5. Illinois’ offensive line looked good
I was fully expecting the Ohio State defensive line to dominate Illinois. I thought there was a chance our offensive line was going to get plowed over, and Luke Altmyer was going to be scrambling for his life the entire game.
That didn’t end up being the case, though. For the first time in a long time, I was impressed with Illinois’ offensive line.
I think both sides of the offensive line played well. Altmyer had all day to throw on numerous occasions. The only time Altmyer got hit and fumbled was when there was a cornerback blitz. It didn’t have much to do with the offensive line.
Illinois ran some great plays in the red zone, as I mentioned earlier. A big reason for the ability to run some of these plays is that the offensive line gave us time for the play to develop. Without that time, Ohio State breaks the play up, and we don’t score.
I also thought the Illini were able to run better against Ohio State. I know 27 carries for 47 yards doesn’t look great, but Aidan Laughery saw success on the ground. He finished with eight carries for 50 yards and a touchdown.
It is rare that Illinois loses by 18 points, and I find something good about the game, but this is an exception. I was pleased with how the Illini responded to tough times. There were some good things to pull from this tough loss. I am encouraged moving forward.