The Illinois football program is going up against the toughest team we will face this season.
Ohio State has so much firepower, and we will feel the wrath of the Buckeyes’ offense on Saturday.
Is there a way to slow down Ohio State’s offense? For the Illini, probably not. They have too many great players, and Illinois has already struggled with the likes of Duke. So, my confidence isn’t terribly high right now.
With that being said, if Illinois does want any chance at slowing down Ohio State, we will need to do a few things.
Here are three keys for the Illinois defense to slow down a juggernaut Ohio State offense
1. Illinois has to bring a constant blitz
Illinois is going up against what I believe is the best team in the country on Saturday. One way for the Illini defense to slow down the Ohio State offense is through pressure.
The Buckeyes, surprisingly, haven’t protected Julian Sayin much this season. They have allowed 1.7 sacks per game, which ranks No. 70 in the country.
If Illinois drops everyone back and just brings three or four players at Sayin, we are going to get torched anyway. He is going to complete passes, and the running game is still going to go off. So, why not bring five or six each time Sayin drops back?
This pressure will keep Sayin on his heels for some of the game, and hopefully, it will cause a turnover. At worst, it would create some incompletions. Illinois has to throw pressure at Sayin, or it will be a very long day.
2. Get Ohio State into third down situations
There are a few areas that Ohio State struggles with on offense. If Illinois can bring a blitz on first down more often and force the Buckeyes into negative plays, then we can actually get them into third down situations.
Ohio State isn’t great at converting third downs. Their conversion rate is 36.36% this season, which ranks No. 81 in the nation.
I think this section piggybacks off the previous section. The pressure has to be there for Sayin to sweat at all on Saturday. If Illinois isn’t bringing the blitz, he is just going to sit back there in the pocket and pick us apart.
That blitz would hopefully get to Sayin on early downs, which would get them behind the chains. Forcing them into third downs would at least give the Illini a chance to get Ohio State off the field. It is a chain effect.
Sadly, Illinois isn’t great at stopping teams on third down. We allow the opponent to convert 42.86% of third downs, which ranks No. 84 in the country. This will be a huge key for Illinois to remain in this game.
3. The Illini need to limit the big plays
All of these are way easier said than done. Ohio State has one of the best offenses in the nation, and that will be on full display on Saturday.
Illinois needs to find a way to limit the big plays, though. Both Ohio State running backs are extremely effective. Bo Jackson and Ja’Kobi Jackson average 5.9 and 7.1 yards per carry, respectively. So, they are prone to big plays.
What scares me the most is Sayin. The Buckeyes average 11.3 yards per pass attempt this season. That ranks No. 6 in the country.
On top of that, the big play ability goes through Heisman Trophy candidate Jeremiah Smith. He has 21 receptions for 400 yards this season, both of which are more than double the second-place total on the team. He is also averaging 19.0 yards per reception, which is an insane number.
This could be a tough one for Illinois. Ohio State has so many weapons, and we are outmanned. If the Illini don’t want to give up 60 points, these keys will need to be implemented.
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