When Ohio State has the ball...

Rushing Defense: 80.5 Ypg. (18th) Passing Defense: 339.5 Ypg. (119th) Scoring Defense: 27 Ppg. (84th)

Rushing Offense: 162.7 Ypg. (51st) Passing Offense: 220.7 Ypg. (62nd) Scoring Offense: 28 Ppg. (55th)

Illinois Defensive Backs		Ohio State Skill Positions (QB/WR/TE)
The Illini secondary was torched in the opener against Missouri to the tone of 325 passing yards and three touchdowns via the air. That is easier to accept than the fact that the team was blistered for 354 more yards and two scores in the air against Division I-FCS team Illinois State. The loss of Vontae Davis is tough for any unit to overcome and at this point the Illini will look to try and stop the bleeding.		Don't let the passing numbers against Toledo lull you into a sense of believing that the passing game is fixed for the Buckeyes. The Rockets ranked near the bottom of the NCAA in pass coverage and with that the Buckeyes didn't explode for 300-plus. All of the negativity aside the Bucks did take a step in the right direction with Terrelle Pryor and Dane Sanzenbacher continues to produce in spite of the critics.
Illinois Linebackers		Ohio State Running Backs
The Illini linebackers are not the most brand recognizable group this year outside of Martez Wilson but the team has done a good job of holding opponents to 2.82 yards per carry. But the question will have to be asked about the rushing numbers versus the passing numbers and if the 81 yards per game on the ground is a result of great defense or the fact that teams have not needed to really get it done on the ground because of early and often success via the air.		Ohio State's run game is still not there yet. Pryor was the major factor in the ground gain last week against Toledo and second string running back Brandon Saine has nearly as many yards receiving as running the ball. It is going to be on Dan Herron to turn the corner and start to build on his 3.16 yard per carry average. Fans will be hoping that Jordan Hall's recent emergence may be able to give the ground game some lift as well.
Illinois Defensive Line		Ohio State Offensive Line
The Illini defensive front has done a good job of getting after the opposition with two sacks per game and ranking in the top-15 in tackles for loss. Josh Brent is a name that should be familiar to recruiting fans and the big lineman leads the team with three tackles for loss. Clay Nurse is another player that fans should keep an eye on.		The Buckeyes were forced to shuffle the line last week with the injury to Jim Cordle and while that gave players like J.B. Shugarts and Mike Adams playing time it also showed that the line still needs to do a lot of work to come together. Shugarts had a rough baptism with three false start penalties but the hope is that he can develop into a first team tackle and show some of the dominance that made him one of the highest rated OL in his class.

When Illinois has the ball...

Rushing Offense: 247.0 Ypg. (13th) Passing Offense: 189.5 Ypg. (86th) Scoring Offense: 27 Ppg. (65th)

Rushing Defense: 105.7 Ypg. (40th) Passing Defense: 182.7 Ypg. (56th) Scoring Defense: 15 Ppg. (24th)

Illinois Skill Positions (QB/WR/TE)		Ohio State Defensive Backs
Will Juice Williams come back healthy for this game after being knocked out of the week two game against Illinois State and then having the bye week to rest? Even if Juice can't go and Eddie McGee has to line up under center plenty of attention will have to be placed on Arrelious Benn as the most talented of the pass catches. But don't sleep on Jeff Cumberland and Jarred Fayson by focusing too much on Benn.		The Buckeyes passed their test last week in going against a pass first, pass second offense in Toledo. This week they will go against a team that is more balanced in its offensive philosophy. Chimdi Chekwa is going to be tested in trying to flank Benn all afternoon long but it will have to be a team effort to keep the Illini offense in check and keep either Juice or McGee from putting up big numbers in the 'Shoe.
Illinois Running Backs		Ohio State Linebackers
It is hard to get a read on the Illinois ground game from looking at the numbers. There is a serious skew with the Illini putting up 384 yards on the ground against Illinois State versus 110 against Missouri. Jason Ford is the main running back threat but everyone on the team (including the quarterbacks) is capable of breaking off large runs at any point.		The Ohio State run stoppers were not tested much against Toledo with the Rockets only attempting 13 carries (for 13 yards) on Saturday. While the Illini have multiple ground weapons it will be nothing like what the Bucks faced against USC two weeks ago. Brian Rolle has been an absolute monster at the MLB position while Austin Spitler and Ross Homan have been solid on either side, even if their accomplishments don't get noticed as much.
Illinois Offensive Line		Ohio State Defensive Line
The Illinois offensive front has a unique challenge with two mobile quarterbacks behind it. With Juice and McGee both trying to prolong plays with their legs it is hard for the line to hold blocks forever and because of that the line gets tagged with more sacks than you would expect. But the line has also done a good job in opening up holes in the ground game so there is a mixed bag for the unit as a whole but things will not be easy going against one of the better DLs in the nation on Saturday.		The Ohio State defensive line has made its claim for being one of the top lines in the league and in the country. Cameron Heyward blew up this past weekend with a big game while the line has shown depth both outside and inside. John Simon has been one of the most pleasant surprises seeing significant late playing time as a true freshman. Nearly every team on Ohio State's schedule will find itself at a disadvantage going against this line.

Special teams matchups...

Net Punting: 36.43 Avg. (57th) Punt Returns: 3.33 Yds/Ret (98th) Kickoff Returns: 19.17 Avg. (91st) Field Goals: 67% 2-3

Net Punting: 40.75 Avg. (T-11th) Punt Returns: 4.0 Yds/Ret (93rd) Kickoff Returns: 27.11 Avg. (21st) Field Goals: 86% 6-7 (NR)

Illinois Special Teams		Ohio State Special Teams
The Illini are not setting the world on fire with their special teams play. The return game averages in the 90's nationally and the punt game is right in the middle of the pack in the high 50s. The one spot that Illinois does shine at is kickoff coverage where the team ranks second in the Big Ten, but the Buckeyes lead the way in that category.		The Buckeyes have not seen much payoff in punt returns where Ray Small was supposed to give the Buckeyes a large tactical advantage. While the team has struggled there the kickoff returns have been pretty good with players like Lamaar Thomas in the mix. Ben Buchanan did a solid job filling in for Jon Thoma last week after the Buckeye punter didn't make the trip with reported flu-like symptoms.

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