Illinois faces a major defensive challenge against Ohio State. The Illini must tackle better, limit explosive plays and force the Buckeyes to sustain drives. With Ohio State still searching for consistency in the run game, Illinois has a narrow path to keep things competitive.
Ryan Day has made it clear what the gameplan will be when his Ohio State Buckeyes welcome Illinois in Columbus on Saturday.
That does not mean it makes the job of the Illinois defensive staff any easier.
The Fighting Illini defense has gone through some struggles early in the season and has been the focus of a frustrated fanbase.
Now Illinois will face an Ohio State offense looking to solve some problems of its own, particularly in the running game.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day has publicly challenged his running backs to provide more physicality, and so it is reasonable to suspect Day will work on improving that rushing game as they prepare for the brunt of the Big Ten schedule.
Bret Bielema knows his run defense will be the focal pointFor the Illini, the first priority is almost simple.
Finish tackles.
There has been no bigger source of frustration for the Illini fanbase than watching the number of times Illinois has gotten two hands on an opposing player but is unable to bring the player down. If the struggle was apparent against UAB and Duke, then imagine the difficulty against a team like Ohio State.
On the other side, the Buckeyes' running backs have also struggled to consistently force missed tackles themselves. And that is what has caught the attention of their head coach.
If anything, Saturday might represent exactly the type of game Ohio State views as an opportunity to get its rushing attack going.
Day has seen his team struggling to get yardage on the ground but he has also been in the film room and seen that the Illinois defense has struggled with stopping the run as well. The Buckeyes may look to force-feed their group of running backs and try to fix what needs to be fixed.
Illinois knows this.
If Illinois can prevent Ohio State from consistently running the football, the Buckeyes will have to sustain drives in other ways. That gives Illinois more opportunities to force a mistake and if the ball bounces the right way, capitalize on it.
What the Illini cannot afford are missed tackles that turn manageable gains into explosive plays.
That is where the difference in talent becomes especially dangerous.
A missed tackle against a lesser opponent might turn a 3-yard gain into 8 yards. Against Ohio State, the same mistake could turn into a touchdown.
Last year's meeting provided an example of how quickly mistakes can make an already difficult matchup even harder. Turnovers and special teams errors gave Ohio State opportunities Illinois could not afford to give, and ultimately the Buckeyes prevailed 34-16.
It is clear after Day's public challenge to his rushing attack, the Buckeyes are likely to test Illinois on the ground repeatedly.
Illinois defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck has a task in front of him that is not all that complicated.
Get defenders to the football. Finish tackles.
Illinois is 27.5 point underdogs so it's clear they do not have much margin for error.
But if the Illini defense can do those things, it gives the team a chance to have the final score more respectable than what the current spread suggests.
