Unbeaten Ohio State figures to have a relatively easy time this afternoon against 3-6 Illinois -- they’re five-touchdown favorites -- but the Buckeyes will be forced to face a productive Illini offense without a pair of defensive starters.
Linebacker Joshua Perry did not travel with the team to Champaign and will not play. Perry suffered an unspecified injury at some point this past week, the circumstances of which ESPN‘s College GameDay show specified as the player slipping on a patch of ice.
Additionally, and while he did make the trip, Curtis Grant is not expected to play against the Illini. Grant has dealing with a couple of injuries, including back and ankle issues.
The Illini are sixth in the Big Ten in scoring at 29.7 points per game, and are 25th in the country in passing yards per game.
A Buckeyes win would be their 22nd straight, tying the school record set back in the late sixties.