COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- No. 1 Ohio State hits the road for the second time this season, visiting No. 17 Illinois in its second meeting with a Top 25 team. Kickoff is set for noon Saturday in Champaign, Illinois.
OSU defeated then-No. 1 Texas in its only other matchup against a ranked team. Now, the Buckeyes put a nine-game win streak on the line against the Fighting Illini. A victory would give coach Ryan Day his fourth win streak of 10-or-more games since taking over the program.
"We've got a really good opponent that we're playing this week that knows how to win," Day said. "To me, this is a top-10 opponent on the road."
Here are three things to know.
Getting off to a fast start
After the last two games in the Big Ten, the Buckeyes are prioritizing the importance of a fast start.