DaytonDailyNews.com

A position-by-position analysis of today's game

Quarterback

Illinois' Juice Williams is fun to watch on his feet, but his arm is suspect. He is 10th among Big Ten QBs in passing yards, pass efficiency and total offense. OSU's Todd Boeckman is sixth nationally and best in the conference in pass efficiency. Edge: OSU.

Running backs

Chris Wells, the OSU sophomore, took control late against Wisconsin. The Illini counter with Rashard Mendenhall, a 5-11, 224-pound junior who is tough to bring down. But Illinois doesn't share Ohio State's depth. Edge: OSU.

Receivers

Sophomore Ray Small has started to become a viable third option for Ohio State behind Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline. Illinois has freshman sensation Arrelious Benn (46 catches, 573 yards) as the centerpiece of a puny passing game. Edge: OSU

Offensive line

Illinois leads the Big Ten in rushing (261.3 yards per game) and fewest sacks allowed (10 in 10 games). But the Buckeyes also rank in the nation's Top 25 in rushing offense (200.6 yards per game) and sacks allowed (12 in 10 games). Edge: Tie

Defensive line

The Ohio State unit, led by junior Vernon Gholston, is on a roll after registering 10 sacks against Wisconsin last week (Gholston had four on his own). The Illini keep pace with national top-25 rankings in rushing defense and sacks. Edge: OSU

Linebackers

Perhaps overshadowed by OSU All-American James Laurinaitis, Illinois' J Leman is one of the best in the Big Ten, with 102 tackles in 10 games (to 85 by Laurinaitis). The Buckeyes, like at running back, have depth that the Illini can't match. Edge: OSU

Defensive backs

Illinois, with a group of two seniors and two sophomores, is ninth in the Big Ten in pass defense while the Buckeyes lead the conference. Edge: OSU.

Special teams

Illinois kicker Jason Reda has made 13 of 14 field-goal attempts this season, including 7 of 8 from beyond 40 yards. He hit twice from 50 yards and once from 51. OSU has struggled with consistency on special teams, particularly kickoffs. Edge: Illinois

Prediction: Ohio State 35, Illinois 7

In his first two seasons as Illinois football coach, Ron Zook struggled mightily. But this season the former Florida coach has turned the Illini from Big Ten laughingstock to a 7-3 team.

Known for his recruiting ability, Zook has produced several highly rated classes in Champaign. He combined those younger players on offense with veterans of the hard times on defense like linebackers J Leman and Antonio Steele and free safety Justin Harrison.

"Defensively, they play a little bit different scheme than anything we've faced all year," OSU coach Jim Tressel said. "Offensively, they play a little bit different scheme than ... we've seen bits and pieces of their scheme, but not every down like they play with the pressure they put on you with their quarterback's ability to run and the speed they have on the field."

Last year, many of these same Illinois players, much more overmatched on paper, held the Buckeyes to 17 points and made things interesting in their 17-10 loss. The Memorial Stadium crowd, in fact, cheered as if the Illini had pulled off the upset.