No. 3 Ohio State at Illinois, Noon

11/16/2013

No. 3 Ohio State at Illinois

■ Time: Noon

■ Records: OSU 9-0, 5-0 Big Ten; Illinois 3-6, 0-5

■ TV: ESPN

■ Radio: 106.5

■ Series: OSU leads 65-30-4

■ Favorite: OSU by 33

■ Notes: The Buckeyes are looking to tie a school record with their 22nd straight win. As it stands, their winning streak is the longest by a Big Ten team since OSU ran off 22 in a row from 1967-69. Michigan holds the conference record with 29 straight victories from 1901-03. ... On the flip side, the Illini are on course to lose their 20th straight conference game — a streak of futility second only to Northwestern’s 38-game Big Ten losing streak in the late 1970s and early ’80s. ... Since the Illini stunned then-No. 1 OSU 28-21 in Columbus in 2007, the Buckeyes have won five straight in the series. ... An Illini defense ranked 116th nationally will have its hands full with the Buckeyes’ league-leading offense. OSU is averaging 48.2 points and ranks sixth nationally with 530.9 yards per game — including a Big Ten-best average of 301.1 yards on the ground. Senior running back Carlos Hyde (701 yards, seven TDs in six games) is one of just two FBS backs without a carry for a loss. ... Among the Illini’s few silver linings has been senior quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase, who leads the Big Ten in passing with 268.9 yards per game.