This matchup pits #9 Ohio State and Illinois on Senior Day, which will obviously be their last game at the Shoe and it has the makings of another emotional game. Ohio State will be facing a team that is struggling to find their identity and also a team that still has not gotten a conference win this season, that is sitting at 2-8 overall. The Buckeyes will not overlook this Illini team because besides this being their last home game, the Illibuck trophy is up for grabs again.
Since 2001, Illibuck has been stashed away at Ohio State, but a baller named Juice Williams upset the Buckeyes and took it away for a short vacation to Champagne. There are many players that will ensure that chaos does not happen. From J.T. Barrett to Damon Webb, each Senior will play their hearts out. The underclassmen and potential early entries for the draft will also ensure that their Seniors are not disappointed in their last game at home, especially before the Game.
Ball Security Dilemma:
One thing of concern will be J.T. Barrett and turnovers. In the last two games, he has thrown 6, yes 6 interceptions. He has difficulties with accuracy and ball placement, but this game will present an opportunity to fix and adjust prior to traveling to Ann Arbor for the Game.
Last week, Barrett was all over the place in the passing attack, but he rarely needed to air it out because the run game was unstoppable against a normally stout Spartan defense. The Buckeyes beat the snot out of them and routed them, and with their playoff hopes on life support, they cannot afford any more hiccups and they must win out and win the conference, but that is not what is important. The important thing for them is staying focused and taking care of the ball, and that starts with Barrett at the helm.
This Lovie Smith led defense is surrendering 204.1 passing yards and 198.9 rushing yards per game, but they have not faced the caliber and types of athletes that the Buckeyes have on their roster. Look for Meyer to establish the run early and often to soften the coverage for play action passes. This will be a confidence booster and they will need all they can get.
Defenses Last Stand:
The question on everyone’s mind, and mine especially, is who will get a targeting penalty this time? Ward, Bosa, Jones, and Arnette have been ejected for targeting and it has been a trend for this team this year. The Buckeyes cannot afford any stupid targeting penalties, especially in the second half because another pair of gold pants will be on the line against the TTUN.
Jaylin Holmes, Tracy Sprinkle, Dante Booker, Chris Worley, Tyquan Lewis, Michael Hill, and Erick Smith will play their last game and they would love to finish the season with a conference championship, their only goal right now. There are others like Bosa, Baker, Ward, Arnette, and Hubbard, who may leave after this season, but a lot is on the line in this game, even with an overmatched team in your way.
Illinois will have a new QB after Dudek went down with an injury, and may not be back next year. George has thrown 10 INT’s so far during his time in the fire and I am sure that the defense will force a few due to his inexperience.
Ground and Pound:
The duo of Weber and Dobbins will be featured in this contest a lot. They ran all over Michigan State and will look to add to their momentum just in time for the game. They all do not want to let their Seniors down in their last game at the Shoe, especially when Weber might potentially leave after this season.
Billy Price and Jamarco Jones, along with Barrett will fight alongside both RB’s for Illibuck and for bragging rights and Zone 6 will also try to explode onto the scene to put the game away early to rest for the Game. This game is their last chance to correct any and all quirks on the offensive side of the ball to walk into Ann Arbor with added momentum and focus because the Game is always exciting and unpredictable.
Prediction:
Ohio State picks up where they left off in the running game and finely tunes the passing attack to prepare for TTUN. Barrett throws at least one pick in the game, but has 3 TD’s to Zone 6 and a rushing TD. The RB’s run wild and salt the game away and combine for 180 yards and 4 scores en route to a 56-6 thrashing of Illinois.
Ohio State defeats Illinois 56-6.
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