Illinois defensive coordinator has the tough task of trying to find a way to stop a high-powered Ohio State offense, one led by quarterback Julian Sayin and star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. With the way the Illini have looked defensively this season, it feels like a tall task, and even Hauck doesn't seem incredibly confident.
When speaking to the media on Monday, Hauck rightfully gave the Ohio State offense a lot of praise, focusing on Smith and his skill set. It is a challenge to try and stop someone as talented as Smith, but it isn't impossible. Hauck, on the other hand, made it seem like the Illini are just gonna try and hope for the best.
"You can't just say, 'Oh, we got to stop Jeremiah Smith.' I mean, you have to find a way to do your best on him. But if you just tilt the whole game plan towards him ... they're not a one-dimensional team," Hauck said. "So to me, you got one of the best players at college football at wide receiver, and then you got a great run game, you got a great front, you got a great quarterback... it's a daunting task to try to slow these guys down."
Asked #illini DC Bobby Hauck about the challenge of the gravity of WR Jeremiah Smith.
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) September 21, 2026
"You can't just say, 'Oh, we got to stop Jeremiah Smith.' I mean, you have to find a way to do your best on him. But if you just tilt the whole game plan towards him ... they're not a… pic.twitter.com/lGwJWbEIsU
The Illinois defense will have to look marginally better in order to slow down the Buckeyes
Hauck is right: Illinois can't just focus on stopping Smith because the Buckeyes have lots of other talented players on the field, but focusing on him is a better plan. Forcing Ohio State to use someone else offensively is better than just letting Smith do as he pleases.
Right now, Smith has 400 receiving yards and three touchdowns in three games. Hauck can't just let him do whatever he wants on the field. With the defensive scheme that the Illini now run, a 3-3-5, it will be easier to get more coverage on Smith, but Illinois needs to be able to bring him down.
Tackling has been a problem for this Illinois defense, and with Smith being 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, he won't be an easy target to bring down. Juice Clark, Xavie Scott, and Matthew Bailey will have their work cut out for them this week when trying to cover Smith and freshman Chris Henry Jr.
This Illinois defense needs to have confidence heading into the game against the Buckeyes, and honestly, Hauck isn't helping with that. Sure, you can admit it is daunting, but Hauck needs to be the one hyping his guys up, not just complimenting the other team.
If Hauck doesn't seem confident in his defensive unit, how can you expect the guys to go out there and believe they can pull off the upset and slow down this offense? It is a tall task for the Illini to win this game, but it also isn't impossible.
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