Ohio State lost eight defensive players from its national championship team to the draft this year and somehow got better. Six games in, it’s safe to take Matt Patricia’s pencil and write that the first-year Buckeyes defensive coordinator is the most rewarding variable in that equation.
Patricia, a defensive mathematician, has had a formula to stump every college football offense he’s faced so far as a DC, including Illinois’ Saturday afternoon.
The No. 1 Buckeyes (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) turned over the No. 17 Fighting Illini (5-2, 2-2) three times and scored 21 points off those giveaways during a 34-17 win.
Ohio State needs an Illinois zip code because it lived in Illini territory in the first half Saturday at Gies Memorial Stadium.
The Buckeyes started drives on the Illinois 35, 38 and 26-yard lines over the first two quarters, capitalizing on an interception, an anticlimactic turnover on downs and a forced fumble in that order to score a combined 17 points.
Ohio State got on the board with a more conventional drive, the kind that spanned 12 plays and 67 yards before Jayden Fielding booted the first of his two field goals on the day.
Second-year quarterback Julian Sayin showed off his golden arm from the jump, stringing together completions of 11, 18 and 11 yards to Brandon Inniss, Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, respectively, while piloting the Buckeyes to the red zone.
That’s where Fielding cashed in from 26 yards out.
Because Ohio State starting nickel Lorenzo Styles Jr. was sidelined heading into the game, cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. slid inside, where he was tasked with defending Illinois leading receiver Hank Beatty.
That matchup benefited Ohio State right away. Mathews broke up a pass over the middle to Beatty, and linebacker Payton Pierce corralled the deflection for an interception that he returned 15 yards.
Five plays later, Buckeyes running back CJ Donaldson skirted through the trenches for a 1-yard touchdown to put Ohio State up 10-0.
Early in the second quarter, Illinois punter Keelan Crimmins fielded a low snap while his knee was touching the turf, resulting in a 14-yard loss on fourth-and-7 and a turnover on downs.
A miscommunication between Sayin and Tate on a third-and-6 throw to the end zone forced the Buckeyes to settle for a 31-yard Fielding field goal.
Thanks to defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, though, Ohio State got another crack at a touchdown moments later.
On the first play of the ensuing Illinois drive, McDonald ripped the ball from Illini running back Ca’Lil Valentine. Unfortunately, McDonald did so while incidentally falling on Valentine’s right leg. Although Valentine had to be carried off the field by two of his teammates, he appeared to avoid serious injury, as he was soon spotted walking, albeit gingerly, on the sideline.
Ohio State set up shop on the doorstep of the red zone. Once it got there, Sayin went through his progression before swinging a pass to Bo Jackson. The true freshman running back used a block from tight end Max Klare to make it all 17 yards for pay dirt, giving the Buckeyes a 20-0 advantage.
Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer, who started 4-of-11 but finished 30-of-44 for 248 yards, finally found a rhythm late in the second quarter, completing seven straight passes. He couldn’t make it eight, however. That one fell incomplete, as Ohio State made it another first half without allowing a touchdown.
The Illini were agitated by the Buckeyes’ impeccable red-zone defense in the third quarter, too. Cornerback Davison Igbinosun and linebacker Sonny Styles both made tackles that stopped Illinois at the Ohio State 1-yard line on back-to-back goal-to-go plays.
Illinois head coach Bret Bielema went for it on fourth, and his decision paid off. Altmyer handed the ball off to Beatty in the backfield. Beatty delivered an option pitch to running back Aidan Laughery for the point-black score that made it a 20-10 game.
Ohio State countered with a 14-play drive that took nearly half of the third quarter. It included a fourth-and-1 Sayin sneak and wrapped with another 1-yard Donaldson touchdown plunge.
Patricia dialed up a slot corner blitz on the next Illinois drive, and it resulted in the third Illini turnover. Mathews came flying in and stripped Altmyer. Defensive end Caden Curry recovered the loose ball, setting the stage for another short-field scoring drive.
Sayin floated a goal line fade to Smith for a 2-yard touchdown that extended Ohio State’s lead to 34-10. Sayin clocked out 19-of-27 with 166 passing yards and a pair of scores.
Illinois reached the end zone once more, with Altmyer faking an option pitch before firing a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Collin Dixon.
That was just the fourth touchdown the Buckeyes have allowed all season.
Their defense is relentless, and their offense has only teased its potential.