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Juck Miletti checks in from Ohio Stadium with his initial reaction following Ohio State’s 42-19 win over Illinois to open Big Ten play.
Julian Sayin showed a new element to his game with his legs, Jeremiah Smith delivered a monster four-touchdown performance, and the Buckeyes were dramatically better on third down and in the red zone. But there were still some concerns, most notably an Ohio State defense that surrendered far too many explosive plays.
Juck breaks down what stood out from Sayin, Smith, the young linebackers, Nate Roberts and the tight ends, Ohio State’s offensive line combinations, the running game, special teams and more. He also hands out his Buckeye helmet stickers and looks ahead to next week’s road test at Iowa.
0:00 — Opening thoughts on Ohio State’s 42-19 win 0:36 — Julian Sayin finally shows the X-factor with his legs 1:34 — How much does Sayin’s scrambling change the offense? 2:30 — Jeremiah Smith takes over the game 3:43 — Can Ohio State just keep feeding Jeremiah Smith? 5:20 — Concern over Illinois’ explosive plays against the defense 9:01 — Ohio State’s huge improvement on third and fourth down 10:25 — Perfect day in the red zone 10:55 — Matt Patricia shows more defensive aggression 12:58 — Riley Pettijohn’s growing role at linebacker 14:00 — Nate Roberts stands out at tight end 15:25 — What is Ohio State doing with the tight end rotation? 16:35 — Brock Boyd flashes when given an opportunity 17:12 — Did Bo Jackson answer Ryan Day’s challenge? 19:32 — Ja'Kobi Jackson continues to make the most of his carries 20:00 — Gabe VanSickle and the offensive line combination 21:22 — How Julian Sayin handled pressure 22:22 — Why Ohio State’s special teams remain frustrating 24:35 — Buckeye helmet stickers: Jeremiah Smith, Nate Roberts and Jaylen McClain 25:30 — Payton Pierce on Ohio State’s defensive breakdowns 28:27 — Juck’s thoughts on Payton Pierce 29:20 — The passing game is carrying the Buckeyes right now 30:15 — Ohio State’s youth movement is coming 32:21 — Final thoughts and looking ahead to Iowa
Ohio State improved to 4-0 with the victory, but Juck sees a team that is still developing week by week — with plenty of encouraging signs and a few issues that need to be cleaned up before the schedule gets tougher.
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