Heading into Week 4, the Ohio State football program still has issues they are working through. They are bad on third down, can't run the ball well, and can't seem to sack the quarterback. Those are all problems that have to be fixed against better Big Ten teams.
Another problem is the offensive line not opening up holes, which is part of the run game issue. The right side of the line has been messed with a bit, partially because Phillip Daniels got hurt against Texas. He's actually in danger of losing his starting spot this week.
Ohio State might have a new right tackle moving forward
With Daniels out, the Buckeyes have had to swing Austin Siereveld to right tackle. With that being the case, Gabe VanSickle has slid in at right guard. That combination has done fine so far. If Ohio State is actually able to run the ball on the right side, Daniels might not have a starting spot anymore.
Daniels is questionable to play on Saturday against Illinois. If he doesn't play and the right side of the line plays well, he might not get that starting spot back. On the flip side, he has a chance to solidify that starting spot. He struggled at the end of last season, so he still hasn't made a strong impression on the coaches.
At this point, right tackle might not be the worst part of the offensive line. Ian Moore has struggled as the starting left tackle, as this is his first year starting up front. He hasn't been horrible, but he has gotten beaten on several rush plays that have forced Julian Sayin to move around.
Tyler Bowen needs to step up and prove that he can improve the offensive line with his coaching. If Arthur Smith isn't going to be able to open things up in the run game, Bowen needs to help him by getting the offensive line in order.
Ohio State needs a dominant win against Illinois with a strong offensive showing
With the Ohio State Buckeyes heading into a road game against Iowa next week, the Buckeyes have to get their offense in order. The Hawkeyes have a strong defense, and the environment in Kinnick Stadium has not been friendly to the Buckeyes in recent memory.
Illinois is a lower-tier team in the Big Ten, so Ohio State should be able to beat them without too many issues if they are clicking. Offensively, they need to have someone who can run for 100+ yards. They also need to be better on third down. That might be the single biggest priority for the team on Saturday afternoon.
Ryan Day won't be satisfied unless the team shows a major improvement. He also knows that the team needs to win the rest of its games in order for the fan base to be satisfied. Ohio State could probably lose one more game and still get into the CFP, but not if one of those losses is to a team like Illinois or even Iowa.
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