Illinois–Ohio State football rivalry

Illinois–Ohio State football rivalry
The winning team in the Ohio State-Illinois game receives this wooden turtle, named the Illibuck.
Teams	Ohio State Buckeyes Illinois Fighting Illini
First Meeting	1902 (Tie, 0–0)
Trophy Established	1925
Last Meeting	2012 (Ohio State, 52-22)
Next Meeting	November 16, 2013
Overall Series	Ohio State leads, 63*–30–4 *2010 vacated win not included
Trophy Series	Ohio State leads, 60*–23–2 *2010 vacated win not included
Current Holder	Ohio State
Current Streak	Ohio State, 4* *2010 vacated win not included

The Illinois–Ohio State football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Illinois Fighting Illini football team of the University of Illinois and Ohio State Buckeyes football team of Ohio State University. The Illibuck is a carved wooden turtle that serves as the trophy awarded to the winner of the game. Two junior honorary societies, Bucket and Dipper of Ohio State and Atius-Sachem of Illinois, are responsible for the care of the Illibuck. Originally the "trophy" was a live turtle when the tradition began in 1925, picked for its expected long life as a symbol of the anticipated long life of the rivalry. From 1919 to 1933, the Illinois–Ohio State game was the regular-season finale for both teams. Since the original turtle's death in 1927, ten wooden replica Illibucks have been carved, each with the scores from games on its back. The Illibuck is the second oldest trophy passed between Big Ten Conference football programs (the Little Brown Jug was created in 1903).

The rivalry once included the smoking of a peace pipe between members of the two junior honorary societies, which occurred at halftime of the game. This practice has not been done for many years. However, the trophy is still presented to the winning school of the previous year's contest between quarters.

The rivalry was temporarily interrupted during the 2003 and 2004 seasons when Ohio State and Illinois did not play each other. When the teams met in 2005, Illinois presented the trophy to Ohio State for winning the BCS National Championship in 2002. Ohio State leads the overall series 63-30-4 and the trophy series 60-23-2.

In 2011, the Big Ten expanded to 12 teams and split into two divisions. Ohio State and Illinois were both placed in the Leaders Division, meaning they would play each other every year. However, in 2014, the league will expand to accommodate the addition of Maryland and Rutgers, which will place Illinois in the West Division and Ohio State in the East Division. An annual matchup between the schools will no longer happen with this format, although the teams are guaranteed to meet at least once within a four-year span.

Game results

Winning team is shown in bold font. Years of an Illinois victory are in orange. Years of an Ohio State victory are in scarlet. Years of a tie or vacated victory by either team are in white.

Pre-Illibuck era (1902–24)

Year	Illinois		Ohio State		Location
1902	Illinois	0	Ohio State	0	Columbus
1904	Illinois	46	Ohio State	0	Columbus
1914	Illinois	37	Ohio State	0	Champaign
1915	Illinois	3	Ohio State	3	Columbus
1916	Illinois	6	Ohio State	7	Champaign
1917	Illinois	0	Ohio State	13	Columbus
1918	Illinois	13	Ohio State	0	Champaign
1919	Illinois	9	Ohio State	7	Columbus
1920	Illinois	0	Ohio State	7	Champaign
1921	Illinois	7	Ohio State	0	Columbus
1922	Illinois	3	Ohio State	6	Champaign
1923	Illinois	9	Ohio State	0	Columbus
1924	Illinois	7	Ohio State	0	Champaign

Illibuck era (1925–present)

Year	Illinois		Ohio State		Location
1925	Illinois	14	Ohio State	9	Columbus
1926	Illinois	6	Ohio State	7	Champaign
1927	Illinois	13	Ohio State	0	Columbus
1928	Illinois	8	Ohio State	0	Champaign
1929	Illinois	27	Ohio State	0	Columbus
1930	Illinois	9	Ohio State	12	Champaign
1931	Illinois	0	Ohio State	40	Columbus
1932	Illinois	0	Ohio State	3	Champaign
1933	Illinois	6	Ohio State	7	Columbus
1934	Illinois	14	Ohio State	13	Champaign
1935	Illinois	0	Ohio State	6	Columbus
1936	Illinois	0	Ohio State	13	Champaign
1937	Illinois	0	Ohio State	19	Columbus
1938	Illinois	14	Ohio State	32	Champaign
1939	Illinois	0	Ohio State	21	Columbus
1940	Illinois	6	Ohio State	14	Urbana, IL
1941	Illinois	7	Ohio State	12	Columbus
1942	Illinois	20	Ohio State	44	Cleveland, OH
1943	Illinois	26	Ohio State	29	Columbus
1944	Illinois	12	Ohio State	26	Cleveland, OH
1945	Illinois	2	Ohio State	27	Columbus
1946	Illinois	16	Ohio State	7	Champaign
1947	Illinois	28	Ohio State	7	Columbus
1948	Illinois	7	Ohio State	34	Champaign
1949	Illinois	17	Ohio State	30	Columbus
1950	Illinois	14	Ohio State	7	Champaign
1951	Illinois	0	Ohio State	0	Columbus
1952	Illinois	7	Ohio State	27	Champaign
1953	Illinois	41	Ohio State	20	Columbus

Year	Illinois		Ohio State		Location
1954	Illinois	7	Ohio State	40	Champaign
1955	Illinois	12	Ohio State	27	Columbus
1956	Illinois	6	Ohio State	26	Champaign
1957	Illinois	7	Ohio State	21	Columbus
1958	Illinois	13	Ohio State	19	Champaign
1959	Illinois	9	Ohio State	0	Columbus
1960	Illinois	7	Ohio State	34	Champaign
1961	Illinois	0	Ohio State	44	Columbus
1962	Illinois	15	Ohio State	51	Champaign
1963	Illinois	20	Ohio State	20	Columbus
1964	Illinois	0	Ohio State	26	Champaign
1965	Illinois	14	Ohio State	28	Columbus
1966	Illinois	10	Ohio State	9	Champaign
1967	Illinois	17	Ohio State	13	Columbus
1968	Illinois	24	Ohio State	31	Champaign
1969	Illinois	0	Ohio State	41	Columbus
1970	Illinois	29	Ohio State	48	Champaign
1971	Illinois	10	Ohio State	24	Champaign
1972	Illinois	7	Ohio State	26	Columbus
1973	Illinois	0	Ohio State	30	Champaign
1974	Illinois	7	Ohio State	49	Columbus
1975	Illinois	3	Ohio State	40	Champaign
1976	Illinois	10	Ohio State	42	Columbus
1977	Illinois	0	Ohio State	35	Champaign
1978	Illinois	7	Ohio State	45	Columbus
1979	Illinois	7	Ohio State	44	Champaign
1980	Illinois	42	Ohio State	49	Columbus
1981	Illinois	27	Ohio State	34	Columbus
1982	Illinois	21	Ohio State	26	Champaign

Year	Illinois		OhioState		Location
1983	Illinois	17	Ohio State	13	Champaign
1984	Illinois	38	Ohio State	45	Columbus
1985	Illinois	31	Ohio State	28	Champaign
1986	Illinois	0	Ohio State	14	Columbus
1987	Illinois	6	Ohio State	10	Champaign
1988	Illinois	31	Ohio State	12	Columbus
1989	Illinois	34	Ohio State	14	Champaign
1990	Illinois	31	Ohio State	20	Columbus
1991	Illinois	10	Ohio State	7	Champaign
1992	Illinois	18	Ohio State	16	Columbus
1993	Illinois	12	Ohio State	20	Champaign
1994	Illinois	24	Ohio State	10	Columbus
1995	Illinois	3	Ohio State	41	Columbus
1996	Illinois	0	Ohio State	48	Champaign
1997	Illinois	6	Ohio State	41	Columbus
1998	Illinois	0	Ohio State	41	Champaign
1999	Illinois	46	Ohio State	20	Columbus
2000	Illinois	21	Ohio State	24	Champaign
2001	Illinois	34	Ohio State	22	Columbus
2002	Illinois	16	Ohio State	23	Champaign
2005	Illinois	2	Ohio State	40	Columbus
2006	Illinois	10	Ohio State	17	Champaign
2007	Illinois	28	Ohio State	21	Columbus
2008	Illinois	20	Ohio State	30	Champaign
2009	Illinois	0	Ohio State	30	Columbus
2010*	Illinois	13	Ohio State	24	Champaign
2011	Illinois	7	Ohio State	17	Champaign
2012	Illinois	22	Ohio State	52	Columbus

• Ohio State's 2010 victory in the series was vacated as a result of the Buckeyes' use of ineligible players.

References