Ohio State at Illinois Line

Written by Steve Janus

This Saturday the No. 15 Illinois Fighting Illini will try and stay undefeated when they host the Ohio State Buckeyes. Illinois had no trouble in their first road game of the season, dropping Indiana 41-20 to improve to 6-0 overall and 2-0 inside the Big 10. The Buckeyes jumped out to a 27-6 at Nebraska this past Saturday, but were outscored 28-0 over the final 25 minutes to fall 27-34. The loss pushed Ohio State to 3-3 overall and 0-2 in conference play. The Buckeyes have won five of the last six meetings, but there is no question that this is not the same Ohio State team of years past.

Taking a look at the week 7 college football lines, oddsmakers currently have the Fighting Illini favored by 4-points over the Buckeyes with the total set at 43 points.

Ohio State Buckeyes:

The loss last week against Nebraska really shows you how far Ohio State has fallen in 2011. The Buckeyes would never blow a 27-6 lead in years past, and were almost a lock anytime they put up 27 points. That kind of a loss is something that is very hard for teams to overcome, especially when you are talking about a team that has such lofty expectation each season.

The Buckeyes ran all over the Badgers for 243 yards and two touchdowns, and were getting decent play out of starting quarterback Braxton Miller, who was 5 of 8 for 95 yards and a touchdown. However, Miller injured his ankle in the third quarter, which forced Ohio State to play Joe Bauserman. The senior was about as bad as you can get at the end of the game. Bauserman completed just 1 of 10 attempts for 13 yards with an interception that allowed Nebraska to take the lead for good with their fourth touchdown of the second half.

The good news for Buckeye fans is Miller is probable to play this Saturday against Illinois. If Miller can’t go the Buckeyes offense could be in for another long afternoon, as the Fighting Illini have been very good at taking away the opposing teams’ running game. Illinois ranks 9th in the country, allowing just 79.7 ypg on the ground. Illinois did give up 169 rushing yards in their Big Ten opener against Northwestern, but the Wildcats needed 51 attempts to reach that mark.

Illinois Fighting Illini:

While the Fighting Illini had no problems beating up on Indiana last week, this team knows what it’s like to play in close games. Three of their six wins this season have been decided by a field goal. I believe the key for Illinois is to not allow themselves to overlook Ohio State. They need to treat this game like any other time they would play Ohio State.

Illinois has done most of their damage running the ball this season, as the come into this game ranked 13th in the country averaging 226.2 ypg on the ground. It has been a real team effort when it comes to running the ball, as four different players have rushed for over 275 yards on the season. Troy Pollard has a team-high 361 yards on just 37 attempts, while Donovonn Young and Jason Ford have combined for 593 yards and nine touchdowns.

Starting quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase is one of the more underrated players in the Big Ten. Scheelhasse has thrown for 1,238 yards with 10 touchdowns to just three interceptions and is second on the team with 347 rushing yards to go along with four rushing touchdowns. It’s no secret who Scheelhaase is looking for when he drops back to pass, senior wide out A.J. Jenkins has hauled in 46 of his 80 completions this season for 815 yards and seven touchdowns.

While a lot of people will remember the Buckeyes defense falling apart late against Nebraska, there is still plenty of talent on that side of the ball to keep this game close until the finish. Ohio State is allowing just 116.7 ypg on the ground and only 191.5 through the air.

Betting Trends:

Ohio State is 21-7-1 ATS in their last 29 games following a S.U. loss.

Illinois is 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games as a home favorite of 3.5-10.0.

Be sure to stop back and check out what Steve Janus has to offer in week 7 of college football. Steve is 18-4 over his last 32 NCAAF plays, which has him ranked No. 8 on the college boards in 2011!

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