The Buckeyes are going to have to be careful this week against the Illinois quarterback.
The Ohio State Buckeyes will be opening up Big Ten play this weekend when they welcome in the Illinois Fighting Illini to town.
Ohio State has started the new season 3-1, with the one loss coming against the Texas Longhorns on the road. The Buckeyes have gotten off to a solid start to the season, and they will be looking to keep everything rolling against Illinois this week.
But while the Buckeyes are being viewed as the heavy favorites to win the game, the Illinois offense could pose some real problems for Ohio State. This is especially true of Illinois quarterback Katin Houser, who has the talent to cause all sorts of issues for the Buckeyes.
Through the first three games of the year for the Fighting Illini, Houser has been efficient, completing 74.1 percent of his passes. Houser has thrown for 758 yards and eight touchdowns with two interceptions this season.
But Houser has also shown the ability to extend plays with his legs, proving to be a dual-threat quarterback. The signal-caller has rushed for 50 yards and one touchdown so far this year, and the Buckeyes will have to find a way to keep him in the pocket.
Last season with East Carolina, Houser threw for 3300 yards with 19 touchdowns and six interceptions. The veteran quarterback has seen success at the college level over his career, and Ohio State will need to focus heavily on him.
Getting Houser out of a rhythm early in the game will be crucial for the Buckeyes, not allowing him to improvise during plays. Houser has shown the ability to read his progressions well, and it has allowed the Illinois offense to find success this season.
Playing in Columbus should help the Buckeyes, with the fans being able to get loud to try and throw Houser off his game. But in the end, the players on the field will determine the outcome of this game, and Ohio State can't overlook this Fighting Illini group.
Ohio State hasn't been very effective on third down this season, and if this trend continues against Illinois, it could be problematic. The Buckeyes have to clean a lot up coming into this game with the Fighting Illini, offering them a fresh start for Big Ten play.
Houser and company will be trying to knock off the Buckeyes on the road, which would be a massive upset. But if Ohio State comes in focused and ready to go, they should have no problem, even with the talents of Houser.
