Ohio State vs. Illinois: Complete Game Preview
No. 3 Ohio State survived a crazy Saturday of upsets with an uninspired 14-point win over Minnesota, and it will look to find another gear when it travels for a noon showdown with Illinois.
The Buckeyes (9-0) struggled offensively with Cardale Jones at quarterback, producing just 376 total yards and 21 points against the Gophers. With his one-game suspension fulfilled, Ohio State will likely turn back to J.T. Barrett, but only if he looks the part in practice this week, according to Bleacher Report's Ben Axelrod.
Waiting for the Buckeyes will be the surging Illini (5-4), who are coming off a 48-14 rout of Purdue.
Will Ohio State take another step toward a berth in the College Football Playoff, or can Illinois register one of the biggest upsets of the season?
Viewing Information
Date: Saturday, November 14
Time: Noon ET
Place: Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois
TV: ABC
Spread: Ohio State (-16), via Odds Shark
Ohio State Keys to Victory
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Get J.T. Barrett Back In a Groove
It was clear against Minnesota that J.T. Barrett is the best option at quarterback, and with the season-ending stretch against Michigan State and Michigan looming, the Buckeyes need to gain as much momentum as possible.
But Illinois won't just be a tuneup game. The Illini have surged under interim head coach Bill Cubit, and they're rounding into shape after destroying Purdue last week. With running back Josh Ferguson back in the fold, Illinois piled up 595 total yards and 48 points against the Boilermakers.
If the Illini find a rhythm early, the Buckeyes offense would need to operate at a high level out of the gate to not only keep pace, but stay a step ahead.
Fluster Wes Lunt
Ohio State has been dominant defensively this season, and a big reason for that is its ability to get after the quarterback.
The Buckeyes rank fifth nationally in passing yards allowed and 12th in team sacks. Tyquan Lewis has emerged as a force opposite Joey Bosa, and the interior line is surging with defensive tackle Adolphus Washington leading the charge.
Flustering Wes Lunt has been the key to beating Illinois this year. In the Illini's four losses, Lunt has completed just 50.6 percent of his passes and thrown one touchdown against three interceptions. In their five victories, the junior signal-caller completed 59.8 percent of his throws with 11 touchdowns and one interception.
Look for the Buckeyes to put a ton of pressure on Lunt.
Illinois Keys to Victory
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Find a Balance
Beating Ohio State with a one-dimensional attack is close to impossible, so Illinois will need a balanced offensive attack on Saturday.
That's something the Illini have struggled with, as they have averaged nearly 100 yards fewer on the ground (144.3) than they have through the air (240) this season.
But against Purdue last weekend, the Illini finally got their ground game going with the return of Justin Ferguson. He complemented Ke'Shawn Vaughn perfectly in the backfield, helping Illinois roll up 382 rushing yards against the Boilermakers.
The Buckeyes have been susceptible to the run this year, giving up big games to outmatched opponents such as Indiana, Maryland and Penn State. Illinois should aim to do the same.
Home Cooking
Throughout the course of the 2015 season, Illinois has shown that it's a different team at home.
Four of Illinois' five victories have taken place in Memorial Stadium, while its first road win came last week when it housed Purdue. The Illini have averaged 34.3 points per game in front of its home crowd and just 19 points on the road, and more than half of those points (48 of 95) were rolled up last week against the Boilermakers.
Ohio State has absolutely dominated Illinois during Urban Meyer's tenure, winning each of the last three matchups by an average of 32 points. The Illini will need to take rely on every advantage they have over the Buckeyes, which includes the home crowd.
Ohio State Players to Watch
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In the week leading up to the Minnesota game, there was a lot of hoopla about an expanded role for Braxton Miller in the wake of J.T. Barrett's suspension.
The coaching staff and players raved about Miller in practice, insinuating he was ready to throw the ball and put in some work as the situational red-zone quarterback, similar to Barrett's role against Maryland and Penn State.
But against the Gophers, Miller didn't attempt a pass and hardly lined up behind center at all. He did haul in a huge 45-yard reception late in the fourth quarter, but he was slammed to the turf and knocked out of the game with an apparent head injury.
But during his weekly press conference on Monday, Urban Meyer said that Miller didn't practice on Sunday, but he's set to return to action ahead of the Illinois game, according to Ari Wasserman of the Plain Dealer.
"Braxton Miller has a "sore neck" from the injury he sustained against Minnesota. Has been held out, but he'll practice moving forward.
— Ari Wasserman (@AriWasserman) November 9, 2015"
The Buckeyes need Miller at 100 percent due to the enormous amount of injuries in the wide receiver corps.
Joel Hale and Michael Hill
After lackluster performances allowed Indiana's Zander Diamont, Maryland's Perry Hills and Penn State's Saquon Barkley to run wild on the Buckeyes, Meyer called out the interior defensive line and pleaded for better play.
With Tommy Schutt sidelined as he recovers from wrist surgery, Joel Hale and Michael Hill have been thrown into the fire, and last Saturday against the Gophers, they played some of their best football of the season.
The Gophers were absolutely stuffed at the line of scrimmage, gaining just 33 yards on 26 carries Saturday night. Their inability to run was a direct result of Hale and Hill's excellent play, and they were recognized for that by Meyer after the game.
With Illinois' running game finding its footing, the Buckeyes will need a similar effort from the pair of defensive tackles.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Illinois Players to Watch
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Josh Ferguson
Illinois' offense is much more potent when running back Josh Ferguson is involved.
That was evident in last week's rout of Purdue, when Ferguson helped the Illini run for a season-high 382 yards. He didn't lead the team—Ke'Shawn Vaughn had 180 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries—but he kept the Boilermakers defense off balance with 133 yards on just 12 touches.
It was Ferguson's first action since Illinois' 14-13 win over Nebraska in Week 5, when he was knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury. He missed the following three games against Iowa, Wisconsin and Penn State, and the Illini rushing attack bottomed out without him. During that three-week stretch, Illinois averaged just 46 rushing yards per game and 2.7 yards per carry.
Clayton Fejedelem
Ohio State is set to face one of the most disruptive safeties in the country in Clayton Fejedelem.
Fejedelem is tied for third nationally with 100 total tackles, a mark that ranks first in the country among defensive backs. He's not just a defensive back who jumps on piles to rack up numbers—he's physical against the run and isn't afraid to lower his head and make a play against bigger backs.
"He just gives us high energy," Bill Cubit said of Fejedelem, according to Brian Bennett of ESPN.com. "He's physical and a really dedicated player—he gives us a lot back there. A lot of it is heart, and he works really hard. He's a great kid, he learns, and he's exactly what you want in a safety."
Ohio State will likely lean on the run with Barrett back at quarterback, but it'll have to deal with a fearless defensive back in Fejedelem.
What They're Saying
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Urban Meyer talked about the all-around play of Ezekiel Elliott, according to Bill Landis of the Plain Dealer.
"He's an animal. I love that kid. He's a team player. You can see how he was holding onto the ball because they were trying to strip it there at the end. And he's excellent in pass protection again tonight. And yeah, he's a work horse that we're very glad he's going to be with us for a while.
"
Illinois interim coach Bill Cubit has a lot of his confidence in his running back as well, according to Matt Daniels of the News-Gazette.
"You can tell the difference with Fergy in there. It’s a little bit different offense with him. He just makes things happen You’ve got guys who are fresh. If you can keep those guys fresh and healthy, you look at it and think, boy, what if we had everybody healthy.
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Prediction
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J.T. Barrett will win back the starting job, and he'll lift the Buckeyes in a rout of Illinois.
Unlike last week against Minnesota, the Buckeyes will invade Memorial Stadium and jump out to an early lead thanks to the big playmaking ability of Barrett. The redshirt sophomore will throw for two touchdowns in the first quarter and run for another to open the second as Ohio State builds a 21-0 lead.
Geronimo Allison will take advantage of a coverage bust and burn the Buckeyes with a 50-yard touchdown, but that will be the lone highlight in a game that Ohio State dominates. Ezekiel Elliott will run for 130 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, and Braxton Miller will add 120 total yards of offense and a touchdown as the Buckeyes cruise.
Ohio State 52, Illinois 13
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
