Ohio State clinches Big 10 East crown

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

No. 8 Ohio State can look ahead to Michigan and trying to find the narrow path back into the playoff hunt.

Coach Urban Meyer this week had refused to talk about the future beyond Saturday’s game against Illinois, which ended in a 52-14 blowout by the Buckeyes in sheets of driving rain at Ohio Stadium.

The win, coupled with Wisconsin’s victory over Michigan, made Ohio State (9-2, 7-1 Big Ten, CFP No. 9) the Big Ten East champion.

If the Buckeyes can beat No. 19 Michigan in the annual rivalry game, and then upset No. 5 Wisconsin, scenarios exist that could see them chosen for the final four, even with two losses.

It’s unlikely but not impossible.

Illinois presented few problems Saturday. The Buckeyes scored on their first six possessions — including J.T. Barrett’s 100th career touchdown pass — on the way to handing the Illini their ninth straight loss.

Barrett, playing in his last game at Ohio Stadium, threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as the Buckeyes dominated from the opening kick.

“Winning in the Big Ten is difficult,” said fifth-year senior center Billy Price (Austintown Fitch), who started his school record 52nd straight game. “It’s rugged, it’s physical.

“So to come out with everybody healthy, getting the victory, playing pretty well, executing at a high level for an offense, it feels good,” Price said. “We’re moving on.”

Ohio State’s defense limited the Illini (2-9, 0-9) to a season-low 105 yards. They didn’t make a first down until near the end of the first half and finished with just five.

Barrett was 11 for 19 for 141 yards, with backups Dwayne Haskins and Joe Burrow playing most of the second half. Running back Mike Weber picked up 108 yards on 11 carries and scored twice, including on a 43-yard breakaway romp in the first quarter.

The Buckeyes led 28-0 after the first quarter and 38-0 at halftime when heavy rain rolled through Columbus, slowing the pace in a messy second half. They had 543 total yards of offense.

“If you stay in coaching long enough, you have games like this where the [other] team is better than you from start to finish,” Illinois coach Lovie Smith said.

“They dominated us on both sides of the football,” he said. “We had an opportunity early on a third-down play and we got a penalty. It was all downhill from there.”

The Illini were hapless as a second disappointing season under Smith drags on. With so many true freshmen on the field, the Big Ten’s worst team had trouble doing anything against the Buckeyes.