Welcome to Femme Football, the Ohio State football coverage for Her Campus. Here, you’ll find an overview of this week’s game with in-depth explanation to build your understanding week by week, as well as position highlights that will teach the responsibilities of different players.
Ohio State shredded Illinois 52-14, essentially clinching a spot in the Big Ten Championship during an emotional senior night. The Illibuck (1) stays with Ohio State for another year. The Buckeyes made a clear statement by pinning the Illini 38-0 at the half.
The offense began punching touchdowns into the end zone right off the bat, starting with a touchdown by Mike Weber after just over three minutes in the first quarter. The beating continued with the Bucks scoring 28 points in the first quarter, 10 in the second, and seven in both the third and fourth. J.T. Barrett threw his 100th touchdown pass in his career, yet this game was one of his shortest appearances in his career.
Defense held Illinois’s run game to 89 yards and 16 passing yards. As a unit, the Silver Bullets had 30 solo tackles and two sacks.
This week’s position highlight goes to the center, Billy Price. The center position is the player who snaps the ball to the quarterback and is the innermost lineman. Billy Price played extremely well, snapping the ball to J.T. Barrett, then immediately transitioning to effectively block on the line.
As far as playoff hopes for our Buckeyes, Ohio State must win against TTUN and beat Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship. Then, if Alabama, Miami, and Oklahoma win out, Ohio State has a shot at a championship run.
1 Illibuck: The trophy that Ohio State and Illinois play for whenever they face each other. It is a wooden turtle.