COLUMBUS, Ohio — Big Ten play is finally here. No. 7 Ohio State will open its conference schedule Saturday afternoon when the Buckeyes host Illinois at Ohio Stadium in the annual battle for the Illibuck. Kickoff is set for noon ET, with the game airing nationally on FOX.
Ohio State enters the game 2-1 after opening the season with a win over Ball State, a narrow loss at Texas and a 59-3 win over Kent State. Illinois is also 2-1, with wins over UAB and Southern Illinois and a loss to Duke.
The start of Big Ten play brings a different kind of challenge. The Buckeyes have questions to answer at running back. They are still sorting through their defensive tackle rotation. And Saturday will provide another opportunity for a young secondary to prove it can handle Big Ten competition.
Ohio State has the talent advantage. Now it has to play like it.
Can Ohio State Finally Get The Running Game Going?
This is probably the biggest storyline entering Saturday.
Ohio State has already shown it can move the football through the air. Julian Sayin has established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the country, while Jeremiah Smith remains the centerpiece of an offense loaded with weapons.
The running game, however, has not consistently matched the expectations surrounding it.
Bo Jackson rushed for 230 yards and two touchdowns on 39 carries through Ohio State’s first three games, while Ja’Kobi Jackson has provided another productive option. But Ryan Day wasn’t satisfied with the way the position played against Kent State.
Day specifically challenged Bo Jackson and Isaiah West to “run angry” against Illinois after saying he thought Ja’Kobi Jackson ran harder against Kent State.
That makes Saturday an important opportunity. Illinois has allowed an average of 182 rushing yards per game against its FBS opponents this season, giving Ohio State a chance to establish itself on the ground before the schedule gets significantly more difficult.
The Buckeyes don’t necessarily need one running back to take over. They do need the entire group to run with more consistency, more physicality and more explosiveness.
Devin Sanchez Gets His First Big Ten Test
Sanchez has already shown flashes of why he earned playing time last year at Ohio State as a freshman. But this week brings a different kind of challenge.
Illinois wide receiver Collin Dixon is one of the more intriguing players on the Fighting Illini roster, and the Tallmadge, Ohio, native gives Illinois a legitimate weapon on the outside. Dixon is one of six Illinois players from Ohio, while Ohio State has four players from Illinois.
Sanchez could see plenty of Dixon on Saturday. That’s the kind of matchup Ohio State’s young secondary needs.
The Buckeyes don’t need Sanchez to play a perfect game. They need him to play confidently, communicate well and avoid giving Illinois easy explosive plays. If he can do that, Ohio State can continue building confidence in a secondary that will face much bigger tests later in the season.
What Does Illinois Do With Katin Houser?
Illinois quarterback Katin Houser isn’t walking into Ohio Stadium without experience against the Buckeyes. That matters. Houser has already seen Ohio State once in his career, giving him some familiarity with the speed and talent he’ll see Saturday. Illinois also has a new-look coaching staff on defense and special teams, making this year’s matchup different from the one Ohio State saw last season.
Ohio State’s defense will have to stop the run but also look for increased opportunities to create pressure.
If Illinois can stay ahead of the chains, however, this becomes a much more interesting test for Ohio State’s defense.
Can The Defensive Tackles Step Up?
John Walker has been one of the more consistent pieces along Ohio State’s defensive line. The question is what happens around him.
Eddrick Houston and James Smith are among the players expected to contribute inside, while Jason Moore has received praise for what he’s done early in the season and could push for more playing time.
Big Ten football is won at the line of scrimmage, and Ohio State is going to see significantly better offensive lines than the ones it faced during the non-conference portion of its schedule. Illinois provides the first opportunity to see whether the Buckeyes can start establishing that rotation now.
Can Ohio State Make Jeremiah Smith The Difference?
At some point, opposing defenses are going to have to decide how much attention they can devote to Jeremiah Smith. That’s the problem.
Ohio State has too many other weapons to completely sell out to stop Smith, but Smith is also talented enough to change a game if given too many opportunities.
He caught just five passes for 42 yards and a touchdown against Illinois last season, but this year’s matchup comes against a different Illinois defense. Ohio State should have opportunities to get him involved early.
If Illinois decides to play him aggressively, that should create opportunities for Brandon Inniss, Devin McCuin, Chris Henry Jr. and Brock Boyd. If the Illini choose to play Smith more conservatively, Ohio State should be able to take advantage of the space that creates underneath and in the middle of the field. That’s what makes this offense difficult to defend.
Illinois Will Try To Make This A Game
Bret Bielema isn’t going to walk into Ohio Stadium expecting his team to win a shootout. Illinois will likely try to make this a physical game, control the clock and force Ohio State to execute consistently rather than giving the Buckeyes opportunities for quick scores. Bielema also remembers what happened the last time these teams played. After Ohio State’s 34-16 win over Illinois last season, Bielema said he regretted not playing faster against the Buckeyes because of the problems Ohio State’s defense created. That could be something to watch Saturday.
Illinois may try to push the tempo offensively and prevent Ohio State from getting comfortable with its substitutions. The Buckeyes will have to be ready for that.
Score Prediction
The Buckeyes don’t need to prove they are more talented than Illinois. They are. They need to show that talent consistently for four quarters.
That’s particularly important with a difficult stretch of Big Ten football coming later in the season. Saturday is the first opportunity to see whether Ohio State is ready to start turning its potential into the kind of consistent performance it will need once conference play really gets rolling.
This feels like a game Ohio State should control. Illinois has enough experience and enough talent to make things uncomfortable for stretches, particularly if it can run the football and keep Ohio State from creating explosive plays. But the Buckeyes have too much talent at quarterback and receiver, and this feels like the kind of matchup where the running game should finally have a chance to make a statement.
The biggest question is whether Ohio State can keep the Illini from hanging around into the second half. I don’t think it will.
The Buckeyes get off to a fast start, the defense creates a few negative plays, and Ohio State pulls away in the second half to open Big Ten play with a convincing win.
Ohio State 41, Illinois 13
