Illinois @ Ohio State preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 16, 2013 ) Ohio State 60, Illinois 35

Ohio State will try to tie its Big Ten record for consecutive regular-season conference victories when the No. 13 Buckeyes host Illinois on Saturday night. Ohio State has won 19 straight Big Ten games, one shy of the conference record set by the program from 2005-07. Win No. 20 won’t come easy as the Fighting Illini are coming off an impressive 28-24 victory against Minnesota, while Ohio State needed double-overtime to dispose of Penn State last weekend.

Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett, who ranks second in the FBS with a 172.8 passer rating, sprained his left knee against Penn State and was limited in practice this week, but he’s expected to be ready for the Fighting Illini. He’ll be looking for a bounce-back performance, as he threw for just 74 yards and was intercepted twice by the Nittany Lions. If the Fighting Illini hope to beat the Buckeyes for just the second time in the last 10 meetings, they’ll need running back Josh Ferguson to pick up chunks of yardage and keep the Ohio State offense on the sideline.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ABC. LINE: Ohio State -28.

ABOUT ILLINOIS (4-4, 1-3 Big Ten): Fighting Illini quarterback Wes Lunt is expected to be sidelined another two weeks with a fractured fibula suffered Oct. 4, and Reilly O’Toole has finally done enough to be listed No. 1 on the depth chart after sharing that distinction with Aaron Bailey the previous two weeks. Mike Dudek continues to lead Illinois in receiving and even completed a 22-yard pass last weekend off a fake reverse. Dudek came into last weekend second in the FBS in fourth-quarter receiving yards with 264 on 16 catches, and needs 38 yards to break the program’s single-season freshman record of 676 set by Arrelious Benn in 2006.

ABOUT OHIO STATE (6-1, 3-0): One thing the Buckeyes will have to avoid is looking ahead to next weekend’s clash against No. 5 Michigan State, which entered this week a half-game ahead of the Buckeyes in the East Division. Defensive end Joey Bosa ranks fifth in the nation in tackles for loss and has at least one in 13 straight games. He ended the upset hopes of Penn State with a fourth-down sack in double overtime.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Buckeyes dismissed backup running back Rod Smith for breaking team rules. He was fifth on the team in rushing.

2. Eight different players have at least one interception for the Buckeyes.

3. The Fighting Illini lead the Big Ten with 284 passing yards per game.

PREDICTION: Ohio State 44, Illinois 24