Ohio State Football: Preview of the Illinois Game

Buckeye fans watched in horror as Ohio State blew a 27-6 lead against Nebraska.

Illinois fans watched as the Fighting Illini trailed 10-0 against Indiana, then came back and outscored their opponent 30-3.

On Saturday, the Buckeyes will travel to No. 19 Illinois in their second road game in a row.

Click "Begin Slideshow" to learn everything you need to know before Saturday's game.  

The Quarterback Game

Ohio State:  Buckeye fans do not need to be reminded of Saturday's game against Nebraska, but Coach Fickell proved yet again that senior quarterback Joe Bauserman is not the answer. Freshman Braxton Miller started last week. and he put up respectable numbers before being sidelined with a sprained right ankle. Miller was 5-for-8 for 95 yards and a touchdown, as well as putting another 91 yards on the ground.

It looked like the Buckeyes finally figured out the quarterback dilemma, but that is when Bauserman took over. Bauserman struggled, completing only one pass of the evening and throwing an interception with only five minutes left in the game. 

Illinois: Quarterback Nathan Scheelhasse certainly impressed against Indiana on Saturday. Scheelhasse threw 210 yards and three touchdowns. He even ran a naked bootleg and added a score. Scheelhasse averages a 70 percent completing rating. He has thrown seven touchdowns and ran for four more. He has great chemistry with receiver A.J. Jenkins. Look for Scheelhasse to be a threat against the Buckeyes next week.

The Bottom Line: With Miller most likely still sidelined with the ankle injury (Coach Fickell has not given an update on Miller's status), Illinois takes the advantage here. Scheelhasse doesn't get rattled easily, and he connected well against the Indiana defense.

Let's be honest. If Bauserman starts for the Buckeyes, then it doesn't matter who the opponent is. The opponent will always take the advantage. 

The Receiving Game

Ohio State: Corey Brown was off to a strong start, but got slowed down when Bauserman came in. Brown had three catches for 61 yards. Tight end Jake Stoneburner had a nice 31-yard catch in the endzone. The receiving game was looking better while Miller was in; unfortunately, only Corey Brown was able to catch anything that Bauserman threw.

Illinois: Wide receiver A.J. Jenkins caught two of Scheelhasse's touchdown passes, from 67 yards and 77 yards. Jenkins has a great rhythm with his quarterback, making everything look effortless and smooth. Darius Millines is Scheelhasse's second leading receiver, averaging 17.4 yards per catch. Look for Jenkins to have another huge game against the Buckeyes.

The Bottom Line: Illinois has the edge again in this category. While it is indisputable that Ohio State has some of the youngest receivers with the biggest potential, Bauserman can't seem to connect with any of them. The 41-20 victory of Indiana proves that Illinois continues to dominate.

The Running Game

Ohio State: Sophomore Carlos Hyde continues to perform well. Against Nebraska, Hyde added 104 yards to the Buckeyes' offense. Hyde is great at the second effort run and shows determination by refusing to be brought down on the first tackle. Overall, Hyde averages 4.3 yards per carry this year.

Ohio State's other leading rusher, Jordan Hall, had 49 yards against the Cornhuskers. He was contained the week earlier as well, only grabbing 45 yards against Michigan State.

Ohio State's other leading rusher is quarterback Braxton Miller. Enough said.

Illinois: Ranked 22nd in the country, Illinois put an impressive 308 yards on the ground against Indiana. Running back Troy Pollard is inconsistent, running for 92 yards against the Hoosiers but only nine yards against Northwestern. Before that, Pollard had 133 yards against Western Michigan, but only three yards versus Arizona State.

Illinois' other leading rusher is quarterback Nathan Scheelhasse. The Missouri native has recorded 259 yards of rushing offense this season and totaled 868 yards last year.

The Bottom Line: The Buckeyes take the advantage here. Pollard is wobbly at times, and Hyde and Hall continue to plow through defenses. Expect both players to run the Buckeyes' offense on Saturday. 

The Coaching Game

Ohio State:  Coach Luke Fickell is on the hot seat. Many speculate that he will not be asked to take the Buckeye reins again next year, and fans are already crossing him off their list.

At the weekly press conference before traveling to Nebraska, Coach Fickell stated, "When we walked out of the room maybe yesterday, they were down, but hey, next morning, next play, next time. That's the motto we have got to have. And you know, it will be interesting. We go out there today, there won't be a head down and there won't be anybody whining or moping. And it all starts from the top down, and we won't accept it and won't allow it."

Illinois: This is Ohio native Ron Zook's seventh season as the head coach for the Fighting Illini. Last year, Zook was 7-6 with his team, including a 38-14 win over Baylor in the 2010 Texas Bowl. In addition, Illinois has led the Big Ten in rushing offense three different years, as well as passing offense in 2008.

The Bottom Line: The pressure will be on Fickell to succeed, as he will need to win the rest of his games in order to remain as the Ohio State head coach. However, Fickell has refused to make adjustments with the offense, and this reflects in the poor offensive performance.

Zook, on the other hand, as a good grasp on his team. Illinois takes the advantage.  

The Motivation Game

Ohio State: Sitting at a 3-3 record, the Buckeyes have something to prove. After being one of the top football programs in the nation, the Buckeyes have yet to climb back into the AP's Top 25 poll. Ohio State came out of the locker room last week with a chip on their shoulder, and it showed in the 27-6 lead over Nebraska. They are tired of this downward spiral, and look for them to put up a fight in Champaign.

Illinois: Illinois is currently 6-0 and sits atop of the Leaders Division. However, they have only won by a three-point margin for the last three games (excluding the 41-20 thrashing of Indiana). If Illinois wants the respect they believe they deserve, then they are going to need to step up the defense and make bigger plays.

The Bottom Line: Ohio State is angry. It's as simple as that. The edge goes to the Buckeyes.

The Bottom Line

Currently, Illinois is -3.5 points under the spread, according to MSN Fox Sports. Given their narrow win margin this season, it is not a surprise that people don't expect a blowout by the Fighting Illinois. However, Illinois is looking for a reason to dispel that perception.

If Braxton Miller was playing, this preview would be entirely different. But an ankle injury and a lack of offensive adjustments make it difficult to pick the Buckeyes as winners this week. Illinois wants to give Wisconsin and Michigan a run for their money in the Big Ten's battle of undefeateds. Look for running backs Hyde and Hall to produce a touchdown each, and Scheelhasse to continue his chemistry with A.J. Jenkins.  

Score Prediction: Illinois 21, Ohio State 17