OPPONENT: Illinois (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten)
Ohio State left the ‘Shoe on Saturday with a 42-3 win over Minnesota and looked dominant on both sides of the ball for most if the game.
Now the Buckeyes go on the road for possibly its biggest test yet against a No. 17-ranked Illinois team led by head coach Bret Bielema.
The Fighting Illini got off to a great start to the year after beginning the season as the No. 12 team in the AP top 25. They took down Western Illinois 52-3, Duke 45-19 and Western Michigan 38-0. So when they went to Indiana and were beaten 63-10, it came as a mild surprise that it was such a blowout.
Illinois was losing defensive backs left and right in that game due to injuries and an ejection, and the offensive line on the other side of the ball was struggling to keep the Indiana pass rush in check. Quarterback Luke Altmyer was sacked seven times in the game.
“I’ve never been a part of anything like that,” Bielema said. “We lost, I believe, six of our seven top DBs.”
The Illini and Altmyer came back a week later against No. 21 USC and showed that it was at least somewhat a fluke that they were beaten so badly by Indiana, winning 34-32 over the Trojans. The quarterback was 20 of 26 for 328 yards and two touchdowns in the game.
Bielema was confident Altymer would be fine after the loss.
“The thing I love about working with Luke is, Luke just works and takes care of his day,” Bielema said. “His preparation detail, he’s got his own little study in our building where he can get alone and watch film on his own, and he just does a great job of putting himself in preparation mode to get ready for Tuesday’s practice, execute Wednesday, make corrections Thursday, get the game plan together.”
Altmyer is one of the better quarterbacks the Buckeyes play against this season, and one of the strongest parts of his game is that he takes care of the ball so well. In six games this season he has completed 109 of 148 passes (73.6 completion percentage) for 1,573 yards, 12 touchdowns and no interceptions.
Bielema knows that the Illini are going to have to bring their best game in all phases against Ohio State compared to a game like when they beat Purdue last week by two scores even though they might not have played their best.
“Just, for me as a head coach, to be in a position that maybe if we don’t have our best day, you still feel like you can win a lot of games. Obviously, that’s not going to be the case on Saturday against Ohio State.”
Linebacker Gabe Jacas was a preseason All-Big Ten pick and has been playing like it already. He has 20 tackles, five for loss, 4.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles, so the Buckeye offensive line will need to remain strong in pass protection.
Bieleme said Jacas reminds him of a famous Wisconsin defender he used to coach during his time with the Badgers.
“He’s got (that) country, hand-strength thing. Grown-man strength,” Bielema said. “It kind of reminds me – I had a player at Wisconsin that reminds (me of him) a lot of times: J.J. Watt. J.J. was a stand-down defensive end. Gabe plays on his feet. But when he was in a three-point stance last year, kind of at that true D-end – that four-technique, five-technique – he was the most productive player in college football in the reps that he had there.”
Bielema is with his third Big Ten team now, also having stints as an assistant at Iowa and as the head coach at Wisconsin, and he believes the trophy games, like the Ohio State-Illinois fight for the Illibuck trophy, make the conference special. He’s looking for his second straight trophy after winning the Cannon trophy with the victory over Purdue.
“It’s a part of something that comes before you’re here, and it goes on after you’re gone,” Bielema said. “I think that’s what makes the Big Ten really special and unique.”
After losing badly to Indiana earlier in the season, Illinois is going to need a statement win at some point if it wants to be back in contention for the College Football Playoff. Bielema knows this game will be a chance to make that statement.
“We’re doing a lot of good things,” he said. “I think the key for us this week is obviously an unbelievable opportunity with Ohio State, and we’ve just got to get our guys healthy, get some guys fresh. We’ve got to be very, very smart in our plan.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
- OLB Gabe Jacas — Jacas can do a little bit of everything, but can be dangerous in the pass rush if blockers lose sight of him. He has 4.5 sacks this season.
- QB Luke Altmyer — A very accurate quarterback, Altmyer is smart with where he attacks defenses. He has not thrown an interception yet this season and is good in the pocket.
- SAF Miles Scott — One of many returning starters for the Illini, Scott has one of the two interceptions the team has managed six games into the year.
SERIES HISTORY: This will be the 103rd meeting between the two teams. Ohio State is hoping to retain the Illibuck trophy after six straight wins over the Illini dating back to 2007. The Buckeyes lead the all-time series 68-30-4. The last time they played was a 2017 52-14 win for the Buckeyes in Columbus.
Check back every Monday at BuckeyeSports.com for a brief preview of the Buckeyes’ upcoming opponent, with stories and features throughout the week.
