Still so much on the line, for both teams. Some might remember this picture because I used it last year. Let's get it done. Game thread below.

The Battle of the Illibuck takes place today when Ohio State and Illinois lock up at 3:30pm ET. Senior Day will also provide the stage one last time for sixteen mostly unsung Buckeye seniors. Pepper Johnson - Buckeye great, father of Dionte and current Patriots assistant - is the honorary captain.

As always, there are several game previews by those who do them best: BuckeyePlanet, 11W, Around the Oval and Ten Pressing Questions from BuckNuts. Game thread below.

Quick update just as I head out to find the Big Ten Network. No official word on PJ Hill but Wisconsin has other weapons we must be concerned about anyway. They'll try to zone us upfront and run power behind it, sorta like we do. The front four need to have one of their better games today and rather than simply trying to hold the point of attack, it would be nice to see some TFLs. That's not to say we can pin our ears back and key on the run because the Badger's use gifted TE Travis Beckum very well. He's on the lighter side but it allows him to run by linebackers and safeties.

When we have the ball, things are little more simplified. Because I think we are the better team, the goal here is to take care of the ball like the Hope Diamond. The offensive line should be frothing at the mouth to duplicate their performance last week. More than anything, three straight losses in our house should provide an emotional edge.

A lot of talk this week as centered around the perceived gaps in the offensive line based on Michigan State's two minutes of fun. The Buckeye staff and players have apparently worked on shoring up any deficiencies this week because expectations are Penn State will unleash every blitz package they have, plus a few new ones. For me, I think the game hinges on three areas: ball security, touchdowns not field goals and adjusting to Penn State's offensive attack. On the latter, I expect a plethora of rolling pockets and boots from the Lions.

Unfortunately, I will see very little of the game. I am part of the homecoming ceremonies at my alma mater which will tie me up until the third quarter or so. Game thread below. Send all your positive vibes to our team in Happy Valley.

The Spartans come into Ohio Stadium today trying to rekindle the magic of a year that will remain unmentioned. It's the calling card for all Spartan fans despite a near 10 year gap and a different head coach on our sidelines (and a different one for MSU - better than Saban?). They'll be a Tressel on the other sidelines too and a plethora of other tie-ins that makes this game slightly different than others.

For last minute game previews, 11W and BuckeyePlanet have you covered. The Dispach has a different type of breakdown. For me, basic fundamentals will be important: stop the run, get pressure (MSU is second to last in sacks allowed), and offensively keep doing what we've been doing and hold onto the ball while doing it.

Edit (7:56pm) In beating the Spartans 24-17, do not be fooled by a two play, one minute sequence that totally skews the score of the game. The 14 defensive points Michigan State scored late in the contest came as a result of two of the freakish turnovers and subsequent runbacks one will see. More accurately, Michigan State scored 3 offensive points on OSU's defense and the Spartans were fortunate a Ringer fumble wasn't ruled correctly. Replay failed to work - didn't even get a review (and no, I didn't hear any whistle before the ball was recovered).

The Buckeyes totally dominated the game in just about every phase. Total yardage favored the good guys to the tune of 422-185. Beanie Wells outgained MSU on his own by rolling up 221 yards on 31 carries (7.1 avg). He may get chatter in some Heisman circles. More tomorrow.

The Dispatch has you covered for just about any detail of this game. The Big Ten Network interrupts routines again. Sports bars flourish.

All kinds of wacky rumors flying around pre-game ranging from the team having to check out of their hotel rooms at noon today to Thad Gibson leaving the team. I have no clue if any are true - we'll find out about Thad in about 30 minutes - but the early vibe isn't the greatest so far.

I have added scheduling info in the right sidebar, just below Buckeye Vision (thanks for the suggestion, Marv). I also changed a few things with the site, saved those changes and then realized I made some grave mistakes. I'm working on a backup copy of the site design so if you notice any wonkyness, that'd be because of me. Game thread below. Let's get this W.

Yeah, so maybe we should ratchet up the alert level. Whoever is in charge of that for the Buckeyes, go ahead and do it. It has been a day of upsets in college football with Oklahoma going down and Texas getting hammered. Rutgers also lost. Clemson got smacked as did Penn State. All of these teams lost to unranked opponents. Even LSU was getting all they wanted (for a half) against Tulane.

We are about t-minus 30 minutes to kickoff. If you need something to do to kill time, you can check out my radio interview with CFB Weekly. This interview was actually conducted just after our Washington win so that's why the topics are a few weeks old. For those that want to fast forward, I come on right after Brian at MGoBlog at about the 16 minute mark.

Anderson Russell is the defensive captain for tonight's game. Former coach Fred Pagac, Sr. is the honorary captain. Minny open thread below.

Did you know Akron "Zips" is short for "Zippers"? The school calls it 'one of the unique nicknames in intercollegiate athletics'. Well, yeah. It rivals my alma mater - the Battling Bishops. Anyway, gametime is an hour a way and I'm severely tardy with this update. What you should know is Akron will present more of a challenge than last week. And, television and radio will probably talk about how Akron RB Dennis Kennedy was shunned at Ohio State.

I'm off to try to find a DTV location showing the game. Get your fill of previews from 11W, BuckNuts and a whole slew of articles from The Columbus Dispatch and Akron Beacon Journal.