Well, that went about how we expected.
One could very reasonably argue that Illinois – not Army or UNLV – is the worst team on Ohio State's 2017 schedule. The Illini looked every bit of that on Saturday. The Buckeyes had their way with Illinois on both sides of the ball to the point where it wasn't really even fun anymore, so God intervened by sending a monsoon to make things interesting.
The teams played the second half in some of the wettest, sloppiest conditions I've ever seen in Ohio Stadium, and after some grotesque miscues on both sides, Ohio State finished with a 52-14 win on senior day.
Also, the Buckeyes got a wooden turtle for their efforts, which is fun and good.
Let's debrief.
Quick Breakdowns
Offense
It was against Illinois, but the Ohio State offense could do whatever it wanted on Saturday, at least until the monsoon-like conditions began. The Buckeyes had 543 total yards – 218 through the air and 325 on the ground – and 52 points. Ohio State averaged 6.2 yards per play and 13.6 yards per completion. That's a pretty good offensive showing.
Defense
Again, it was against Illinois, but the Buckeye defense was about as good as it could be on Saturday. Ohio State allowed just 105 total yards and only 16 yards through the air, marking the third time this season the Buckeyes have held their opponent to under 20 passing yards. If you're looking for negatives, the Ohio State defense allowed a score and dropped a few interceptions, but it's though to complain with that overall performance.
Buckeye Leafs
Offense: Mike Weber
Mike Weber is good at football. People forget that.
After seemingly taking a back seat to J.K. Dobbins, both on the depth chart and in the eyes of the fans, Weber has been showing us what he's capable of. Saturday, he finished with 108 yards and two touchdowns on just 11 carries, including this 43-yard scamper.
(Shoutout to senior center Billy Price with the great block)
It's not even as though Weber has returned to the form he was in last year, because he looks even better. Last year, he didn't seem to have the breakaway speed to be a home run hitter. Now he does, and he'll still run you over.
Ohio State's backfield is unfair.
Defense: Erick Smith
Erick Smith got the senior day start as Jordan Fuller was sidelined for Saturday's game, and the senior made the most of it, finishing with a team-high six total tackles and a pass breakup on the first play of the game.
Smith's Buckeye career has not gone quite as expected. He was a four-star, top-100 player coming out of high school, but never earned a consistent spot in the lineup throughout his career, partially due to injuries. It was good to see him have success in his final home game.
Plays of the Game
Offense
There were a lot of plays to choose from, but I'm picking this one because it was the most fun to watch, even if it didn't directly result in points.
Not sure if Parris Campbell faked out the camera man or the Illinois defenders worse pic.twitter.com/vVKhxu7iUF
— Land-Grant Holy Land (@Landgrant33) November 18, 2017
Parris Campbell got the reverse pitch, and weaved his way through the Illinois defense for about 40 yards inside the five yard-line.
Campbell's play is 1A, but this one is 1B, because it was an absolutely beautiful play design and it also gets bonus points for being from a senior to another senior on senior day.
Yay seniors.
Defense
Ohio State only had two sacks on the day, and Jonathon Cooper had both of them.
Here, he was just quicker and lower than the Illinois left tackle and slipped right by for the sack. It also helped that there wasn't really a pocket for Illinois quarterback Chayce Crouch to step up into, thanks to Robert Landers and Chase Young.
Ohio State is losing a lot of defensive line talent after this season, but this is a reminder that there's still going to be a ton of talent remaining next year.
Biggest Surprise
Ohio State only had two sacks. Last week, Illinois gave up eight sacks resulting in -50 yards to Indiana. Given that, I thought the Buckeyes would get no less than 24 with Nick Bosa, Tyquan Lewis, Jalyn Holmes and Sam Hubbard digging in. I guess it's hard to complain about the result, though.
Jim Tressel's Least Favorite Moment
Jim Tressel was ecstatic when he saw the weather forecast for Saturday's game. He could not have drawn up more ideal conditions for a punt-fest. He just knew this would be Drue Chrisman's game to bolster his Ray Guy resume.
Knowing the weather outlook, Jim and his wife, Ellen, made no big plans for Saturday. Instead, they spent the day at home, doing a little fall cleaning before the holiday season. After a few hours of dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, mopping and scrubbing, the pair settled down in front of a fresh fire Jim had so kindly built, and turned on the game.
It was not what Jim had hoped. The Illini did their part, punting eight-straight times to start the game while the Buckeyes didn't punt until just before halftime, well after all the Ray Guy Award voters had gone to sleep – after all, it was a late afternoon game.
Sensing his dissatisfaction, Ellen comfortingly grabbed Jim's hand and asked him what was bothering him.
"It's just, sometimes I get the feeling I'm rooting for the wrong team," Jim said, sounding defeated.
Biggest Blunder
It was no surprise to see Dwayne Haskins take the field to start the second half. The Buckeyes were up 38-0 and rain was pouring down – no sense risking injury to the starting quarterback ahead of two crucial games.
Then Haskins dropped the ball, quite literally.
Illinois safety Stanley Green put his helmet right on the football as he laid a hit on Haskins, and it squirted free. Illini cornerback Ahmari Hayes scooped it, and scored.
J.T. Barrett came in at quarterback the next drive because Urban Meyer was worried the game would turn into a "clown show." Barrett led his team to one final touchdown drive in Ohio Stadium and put his coach's concerns to rest.
Underrated Things
Senior Day
19 Ohio State seniors walked out of the tunnel for the last time on Saturday, including J.T. Barrett, Billy Price, Tyquan Lewis, Chris Worley, Jalyn Holmes, Jamarco Jones, Tracy Sprinkle, Damon Webb, Marcus Baugh, Michael Hill and Erick Smith.
It was also my last home game as a student. It was undeniably wet, and mostly miserable and I was slightly concerned I would get trench foot by the end of the game, but it was a memory I'll never forget, nonetheless.
Happy Senior Day. pic.twitter.com/UU7H0qteRY
— Kevin Harrish (@Kevinish) November 19, 2017
Super Worley
Chris Worley has played three different linebacker positions in three consecutive weeks, which is a fitting microcosm of his career. Worley's been a versatile guy fighting for playing time wherever his team needed him since he arrived on campus, and in his last home game as a fifth-year senior, he's still doing just that.
First Punt Return
It took over 10 games, but Drue Chrisman has finally had a punt returned, kind of.
In the third quarter, Illinois' Nate Hobbs fielded a Chrisman punt off a bounce, took about three steps before getting hit, then fumbled, giving the ball back to Ohio State.
Moral of the story: call fair catch, or get out of the way. It's just easier that way.
I Like Turtles
Forget everything that happened on the field, these images of J.T. Barrett holding the Illibuck trophy after the game are the most fantastic things to happen on Saturday. I cannot emphasize that enough.
It Was Over When...
Ohio State scored its third touchdown in the first 10 minutes of the game. To be completely honest, the game was probably over when it was clear the Buckeyes would be fielding a team on Saturday.
Biggest Question Going Forward
Can the Buckeyes take care of business against Michigan and Wisconsin and somehow wind up in the College Football Playoff?
