3 offensive keys for Ohio State vs Illinois

The Ohio State Buckeyes enter Big Ten play looking to establish its identity after an inconsistent nonconference schedule. That begins on Saturday afternoon as Illinois enters the mix and arrives in Columbus.

>The Buckeyes have consistently been one of the most lethal offenses in the country, but there has been a mixed bag of results from that unit this season, both in the rushing and passing attack.

>Ryan Day mentioned a few key things that Ohio State needed to focus on heading into this weekend, and a large majority revolved around the offense. With that in mind, let's take a look at the three offensive keys to the game for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State MUST Establish A Rushing AttackThere's no question this needs to be top of the priority list for Ohio State on Saturday. The Buckeyes rank 79th nationally in rushing yards and has struggled to get a consistent attack from its running backs all season. The good thing about Illinois is it hasn't been a very effective rushing defense to start the season. The Illini are giving up 131 yards a game on the ground and that includes 194 for UAB and 147 for Nate Sheppard from Duke.

>Ohio State needs better production from its offensive line, no question, but it also needs better running from Bo Jackson and Ja’Kobi Jackson. Ryan Day said he wants his running backs to 'run angry' this week and it starts with that duo.

>If Ohio State can establish an early rushing game and find consistency on the ground, good things will be in store. If not, it could be a difficult afternoon with another one-dimensional offensive attack.

A Second Option At WR Needs To Step UpOhio State needs help at wide receiver and in order for this offense to start becoming the consistent unit it can be. Guys like Brandon Inniss and Devin McCuin need to emerge as a clear No. 2. If not, there are going to be a lot of questions about what the ceiling of this team actually is.

>Jeremiah Smith obviously has a lot of skill and talent, and often times can carry an offense by himself, but moving into Big Ten play where teams have now seen and played against him multiple times before, it's even more critical for others to step up. No other receiver has more than nine receptions or 135 yards on the season -- while Smith has 21 catches for 400 yards. 13 players have at least one catch, but there's no consistent production at the position outside of Smith.

>It's clear that Julian Sayin is forcing things to Smith, and at times that's going to work and work quite well. But against better talent like Illinois, someone else has to start emerging.

Win The Battle Of Third DownPart of the reason behind Ohio State's inconsistency on offense revolves around its inability to stay on the field and keep momentum. That comes down to third down play. Through three games, Ohio State ranks 102nd nationally in third down conversion -- at 36.3 percent.

>On the flip side, the Illinois defense ranks 61st in the country, holding opponents to 34.9 percent on third down conversions. Momentum can turn quite easily in Big Ten games and most of it will come down to third down play. The Buckeyes must be better and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith needs to find a rhythm with this group -- it needs to start on Saturday.

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>This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: 3 offensive keys for Ohio State vs Illinois