The Ohio State Buckeyes seem to have a good shot at taking down Illinois this weekend.
Coming off a tough loss to Texas two weeks ago, the Ohio State Buckeyes took out some frustration on Kent State last week.
Ohio State won 59-3 in dominant fashion, setting themselves up nicely for the start of Big Ten play this week. The Buckeyes will be hosting the Illinois Fighting Illini this week, with the team wanting to clean up some things.
The main thing that Ohio State wants to improve is execution in the red zone and on third down. Head coach Ryan Day believes that his team has been inconsistent at best in this area, leading to some problems on offense.
Ohio State has gone 12-for-17 in terms of scoring touchdowns in the red zone this year. But they did go two-for-five against Texas, leading to the loss.
As far as third down, the Buckeyes have weirdly struggled. Ohio State has gone 12-for-33 on third-down this season, leading to some major concerns from the coaching staff.
Day wants to see better execution from his team, knowing that they will be playing better competition down the line. Fine-tuning the small details early in the year can make all the difference, and Ohio State wants to contend for a national championship again this year.
But even with this, the Buckeyes still have one of the top offenses in the country, being led by star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and quarterback Julian Sayin. Ohio State remains one of the best teams in the country, even with the loss to Texas, and they will now look to start Big Ten games with a bang.
Ahead of the game, ESPN has given Ohio State a 95.3 percent chance to take down Illinois, showing real faith in the Buckeyes. With the game being played in Columbus, it does give Ohio State an edge, and this could be a strong conference opener for this team.
Illinois quarterback Katin Houser can cause some problems for the Ohio State defense if they aren't careful. And while the Buckeyes are highly favored to win, on any given day, any team can win a game.
Houser has thrown for 758 yards with eight touchdowns and two interceptions this season. The signal-caller has also rushed for 50 yards and one score, showing a dual-threat ability.
Ohio State will need to make sure they try to contain him, and the defense has been solid so far this season. But the Buckeyes can't overlook the Fighting Illini, especially with a big game against the Iowa Hawkeyes coming up next week.
