J.T. Barrett returned from suspension to help lead No. 3 Ohio State to a 28-3 road victory over mistake-prone Illinois on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Barrett, who was sidelined one game after an OVI arrest, accounted for 224 yards and two touchdowns. The Buckeyes defense, which allowed just 261 yards, kept the Fighting Illini at bay while the game remained close. Here’s a quarter-by-quarter scoring recap of the Big Ten clash: College Football Week 11: No. 3 Ohio State at Illinois Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total Buckeyes 7 7 7 7 28 Fighting Illini 0 3 0 0 3 NCAA.com Facing the Illini ahead of high-profile matchups against Michigan State and Michigan created a proverbial trap-game situation for the Buckeyes. Head coach Urban Meyer hoped his group had enough experience to avoid looking past this week’s challenge, as Craig Merz of the Associated Press noted. “We have a fairly mature team, so letdown is probably not the proper word; (it’s) execution and doing the right things, just the grind involved in college football right now,” Meyer said. “I don’t think there’s a chance of a letdown.” Alas, Ohio State (10-0, 6-0) got off to a sluggish start for the second straight game. After letting Minnesota hang around for far too long last week, the Buckeyes botched their opening drive Saturday to set the tone for a lackluster first half. They failed to find the end zone after getting a first down at the 3-yard line, and Sean Nuernberger missed a chip-shot field goal. …
Continue Reading: Ohio State vs. Illinois: Score, Highlights and Twitter Reaction
