Illinois Football Sold Out vs Ohio State

News: It appears that Memorial Stadium will be at full capacity when Ohio State comes to Champaign. The university announced that its October 11th showdown with the defending National Champions is now sold out.  With just over two months until the game, this certainly signals the anticipation surrounding what could be one of the most high-stakes home games of the Bret Bielema era at Illinois to date.

It’s been a long time since Illinois Football announced a sellout this far in advance.  This is a nod not only to the Illini’s prominent opponent but also to the buzz, momentum, and growing belief surrounding Bret Bielema’s program.

Can the Illini make it two consecutive years of knocking off the defending National Champions at home? If so, it will be the Illini’s first time reclaiming the “IlliBuck” in over 18 years.

𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗢𝗨𝗧.
October 11th. Memorial Stadium. Be there, be loud, wear orange! pic.twitter.com/IDHCcz5CCJ

— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) August 6, 2025

The Last Time Illinois Football Took Down The Buckeyes?

It’s been nearly two decades (2007) now since the last time Illinois Football took down the Buckeyes.

 After rebounding from a disappointing 2-10 season in 2006, Ron Zook’s Illini had surged to an 8-3 record with notable wins over #21 Penn State and #5 Wisconsin. Facing the undefeated Buckeyes at the Horseshoe, Illinois — led by quarterback Isiah “Juice” Williams and key playmakers like J Leman, Rashard Mendenhall, Arrelious Benn, and Vontae Davis– pulled off one of the program’s most memorable upsets.

Williams threw for 140 yards and 4 total touchdowns. Meanwhile running backs Mendenhall and Daniel Dufrene combined for 276 rushing yards on 51 carries.

The game was sealed by a masterful, clock-consuming final drive led by Williams that secured a massive 28-21 victory for the Illini, which would go down as one of the best wins in program history (if not the best). Illinois would follow the signature win by beating rival Northwestern the next week to finish 9-3 and later earn its first Rose Bowl appearance since 1984.

Can the Illini make history again in what has the potential to be a pivotal game on the promising back end of their schedule? If they do, it would be a massive resume booster for a potential College Football Playoff birth.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for reading Armchair Illini! The Armchair team proudly announces that Feedspot has named us a top-10 Illinois news source! Please continue to support us by checking out our original apparel here. 

Above all, for feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at alexkyi13@gmail.com. Additionally, please use our Seatgeek code for $20 off your purchase on Seatgeek.com: ARMCHAIRILLINOIS. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing Illinois media outlets around.

Finally, subscribe to our newsletter here! Go Illini