Northern Illinois vs. Ohio State: Complete Game Preview
After opening the season with a physical and emotional win over Virginia Tech on the road, No. 1 Ohio State (2-0) looked sluggish in a 38-0 victory over Hawaii last week. Urban Meyer will look to get his Buckeyes back on track as they host Northern Illinois this Saturday.
The Huskies aren't just a typical walkover MAC team, though, as they've won the conference in two of the last four years, and they're one of the favorites to win it again in 2015. Rod Carey's squad is off to a good start, posting back-to-back wins over UNLV and Murray State to open the season.
Can Northern Illinois give Ohio State a fight?
Date: Saturday, Sept. 19
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Place: Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio
TV: ABC
Spread: Ohio State (-31.5), via Odds Shark
Ohio State Keys to Victory
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Find a Groove Offensively
The Buckeyes offense underperformed against the Warriors in Week 2, registering just 363 yards of total offense against a bad defense. The running game averaged just 3.7 yards per carry, and Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett combined for just 181 yards and no touchdowns.
Ohio State was coming off a short week after playing Virginia Tech on Labor Day in prime time, and that may have affected the Buckeyes' preparation and ability to recover.
"We only had a couple days to prepare," Ezekiel Elliott said, according to Eric Seger of Eleven Warriors. "We just weren't ready to come out and play today."
Contain the Quarterback
After looking a bit rusty against Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Brewer in the season opener, Ohio State completely shut down Hawaii's signal-caller, Max Wittek, who threw for just 67 yards and two interceptions last Saturday.
But Northern Illinois' Drew Hare is a much more dangerous quarterback because he can hurt a defense with his arm and his legs. The junior has only run for 49 yards in the first two games, but he's coming off a 2014 campaign during which he ran for 900 yards and eight touchdowns.
The Buckeyes pass rush will need to be disciplined and contain the dangerous dual-threat.
Northern Illinois Keys to Victory
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Establish the Running Game
Northern Illinois won't have a chance if it brings a one-dimensional attack to Columbus, so the play of Joel Bouagnon will be very important.
The junior running back had a huge opening-week performance against UNLV, posting 152 yards and three touchdowns on just 21 carries. But a week later against Murray State, the running lanes weren't there as Bouagnon gained just 52 yards on 15 carries.
The Buckeyes have been solid against the run, allowing just 104 yards per game and 2.6 yards per carry through two games.
Generate Interior Pressure
Through two games, the Buckeyes' interior offensive front hasn't handled the pass rush very well.
That offensive line returned four starters from last year's unit, and it was expected to be one of the best in the country this year. But Virginia Tech found ways to fluster it, and Hawaii gave the Buckeyes plenty of trouble last Saturday.
The Huskies defensive front has done a good job of generating pressure this season as its registered seven sacks, which is tied for 13th nationally. They'll need to bring that kind of heat against the Buckeyes.
Ohio State Players to Watch
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Cardale Jones
Cardale Jones won college football's most intriguing position battle as he got the nod to start over J.T. Barrett in Ohio State's first two games.
But Meyer has been open about his plan for the quarterbacks, and he had no hesitation plugging in Barrett while Jones was struggling in the first half. Neither signal-caller was particularly impressive as Jones threw for just 111 yards while Barrett accounted for 70.
The Buckeyes need one of their two superstar quarterbacks to emerge as the definitive starter, and with Jones getting the first-team reps, he's in the best position to do so.
Gareon Conley
Ohio State's secondary returned three starters from last year's team, but the loss of cornerback Doran Grant was a big concern for Meyer in the offseason. Cornerback Gareon Conley was the front-runner to replace him, but there were questions about his confidence after he struggled in his freshman season last year.
But that hasn't been the case through two games this season.
Conley has been absolutely sensational as a starter, ranking seventh on the team with nine tackles, but it's been his work in coverage that has been so encouraging. The sophomore ranks second on the team with two pass breakups, and opposing quarterbacks have had little success throwing at him so far.
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Northern Illinois Players to Watch
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Drew Hare
If Northern Illinois plans to make things interesting, it'll need a huge performance from Drew Hare.
The junior signal-caller has been absolutely phenomenal this season, completing 78.1 percent of his passes for 718 yards and six touchdowns (against zero interceptions). But he's a viable threat on the ground as well, boasting 1,017 career rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
With Joey Bosa and Adolphus Washington applying pressure, Hare may have to improvise and create plays with his legs.
Kenny Golladay
Drew Hare's top target will challenge the Ohio State secondary that has played so well this season.
Kenny Golladay has emerged as one of the most productive receivers in the country, ranking second nationally with 357 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He's capable of breaking the big play—his season long reception is 55 yards—but he can also move the chains, as he's hauled in 17 receptions through two games.
What They're Saying
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Urban Meyer knows that his team didn't play well against Hawaii, but he forecasted improvement against Northern Illinois.
"We did not execute well," Meyer said, according to Eric Seger of Eleven Warriors. "When a coach says that, it sounds like you're taking away from what those guys did. Tough trip all the way across the world. And we didn't play extremely well. But we'll get better."
Cardale Jones talked about the subpar outing the offense had against Hawaii, via Patrick Murphy of The Ozone.
"Somewhat below average. Not our expectations at all. I know we won and our defense shut them out, thank God for our defense today. It was a reality check for not just me but the whole offense basically saying we’re not as good as we thought we were.
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Prediction
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Ohio State is going to play like an angry team on Saturday, and that will show on the scoreboard.
Cardale Jones will get the bulk of the work at quarterback, and he'll lead scoring drives on each of the Buckeyes' first three drives (two touchdowns, one field goal). Northern Illinois will find a rhythm early in the second quarter as Drew Hare's running ability comes into play. But Ohio State will close out the half with 14 straight points to take a 31-10 lead into the break.
Ezekiel Elliott will kick off the second half with a bang as he breaks free for a 60-yard touchdown on his first carry. From there, J.T. Barrett will take over as the Buckeyes cruise to a 39-point victory.
Ohio State 59, Northern Illinois 20
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