Ohio State’s Defense Dominates Again in 34-16 Win Over Illinois

Ohio State went on the road to Champagne this week and, unsurprisingly, they dominated once again. It was the same script we saw all season. The offense looked solid and did more than enough to win, but the defense completely took over the game, never leaving the score in doubt, as they rolled to a 34-16 win.

The Silver Bullets are better than any other offense or defense in the country. It looks like they’re starting at least 10 guys who will be everyday players in the NFL once they’re running on Sundays. We already saw Indiana take over Illinois with an outstanding defensive performance, but seeing this type of performance on the road is such a great sign for Ohio State.

They’re also starting to generate more turnovers as well. The pass rush is on another level, and between Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese, there are not two more athletic linebackers in the country. If I want to nitpick this defense a little bit, Lorenzo Styles might limit them in man coverage. Still, I have complete faith in defensive coordinator Matt Patricia to dial up enough pressure and hide coverages well enough where this isn’t an issue.

On the other side of the ball, you can see that there’s an elite offense somewhere; we just haven’t seen it yet. I’m not sure if this is a Ryan Day or Brian Hartline issue, but the offense feels so predictable at the moment.

They rely heavily on RPOs in their offense, leading to frequent use of the zone run game, the weakest point for the offensive line. This team needs more verticality across the board on offense. Whether it’s downfield passing near the sidelines for Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, continuing to attack the middle of the field with Max Klare, or Bo Jackson being more involved in power run schemes, verticality would do wonders for this offense.

My other complaint about the offense is the tempo and formations. They have the best athletes in the country on offense, pick up the tempo, and put the opposition in situations where they can't substitute, which will help Julian Sayin attack downfield. Every time the two-minute offense is used, I feel far more confident in the offense. The run game isn’t as developed, so lean more on the passing attack.

Also, if you’re going to try to run the ball, maybe make it a little less obvious. Do you have to take Jeremiah Smith off the field every time you line up in heavy sets? Do you also have to motion the tight end in every time as well? At least they ran some QB sneak in short yardage, something no team in the country will be able to stop when running behind Carson Hinzman.

Now that Penn State seems to be in a complete free fall, there aren’t a lot of challenges left on the Buckeyes' schedule. Keep the momentum rolling, and make sure you have the offense ready for the Team Up North.