For one game, the Illinois Fighting Illini didn’t look like a team that’s just trying to reach bowl eligibility. The Illini successfully snapped their three-game slide with a 34-point win over Purdue last Saturday and will be heading back home to Champaign with some sense of optimism. But they’ll need more than just optimism to beat the No.1 Ohio State Buckeyes this coming weekend.
Read on further for a detailedbreakdown of this Big Ten matchup. And while you’re at it, check out our other Week 11 preview of: Tigers vs. Cougars.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Illinois Fighting Illini Preview
Where: Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL
When: Saturday, November 14, TBD
Line: Ohio State Buckeyes at Illinois Fighting Illini – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Ohio State Buckeyes (9-0, 4-0 Big Ten)
[sc:NCAA240banner ]There’s still no stopping the Ohio State Buckeyes. They extended their unbeaten run to nine games this season at the expense of the Minnesota Gophers on Saturday night, 28-14 and appear in firm control of their destiny to defend the College Football Playoff title. Up next for the Buckeyes is a date with the Illinois Fighting Illini this coming weekend at Memorial Stadium.
Their success will likely depend on J.T. Barrett’s performance. Barrett was suspended for one game because of operating a vehicle while impaired. But now he is back and is expected to get the starting quarterback role over Cardale Jones, who threw for 187 yards with a score and four sacks opposite Minnesota. In his last time out, Barrett made the most out of his first start of the season, completing 14 of his 18 passes for 223 yards and three scores to lead his team over the Rutgers on October 24.
Expect Barrett to look to their Heisman Trophy candidate in Ezekiel Elliot to lead the charge in sparking up their rushing game that’s currently No. 1 in their conference (240.5 yards per game). Elliot has reached the 100 rushing yards mark for a nation-best 14 straight games and will be putting that on the line against Illinois’ front seven (3.78 rushing yards allowed per game).
If for some reason their ground game doesn’t click, the Buckeyes can always revert to their air game through WR Michael Thomas who has been a steady target all year long. Thomas holds a team-high 575 yards receiving with seven touchdowns.
Ohio State is 9-1 SU and 6-4 ATS in its last 10 meetings with Illinois.
Betting on the Illinois Fighting Illini (5-4, 2-3 Big Ten)
After losing their past three games, the Illinois Fighting Illini can wear a smile on their face again with a convincing 48-14 triumph over Purdue on Saturday. That win marked their fourth win of the season and the second one in their conference.
Key to their success was ironically their ground attack that ranked last in the Big Ten with 114.6 yards per game prior to the victory. The pair of Ke’Shawn Vaughn and the returning Josh Ferguson led the way with a combined 313 rushing yards and three touchdowns. By the end of game, the Illini held a 382-89 advantage on the ground and 595-263 in total offense.
However, this win might be short-lived as they’ll playing host against the third-ranked and undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes for their Week 11 matchup. For them to pull of the improbable upset, the onus is on Wes Lunt, who threw for 169 yards with three first-half scores versus Purdue, and company to put on another dominant showing.
The best way to do so is through their proven passing game that’s averaging 240.0 yards per contest this season, the fifth-most in their conference. Expect Lunt to target most of his passes to either Geronimo Allison or Malik Turner later. The two have been their most reliable wide receivers with 1033 yards and four touchdowns combined across their names.
Meanwhile, Desmond Cain could also make his presence felt in this one as he’ll be coming in with some serious momentum. He caught six catches for a career-high 74 yards and delivered the first touchdown of his rookie campaign opposite Purdue. Across nine games on the year, he’s accumulated 296 receiving yards which is the second-most in the team.
Illinois is 3-7 SU and 4-6 ATS in its last 10 games as the underdogs.
Writer’s Prediction
Buckeyes win by double-digits. Create a betting account now and cash in on all the remaining college football games this season!
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