Ohio State beat Illinois 34-16 behind another stellar defensive performance, forcing three turnovers as the Buckeyes improve to 6-0.

Playing in Champaign is historically always tough for the Buckeyes. Games there tend to get tricky, as the Illini typically play hard against Ohio State. However, the Illi-Buck trophy stays in Columbus once again. These four Buckeyes stood out in the 34–16 victory.

CJ Donaldson

CJ Donaldson continues to be the power back for the Buckeyes. Despite the inconsistency of the running game, Donaldson keeps finding the end zone. He scored twice against the Illini while adding 44 yards on the ground.

With Ohio State’s offensive game plan this season, it’s clear that getting CJ Donaldson into the end zone is a priority. Donaldson leads the team with six touchdowns. Along with Bo Jackson and James Peoples, the Buckeyes continue to rotate all three backs to keep them fresh for the long season ahead as they try to establish a consistent running attack.

Arvell Reese

Arvell Reese continues to be a physical force. He finished second on the team in tackles with nine, eight of them solo and recorded 1.5 sacks. Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer is likely to be seeing Reese in his sleep for days to come.

Reese is putting on a show this season. He’s having an All–Big Ten-caliber year, and his draft stock continues to rise. As Ohio State heads into the heart of the schedule, look for Arvell to keep improving and applying even more pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Sonny Styles

Sonny Styles had one of his best games of the season against the Illini. He led the team with 10 tackles, including eight solo stops. Styles was flying all over the field in a defensive effort that faced 44 passing attempts from Luke Altmyer.

Styles continues to be the quarterback of the defense, using his voice and instincts to command a unit that constantly shows multiple disguises to confuse quarterbacks and offensive coordinators. Could Sonny win the Butkus Award this season and earn All-American honors? That remains to be seen but he’s certainly making his case.

Davison Igbinosun

Davison Igbinosun was the star of the show on defense against Illinois. Known for his physicality in both the run game and pass coverage, Igbinosun had three pass breakups and two tackles in the win.

He’s been excellent in pass coverage this year despite opposing quarterbacks frequently targeting him. In past seasons, Igbinosun was flagged for multiple pass interference calls that extended drives or even cost games. This year, he’s clearly worked on his technique and discipline and the improvement is paying off. Expect him to keep getting better each week.

What’s Next

The Buckeyes stay on the road this week to take on Wisconsin. Camp Randall is always a tough place to play, but the Badgers have had their share of issues this season. Kickoff between the Buckeyes and Badgers is set for 3:30 PM on CBS.