3 reasons Ohio State would’ve crushed Illinois before COVID cancellation
By Alec Hartman
3. They would’ve run all over the Illini
It was rough sledding for Justin Fields last weekend to say the least. He struggled mightily in the passing game against an opportunistic Indiana defense. The Buckeyes seemed to tighten up their route tree after having great success throwing over the top early in the ball game. The success was most evident in the Buckeyes’ first two plays from scrimmage which included a 65 yard pass to Garrett Wilson and then a touchdown.
The mistakes became apparent once Indiana packed the middle of the field which forced Fields to operate in tight coverage. Fields fell into a few traps set by the Indiana defense which leads the Big Ten in interceptions. The Buckeyes were quickly forced to look elsewhere for production as a result of Fields’ sudden onset of turnovers.
Look no further than the Buckeyes’ very own Master Teague to shoulder the offense when it needed him most. Teague recorded season highs in almost every category as he rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. For all of the games that Fields has ran the show, Teague has paid the team back in large dividends with this performance.
This sudden uptick in production from the Buckeyes’ run game will be exactly what the Buckeyes need in the final stretch of this season. The Buckeyes will be heavily favored in every one of their games which will point to the running game being heavily involved.
The Illini were ripe to be gashed, as the program ranks in the bottom half of the Big Ten in rushing defense.
Teague is handling the bulk of the production in the run game but Trey Sermon is getting some work as well, in which he also had an efficient day. Fields has ran the show well thus far but it’s time the Buckeyes work on their fundamentals and get back to the run heavy scheme that has always catered to their success.