Ohio State Football: Are Buckeyes Overlooking Illinois for Michigan State?

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Illinois, Illinois, Illinois.

That's the message that Urban Meyer is trying to deliver to his team this week, a reminder that it's the Fighting Illini who are next up on Ohio State's schedule. But while the Buckeyes head coach attempts to keep his team focused on its next opponent, even he knows what's waiting around the corner for Ohio State.

"I know there's a big one coming up," Meyer said of the Buckeyes' highly touted Nov. 8 matchup with Michigan State. "Our players know it. Of course they know that's coming."

And why wouldn't they? Ever since the Spartans beat Ohio State in last season's Big Ten Championship Game, all roads on the Buckeyes' 2014 schedule seemed to lead to the second week of November and an inevitable high-stakes rematch between the two teams.

Sept. 6 seemed to threaten that notion, with Ohio State losing to Virginia Tech and Michigan State failing in its trip to Oregon to take on the Ducks. But since that date, neither the Buckeyes nor Spartans have suffered an additional defeat, putting next Saturday's matchup back on track.

Of course that's easy to say for Michigan State, who currently finds itself enjoying a bye week after reeling off six wins in its past six games. Ohio State, meanwhile, still has those pesky Illini to deal with, although Meyer insists that they present more challenge than distraction.

"If they're a really bad team or on videotape they're awful, you've got to be creative, and I've done that where we didn't even show film. You just kind of chew them out or something like that and coach them a little harder," Meyer said. "This returner put it to us last year. The issue is not talent with Illinois. They have talent and you can see them on videotape."

Technically, Meyer's right. A year ago, Illini kick returner V'Angelo Bentley gained 82 yards on three punt returns, including a 67-yard take-back for a touchdown in what was ultimately a 60-35 Buckeyes victory.

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But a kick returner on a team Ohio State beat by 25 points a season ago? That's what Meyer's trying to get the attention of his team with? Maybe the third-year Buckeyes coach is legitimately concerned with Bentley, but it also seems like he may be grasping at the straws a bit in an attempt to prevent his team from looking ahead to the Spartans.

"Illinois is much improved from a year ago," Meyer insisted. "There will be no overlooking anyone."

It also doesn't hurt Meyer's cause that after rattling off four straight blowouts after their defeat at the hands of the Hokies, this Buckeyes are coming off of one of their less impressive outings of the season. Compiling just 74 passing yards and surrendering a 17-point second-half lead, it took two overtimes for Ohio State to get past Penn State, with quarterback J.T. Barrett spraining his MCL in the process.

Barrett insists that it would take "something drastic" to prevent him from taking on the Illini, but that doesn't change the fact that the last time he took the field, neither he nor the Buckeyes were at their best. Meyer is using that as a reminder to his team that it still has work to do, as Ohio State hardly looked like a team ready to take on Michigan State last Saturday.

"We didn't play very good," Meyer said of the Buckeyes' trip to Happy Valley. "There's some positions and some players that didn't play very good that we have to get fixed."

Chief among those positions that struggled against the Nittany Lions is the Ohio State offensive line, which surrendered three sacks and hardly provided consistent protection against a talented Nittany Lions front seven. Illinois isn't quite as impressive up front, but with Shilique Calhoun and the Spartans looming, this weekend will be the Buckeyes' last opportunity to find their footing before heading to East Lansing.

"A lot of guys thought we were going to go in and dominate that [Penn State] game and that was kind of humbling," said Ohio State left tackle Taylor Decker. "We're not world-beaters. We're not as good as we need to be. We're not where we need to be at."

Michael Hickey/Getty Images

But if Illinois' talent and the Buckeyes' performance against Penn State aren't enough for Meyer to keep his team focused, Ohio State can also take a look at the Illini's most recent outing. Facing a Minnesota team that was on pace to compete for the Big Ten West title, Illinois snapped a three-game losing streak with a 28-24 win over the Golden Gophers in an effort that caught the attention of Decker.

"They're coming in with an awful lot of momentum," Decker said of the Illini.

And if that doesn't work, Meyer still has that Michigan State game up his sleeve. Because without a win over Illinois, that game loses much of its meaning for an Ohio State squad trying to fight its way up from the No. 16 spot in the inaugural rankings for the College Football Playoff.

"This is a big one as well," Meyer insisted of Ohio State's upcoming game. "That one loses a little luster if we don't take care of business Saturday."

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Ohio State Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com and recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.