The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes will travel to take on the IL Fighting Illini on Saturday in a Big Ten showdown.
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Ohio State tight end Nick Vannett (81) makes a catch against IL defensive back Taylor Barton (3) during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Ke’Shawn Vaughn, the freshman running back, has rushed for a team-high 665 yards, including 180 against Purdue.
They’re ranked fifth in passing yards allowed (163.9), sixth scoring defense (15 points per game) and ninth pass efficiency (101.1). “We know what’s coming down the road next week, and we need to be more balanced”. Against IL, he finished with 27 carries for 181 yards and two touchdowns.
Ohio State safety Geronimo Allison vs. Ohio State safety Vonn Bell: Allison leads the Illini with 56 receptions for 756 yards and three touchdowns.
Ohio State may have lost its stronghold on the No. 1 ranking, but Urban Meyer’s group can still counter with the ever popular, “Beat us”.
Ezekiel Elliott gains 12 on first play and J.T. Barrett fumbles on the next play and the Illini recover at the 31 yard line. He returned from a shoulder injury against Purdue last week after sitting out three games. He has a better completion percentage, touchdown-interception ratio, and quarterback rating. When we watch OSU football live streaming or on TV today, they’ll be trying to work out the kinks with J.T. Barrett back at quarterback after sitting out a one-week suspension for driving under the influence.
“I just challenged the offensive line, ‘ Meyer said”.
Ohio State hopes to figure it out offensively, particularly with the pass. Because if it struggles through the air moving forward, it may be hard to envision the Buckeyes stay unbeaten the next two weeks with games against MI State and MI. Barrett specifically threw for 150 yards and one score, while churning out 74 yards and another touchdown with his legs.
The timing of Barrett’s emergence couldn’t be more flawless with the season and all its delicious potential payoffs hanging within reach. It looks like…IL? They still have a team?
IL (5-4, 4-3) moved above. “A positive run play is 4 yards, so when he’s popping out 6, 8, 9 yards on first and second down, that’s what you love in a running back”.
With regular-season match-ups against one-loss MI State and rival MI forthcoming, IL could be considered a trap game.
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Meyer calls defensive end Joey Bosa one of the most disruptive players he’s ever coached, and IL interim coach Bill Cubit agrees with the assessment. He’s the Illini’s primary LEO rusher, meaning his sole job is to get into the backfield and create tackles for loss. Junior DB Clayton Fejedelem, who has two INTs, is second in the Big Ten with 100 tackles on the year.
