Ohio State controlled this defensive battle from start to finish, building a 17-3 lead by halftime behind a ground game featuring touchdown runs from Chris Wells and Antonio Pittman. Illinois struggled to generate offense for most of the game, managing only 233 total yards, but made a late push in the fourth quarter when Rashard Mendenhall scored on a 3-yard rush with 1:40 remaining to cut the deficit to 17-10. The Illini's comeback attempt fell just short as Ohio State's defense, anchored by James Laurinaitis's interception return late in the game, held firm to preserve the belt. Despite being outgained in total yards slightly and seeing Troy Smith throw an interception in the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes' superior time of possession and early scoring proved decisive.
Written by Claude from the box score and play-by-play on this page — a plain-English recap of the numbers below, not a substitute for them.