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Back in Big Ten race, Ohio State visits Illinois

Nov 15, 2008 - 11:27 AM (10) Ohio State (8-2) at Illinois (5-5), 12:00 pm EST

CHAMPAIGN, Illinois (Ticker) -- It will still need help, but suddenly Ohio State has a chance to back into a third straight Big Ten Conference title.

On Saturday, the 10th-ranked Buckeyes look to avenge their only conference defeat from last season when they visit Illinois, which has alternated losses and wins in its last seven games.

Ohio State (8-2, 5-1 Big Ten) stayed alive in the conference race with a 45-10 drubbing at Northwestern.

Freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor threw three touchdowns as the Buckeyes rebounded from their 13-6 defeat to Penn State two weeks earlier.

Chris "Beanie" Wells rushed for 140 yards and two TDs - his 14th career 100-yard game, which ranks fifth on Ohio State's all-time list.

Ohio State won't be making a third straight appearance in the BCS national championship game, but Penn State's 24-23 loss at Iowa last week left the door slightly ajar for the Buckeyes in the Big Ten race.

Michigan State (6-1), which has played one extra game and is idle this week, actually has taken over first place in the Big Ten - one-half game ahead of Ohio State and Penn State (also now 5-1).

If Ohio State wins its last two games and Penn State splits its last two against either Indiana or Michigan State, the Buckeyes would win the Big Ten title.

If Ohio State and Michigan State tie at 7-1, the tiebreaker goes to the Buckeyes based on their 45-7 win over the Spartans on October 18.

Penn State is still in control of its own destiny and would claim the Big Ten crown in a tie with Ohio State.

Next up for the Buckeyes is a revenge game against Illinois (5-5, 3-3). They will try to contain Juice Williams, who passed for four touchdowns in last year's contest when the Fighting Illini stunned top-ranked Ohio State, 28-21, in Columbus.

The loss snapped the Buckeyes' school-record 28-game regular season winning streak.

The Fighting Illini parlayed the win into a Rose Bowl Bowl berth against Southern California, but it's not the same Illinois team a year later.

Illinois is coming off a 23-17 loss to Western Michigan of the Mid-American Conference and needs to win one of its final two games to become bowl eligible.