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 on April 14, 1926,[2] ten wooden replica Illibucks have been carved, each with the scores from games on its back.[3] 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 series 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 68–30–4 and the trophy series 63–23–2.
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. But in 2014, the league expanded to accommodate the addition of Maryland and Rutgers, which placed Illinois in the West Division and Ohio State in the East Division.[4] 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[]
Years of an Illinois victory are in blue. Years of an Ohio State victory are in scarlet. Years of a tie or vacated victory by either team are in white.
Illinois victories
Ohio State victories
Tie games
Vacated wins
No.
Date
Location
Winner
Score
1
1902
Columbus
Tie
0–0
2
1904
Columbus
Illinois
46–0
3
1914
Champaign
Illinois
37–0
4
1915
Columbus
Tie
3–3
5
1916
Champaign
Ohio State
7–6
6
1917
Columbus
Ohio State
13–0
7
1918
Champaign
Illinois
13–0
8
1919
Columbus
Illinois
9–7
9
1920
Champaign
Ohio State
7–0
10
1921
Columbus
Illinois
7–0
11
1922
Champaign
Ohio State
6–3
12
1923
Columbus
Illinois
9–0
13
1924
Champaign
Illinois
7–0
14
1925
Columbus
Illinois
14–9
15
1926
Champaign
Ohio State
7–6
16
1927
Columbus
Illinois
13–0
17
1928
Champaign
Illinois
8–0
18
1929
Columbus
Illinois
27–0
19
1930
Champaign
Ohio State
12–9
20
1931
Columbus
Ohio State
40–0
21
1932
Champaign
Ohio State
3–0
22
1933
Columbus
Ohio State
7–6
23
1934
Champaign
Illinois
14–13
24
1935
Columbus
Ohio State
6–0
25
1936
Champaign
Ohio State
13–0
26
1937
Columbus
Ohio State
19–0
27
1938
Champaign
Ohio State
32–14
28
1939
Columbus
#8 Ohio State
21–0
29
1940
Urbana, Illinois
Ohio State
14–6
30
1941
Columbus
#20 Ohio State
12–7
31
1942
Cleveland, Ohio
#10 Ohio State
44–20
32
1943
Columbus
Ohio State
29–26
33
1944
Cleveland, Ohio
#4 Ohio State
26–12
34
1945
Columbus
#9 Ohio State
27–2
35
1946
Champaign
#9 Illinois
16–7
36
1947
Columbus
Illinois
28–7
37
1948
Champaign
Ohio State
34–7
38
1949
Columbus
#11 Ohio State
30–17
39
1950
Champaign
#8 Illinois
14–7
40
1951
Columbus
Tie
0–0
41
1952
Champaign
Ohio State
27–7
42
1953
Columbus
Illinois
41–20
43
1954
Champaign
#10 Ohio State
40–7
44
1955
Columbus
Ohio State
27–12
45
1956
Champaign
#5 Ohio State
26–6
46
1957
Columbus
Ohio State
21–7
47
1958
Champaign
#5 Ohio State
19–13
48
1959
Columbus
#20 Illinois
9–0
49
1960
Champaign
#5 Ohio State
34–7
50
1961
Columbus
#7 Ohio State
44–0
51
1962
Champaign
#10 Ohio State
51–15
52
1963
Columbus
Tie
20–20
No.
Date
Location
Winner
Score
53
1964
Champaign
#4 Ohio State
26–0
54
1965
Columbus
Ohio State
28–14
55
1966
Champaign
Illinois
10–9
56
1967
Columbus
Illinois
17–13
57
1968
Champaign
#2 Ohio State
31–24
58
1969
Columbus
#1 Ohio State
41–0
59
1970
Champaign
#1 Ohio State
48–29
60
1971
Champaign
#15 Ohio State
24–10
61
1972
Columbus
#4 Ohio State
26–7
62
1973
Champaign
#1 Ohio State
30–0
63
1974
Columbus
#1 Ohio State
49–7
64
1975
Champaign
#1 Ohio State
40–3
65
1976
Columbus
#8 Ohio State
42–10
66
1977
Champaign
#4 Ohio State
35–0
67
1978
Columbus
Ohio State
45–7
68
1979
Champaign
#5 Ohio State
44–7
69
1980
Columbus
#7 Ohio State
49–42
70
1981
Columbus
Ohio State
34–27
71
1982
Champaign
Ohio State
26–21
72
1983
Champaign
#19 Illinois
17–13
73
1984
Columbus
#8 Ohio State
45–38
74
1985
Champaign
Illinois
31–28
75
1986
Columbus
Ohio State
14–0
76
1987
Champaign
#9 Ohio State
10–6
77
1988
Columbus
Illinois
31–12
78
1989
Champaign
#18 Illinois
34–14
79
1990
Columbus
#13 Illinois
31–20
80
1991
Champaign
#20 Illinois
10–7
81
1992
Columbus
Illinois
18–16
82
1993
Champaign
#6 Ohio State
20–12
83
1994
Columbus
Illinois
24–10
84
1995
Columbus
#2 Ohio State
41–3
85
1996
Champaign
#2 Ohio State
48–0
86
1997
Columbus
#4 Ohio State
41–6
87
1998
Champaign
#1 Ohio State
41–0
88
1999
Columbus
Illinois
46–20
89
2000
Champaign
#13 Ohio State
24–21
90
2001
Columbus
#12 Illinois
34–22
91
2002
Champaign
#2 Ohio State
23–16
92
2005
Columbus
#12 Ohio State
40–2
93
2006
Champaign
#1 Ohio State
17–10
94
2007
Columbus
Illinois
28–21
95
2008
Champaign
#10 Ohio State
30–20
96
2009
Columbus
#13 Ohio State
30–0
97
2010*
Champaign
#2 Ohio State
24–13
98
2011
Champaign
Ohio State
17–7
99
2012
Columbus
#6 Ohio State
52–22
100
2013
Champaign
#3 Ohio State
60–35
101
2014
Columbus
#13 Ohio State
55–14
102
2015
Champaign
#2 Ohio State
28–3
103
2017
Columbus
#9 Ohio State
52–14
Series: Ohio State leads 68–30–4
Ohio State's 2010 victory in the series was vacated as a result of the Buckeyes' use of ineligible players.