Off the Cuff: The Buckeyes need to unlock their running game Saturday against Illinois
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Big Ten play begins this Saturday for the Buckeyes, with No. 7 Ohio State hosting Illinois in The Shoe at 12:00 p.m. on FOX. Yes, that means Big Noon Kickoff will be there, going to an Ohio State-Illinois game for a second straight season.
This is Ohio State’s Big Ten opener, which means every game the rest of the way carries twice as much significance. After all, one of the Buckeyes’ goals is to win the Big Ten Championship. The journey to that starts against an always-tough opponent in Illinois.
This is a game where running the football will be paramount for the Buckeyes, and it can also play into a weakness for Illinois.
The Fighting Illini are allowing opponents to possess the ball for nearly 34 minutes per game. That makes me think Ohio State can run the ball and keep Illinois’ offense off the field. It can also keep their big-play offense on the sideline.
Senior wide receiver Collin Dixon, a Tallmadge, Ohio native, leads Illinois’ offense. Dixon already has seven touchdowns on the season, averaging 14.7 yards per reception on 25 catches for 367 yards.
Dixon is averaging eight receptions, 122 yards, and two touchdowns per game. He’s a high-impact player. One way to limit his impact is to keep him on the sideline. If the Buckeyes can run the ball, that neutralizes a player of Dixon’s caliber and his ability to impact the game with one or more big plays.
Katin Houser is Illinois’ starting quarterback, and he’s experienced. When he signed with Illinois in January of this offseason, he had 26 starts under his belt. That was the 12th-most of all active FBS quarterbacks.
At East Carolina in 2025, Houser threw for 3,300 yards and 19 touchdowns with just six interceptions, while also rushing for nine touchdowns and earning a spot on the Manning Award Watch List. Houser has eight touchdown passes on the season, with three in each of his first two games and two last week against Southern Illinois.
Houser is completing 74.1 percent of his passes, good for 10th in the country entering this week. Houser is a good quarterback, and he has command of Illinois’ offense.
Where Ohio State can make Houser uncomfortable is containing Illinois’ running game. The Fighting Illini have two good running backs, fifth-year Aidan Laughery and junior Ca’lil Valentine. Both have rushed for over 150 yards through three games, but they’re both averaging fewer than 15 carries per game.
This is a prime opportunity for the Buckeyes’ defense to stop the run early and set the tone. Force Illinois to throw the ball, and they can bait Houser into mistakes. Valentine is on the Doak Walker Award Watch List.
On defense, fifth-year linebacker Ismael Kante leads Illinois with 15 tackles. Junior defensive lineman Joe Barna has a team-high 2.5 tackles for loss, while 5th-year linebacker Ean Rhea and junior defensive lineman Will Holmes each have a sack. Holmes also leads the team with four quarterback hits. Kante and 5th-year defensive back Matthew Bailey each have interceptions this season.
This game is about controlling the clock and the line of scrimmage. Illinois has a really good wide receiver in Collin Dixon, but it’s not just about containing him. It’s about impacting other parts of the game to minimize Dixon’s impact.
For the Buckeyes, that means running the football. Last year, Ohio State controlled the game by winning the turnover battle and starting five of their drives in Illinois territory. Their offensive numbers weren’t big, but they didn’t have to be because of those short fields.
Ohio State may not have that luxury on Saturday. That makes running the ball highly important to control the game, the clock, and the line of scrimmage. Keep giving Bo Jackson the ball, and it will open up downfield shots to Jeremiah Smith.
Illinois is a solid 2-1 team, but not like they were last year. Don’t get me wrong, Bret Bielema is a heck of a head coach. It just feels like the Buckeyes are, arguably, multiple tiers above Illinois coming into this game.
Plus, it’s a home game. Ohio State should roll to a victory.
Game Prediction: Buckeyes 35 — Illinois 20
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