The 13th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes go in search of their sixth consecutive victory when they entertain the Illinois Fighting Illini in Big Ten Conference action on Saturday night.

Illinois picked up its first conference win and pulled even on the season at 4-4 after knocking off visiting Minnesota last week, 28-24. The victory put the brakes on a three-game slide for the Illini, who still have a shot at earning a bowl bid but will need to win two of their remaining four games -- the others being against Iowa, Penn State and Northwestern.

Ohio State blew a 17-point lead at Penn State last Saturday, but managed to pull out a 31-24 victory in double-overtime to keep alive its prospects of reaching the Big Ten title tilt. The triumph improved coach Urban Meyer's squad to 6-1 on the season, 3-0 in conference, and was its fifth straight since suffering a double-digit home loss to Virginia Tech back on Sept. 6.

Reilly O'Toole threw for 118 yards with a TD last week and he was not intercepted. He also served as the team's top ground gainer, totaling 59 yards on 17 carries, scoring on a nine-yard run in the opening frame. Mike Dudek led the receivers with five grabs for 41 yards.