Ohio State @ Illinois preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 3, 2012 ) Illinois 22, Ohio State 52

Ohio State has its sights on the national championship game, but first the Buckeyes must attend to a more immediate matter – matching the school record for consecutive wins. The third-ranked Buckeyes eye their 22nd straight victory on Saturday when they visit Illinois for the first time since a memorable clash in 2011. That game featured unbelievable winds to the point where Ohio State won 17-7 despite attempting just four passes, completing only one and running the ball 51 times.

"I can assure you that we're in a much different place than he was two years ago," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said of Braxton Miller, who was an erratic freshman on the 2011 team but is now one of the nation’s top quarterbacks. Illinois was 6-0 (2-0) at the time of that 2011 matchup, but starting with the windy defeat, the Illini have lost 19 straight conference games. “They're doing an exceptional job,” Illinois coach Tim Beckham said of the Buckeyes, “but our seniors are fighting and ready to get back home and play these last two games at Memorial Stadium and continue to move this program forward."

TV: Noon ET, ESPN. LINE: Ohio State -32

ABOUT OHIO STATE (9-0, 5-0 Big Ten): Riding the longest winning streak in the nation, the Buckeyes are ranked No. 3 in the BCS standings and almost certainly cannot catch Alabama or Florida State unless one of those squads lose. Still, Ohio State is having a championship-caliber season that continued its last time out on Nov. 2 with a 56-0 thrashing of Purdue – a game that featured four passing touchdowns by Miller and three total TDs by his backup, Kenny Guiton. Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde had 111 yards on eight carries against the Boilermakers, bringing his season total to 701 yards in six games, and the senior has yet to rush for negative yardage on any of his 96 attempts in 2013.

ABOUT ILLINOIS (3-6, 0-5): The Illini might have a chance to snap their Big Ten losing streak next week at Purdue, but it seems unlikely that they will defeat the Buckeyes for the first time since 2007. If Illinois has any shot, it will need a repeat performance from Nathan Scheelhaase, who set career highs with 38 completions and 450 yards last week in a 52-35 defeat to Indiana. Illinois has allowed 34.7 points per game this season, but All-American candidate Jonathan Brown has been a force at linebacker, leading the Big Ten with 88 tackles, including a team-high 10.5 tackles for loss.

EXTRA POINTS

1. This is the 100th all-time meeting between the schools. Ohio State leads the series 65-30-4.

2. Sophomore RB Josh Ferguson needs 21 yards to break the Illinois record for most receiving yards in a season by a running back.

3. Ohio State is one of four FBS schools that has not allowed a 100-yard rusher this season and, even more unbelievably, the Buckeyes have not surrendered a 20-yard run all season.

PREDICTION: Ohio State 56, Illinois 13