Ohio State vs. Illinois: 5 Halftime Adjustments the Buckeyes Must Make

Pretty interesting game so far as the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the No. 16 Illinois Fighting Illini. The Buckeyes are looking to rebound from last week's letdown and continue their dominance in Champaign. 

Here are 5 halftime adjustments the Buckeyes must make if they want to complete the upset over the Illini. 

Pound the run with Dan Herron.

Herron's return gives the Buckeyes a big boost on the ground, and in the second half, OSU should continue to run north/south with his fresh legs.

The Illini have only defended against spread offenses so far this season, so the Buckeyes can take advantage of their inexperience by continuing to pound the run up the gut. 

Make somebody other than A.J. Jenkins beat you.

Illinois' biggest offensive threat is clearly A.J. Jenkins.

Coming into this game Jenkins has already recorded seven TDs and and 815 yards. If the Buckeyes want to win this game, they should try to put double coverage on Jenkins and make another Illini player step up. 

Stop Whitney Mercilus.

Illinois' Whitney Mercilus has already recorded nine sacks in the first six weeks of play. Ohio State needs to bring extra help over on the speedy Mercilus in the second half to make sure Miller is protected. 

Step up on third down.

The Buckeyes need to step up on third down in the second half.

In the first half of play, Ohio State was left with a number of long third down attempts, forcing them into throwing situations. The Buckeyes need to focus on getting good yardage on early downs so they are not left with third and long. 

Avoid negative plays.

The Buckeyes must avoid negative plays in the second half.

Miller's sacks, as well as a number of other offensive miscues left the Buckeyes in very unfavorable situations. If OSU wants to complete this upset, they must make sure they don't hurt themselves.

Every possession counts.