QUARTERBACKS
After going 190 passes without an interception, J.T. Barrett has been picked six times in his last 55 passes, including twice in last week’s 48-3 win over Michigan State. Facing an Illinois defense that has only eight interceptions might give him a chance to reverse that trend.
Illinois (2-8, 0-7 Big Ten) has started three quarterbacks this season. Jeff George Jr. (7 touchdowns, 10 interceptions) has taken the most snaps.
Advantage: Ohio State
RUNNING BACKS
J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber went over 100 yards against Michigan State and Dobbins now has 1,038 yards rushing. Weber showed a level of speed that had not been seen in games before when he ran 82 yards for a touchdown and 47 yards for another.
Illinois has also used several players at running back with Kendrick Foster (267 yards) and Ra’Von Bonner (202 yards) getting the most carries recently. Freshman Mike Epstein (346 yards, 4 TDs) suffered a season-ending foot injury Oct. 7 but still leads the Illini in rushing yards.
Advantage: Ohio State
RECEIVERS
No Ohio State receiver had more than three catches against Michigan State but several were praised by coach Urban Meyer for their blocking.
Tough-luck Illinois receiver Mike Dudek, who has already come back from two ACL surgeries, is out for the season because of an undisclosed injury. Rick Smalling (28 catches) and Malik Turner (27 catches) are the top wide receivers and tight end Louis Dorsey has three touchdowns.
Advantage: Ohio State
OFFENSIVE LINE
Ohio State (8-2, 6-1 Big Ten) dominated a Michigan State defense which was allowing only 87 yards rushing per game. The offensive line should bring some more dominance this week against a defense that ranks 13th in the Big Ten in rush defense.
Illinois ranks last in the Big Ten in rushing offense and has allowed 36 sacks, which is 128th out of 130 major college teams.
Advantage: Ohio State
DEFENSIVE LINE
Ohio State’s defensive line against an Illinois offensive line that allowed eight sacks in a 24-14 loss to Indiana last week looks like a huge mismatch on paper.
Defensive end James Crawford leads the Illini in sacks with four. They have only 16 as a team.
Advantage: Ohio State
LINEBACKERS
Did Tuf Borland and Malik Harrison earn more playing time with solid performances filling in for starters Jerome Baker and Dante Booker last Saturday when those two starters were announced as injured and missed the Michigan State game? Baker will be back but Booker is questionable, Meyer said.
For Illinois, Del’Shawn Phillips is the team leader in tackles with 72.
Advantage: Ohio State
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Ohio State’s defensive backfield is coming off one of its better performances of the year when it cooled off Michigan State’s Brian Lewerke, who came into the Buckeyes’ 48-3 rout of the Spartans with back-to-back 400-yard games. Cornerback Damon Arnette, who left last week’s game because of a thigh bruise, is “probable” this week.
Illinois starts two freshmen and a sophomore in its defensive backfield.
Advantage: Ohio State
SPECIAL TEAMS
Ohio State appears to have remedied its kickoff and kickoff coverage problems the last two games. Sean Nuernberger is 12 of 14 on field goals.
Illinois kicker Chase McLaughlin is 12 of 16 on field goals. Illinois’ Australian punter Blake Hayes had never seen a college football game until this season.
Advantage: Ohio State
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