' Ryan Day sounds off about the ranking of his upcoming matchup

Day spoke to the media ahead of this weekend's game and gave Illinois, who is 5-1 on the season, their deserved flowers. When the upset win for Indiana, 63-10, over Illinois came up, Day sounded off on that showing.

“Pitch the game. Throw it out,” Day said. "It’s not who they are. I can’t quite explain that game."

He believes that the game against the Hoosiers didn't represent who they are actually as a team, which makes sense. Outside of the loss to Indiana, the Fighting Illini have been perfect this season, taking down every other opponent they've come across.

“I know Nebraska had the same thing that happened last year, and then came in and played us all the way to the fourth quarter,” he said.

The game the scarlet and grey coach is referencing was the loss Nebraska took against Indiana back in the 2024 campaign. Just like the game against Illinois, Indiana dominated and slammed the Cornhuskers with a 56-7 victory.

Unfortunately, games like that can happen from time to time, and with Day recognizing that he wants to ensure his boys don't fall fate to a trap game like that.

"We’re going to look at the games that were played prior, what they did last year, what they’ve done the last two games," Day continued.

"Brett [Bielema is] one of the better coaches in the country, and he’s a resilient guy, and they’re a resilient team. So I think it says a lot about them to rebound the way they did, get a win against USC and then go play the way they did last week. So we all know that going through a tough loss can bring a bunch of people together. I think they’ve done that, and so we know we’re going to get their best shot here on Saturday.”

The first time these two programs met one another came back in the 1902 season. They enter Saturday's affair leading the all-time series, 68-30-4, with a 36-11 road record.

The last time these two teams met one another came back on Nov. 18, 2017, with the Buckeyes coming out on top, 52-14, at home. Since 2007, Ohio State has not lost to the Fighting Illini, marking a nine-game winning streak.

However, even with history on the Buckeyes' side and an incredible start to 2025, Day wants this team to stay focused.

"To me, this is like a top-10 matchup," he said.

On Saturday, the result of the game will determine how each of these two teams is viewed throughout the rest of the season. One team will be knocked down, with the other receiving national praise for what they put on display.

The only hope for Coach Day is that it will be his side.