OSU Buckeyes

Where would Ohio State be in the national title chase if it weren't on postseason probation? Right now, the Buckeyes would still be on the outside looking in.

Ohio State moved into a tie with Georgia at No. 5 in the latest AP Poll, trailing four unbeaten teams -- No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Oregon, No. 3 Kansas State and No. 4 Notre Dame. Urban Meyer's team improved to 10-0 on Saturday by thumping Illinois, its first 10-0 start since 2007. The Buckeyes move up one spot and boast the exact points total as Georgia (1,198) -- a good distance behind Notre Dame. With a weak non-league schedule and a weak Big Ten, Ohio State would need a lot of help during the stretch run to make the title game.

Nebraska moves up three spots in the AP Poll to No. 18 after rallying to beat Michigan State on Saturday in East Lansing. Michigan is third among teams also receiving votes, while Northwestern is fifth. The Wolverines and Wildcats meet this week in Ann Arbor. Penn State also is receiving votes in the AP Poll.

The coaches' poll remains higher on Pat Fitzgerald's crew, as Northwestern returns to the poll at No. 21 this week. Nebraska moves up to No. 16, while Michigan is third among teams also receiving votes and Wisconsin is ninth.

To recap:

AP Poll

No. 5 Ohio State (tied with Georgia)
No. 18 Nebraska

Coaches' poll

No. 16 Nebraska
No. 21 Northwestern

Ohio State is 10-0 for the ninth time in school history, and there's a week off to celebrate it. Three of those teams have gone on to finish unbeaten. Is this year No. 4? This is Across The Field, a regular feature on BuckeyeNation where we point you to noteworthy Buckeyes coverage here and elsewhere. Think something should be included? Send it to espnkendrick@gmail.com. First, as always, our week in review:

 

Ohio State 52, Illinois 22

• And now for a well-deserved week off, writes Austin Ward.
• This team doesn't have enough playmakers, but 10-0 still means a lot, writes Bill Livingston. (Plain Dealer)
• Carlos Hyde is now tied for the Big Ten lead in TDs with Braxton Miller and Montee Ball. (Plain Dealer)
• Illinois could never seize the momentum. (Chicago Tribune)
• And Ohio State's win could have an effect on the presidential election, too. (USA Today)

BuckeyeNation Week in Review

• Miller can run like a video-game character and his coach knows he's a Heisman candidate, but Miller knows he needs to learn how to slide effectively.
• Miller is the No. 1 underclassman in college football, according to Mel Kiper and Todd McShay.
• The receivers were a soft spot last season, but they've come a long way.
• Ohio State's "fullbacker" has been a marvel to a guy who knows about playing both ways.
• A heart-to-heart-with Jake Stoneburner paid dividends.
• Ryan Shazier is emerging as a star, writes Brian Bennett.
• The incoming defensive line class looks like a really good one, writes Brad Bournival.
• Bournival's Offered series continued with 2014 linebacker Raekwon McMillan, athlete Gareon Conley and junior college receiver Corey Smith.
• Linebacker help is still needed. A look at the top five on the recruiting radar.
• McMillan talked to DawgNation's Radi Nabulsi about his top five.
• We should hear from 2014 WR Thaddeus Snodgrass this week on his commitment, writes Jared Shanker.
• There's plenty of OSU involvement in the #BlueChipBattles, too.
• Ohio State will host San Diego State in the spot they would have played Vanderbilt next season, and set a series with Boston College in 2020 and 2021.
• And the Buckeyes' basketball season began with an exhibition victory.

Football

• Tim Tebow: Ohio State football fan. And he talks to Urban Meyer and Braxton Miller from time to time. (Plain Dealer)
• There was an unsung hero in the Penn State game, writes Doug Lesmerises. (Plain Dealer)
• You can't help but think what might have been if the Buckeyes weren't on NCAA probation, writes Rob Oller. (Dispatch, $)
• And if they had taken that bowl ban last season... (Toledo Blade)
• Devin Smith never covered a punt before, and now is an effective gunner. (Plain Dealer)
• Nathan Williams has a great tutor for his pro ambitions, writes Brandon Castel. (TheOzone.net)
• A player who helped Ohio State to its 1942 national title passed away at age 90. (AP)
• This year's Notre Dame team bears a resemblance to a certain championship team from 10 years ago. (Land Grant Holy Land)
• This year's success has set up plenty of momentum. (Plain Dealer)
• And they have to be considered "special" now, according to Urban Meyer's scale. (Eleven Warriors)
• Every Big Ten school will take a financial hit this year, and it's pretty much Ohio State's fault. (BTN)

Basketball

• The Buckeyes were a bit flat, but won in their exhibition debut. (Dispatch, $)
• It was a little too close for comfort and sends a warning sign, writes Bob Hunter. (Dispatch, $)
• Aaron Craft is the scariest defender in the country, writes Myron Medcalf.
• The OSU women are ranked No. 19 by the AP. (Dispatch)

The Gang's All Here

• The women's volleyball team handed Nebraska its first home loss since joining the Big Ten. (Lantern)
• And two former Buckeyes players are in a group that's buying a bank. (Dispatch)

Check out previous Across The Field packages here.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The march through the conference and toward perfection rolls right along for Ohio State.

Illinois barely even slowed it down.

The Illini hung around for about a quarter, but it didn’t take long for the Buckeyes to shift their offense into high gear with another dynamic outing from Braxton Miller that complemented a dominant defensive performance in a 52-22 demolition on Saturday afternoon at Ohio Stadium.

Now a bye week and two more games are all that stand between Urban Meyer and a 12-0 campaign in his first season with the program.

It was over when: Rolling to his right, throwing back to the left and deep down the sideline, Miller’s 51-yard pass settled into the hands of running back Rod Smith on a wheel route and the rout was on for the Buckeyes. Miller typically does most of his damage on the ground, but it was his perfect strike through the air with a little more than five minutes left in the first half that effectively put away the Illini.

Game ball goes to: After a relatively ugly outing throwing the ball the week before, Miller heard plenty about how he needed to clean up his fundamentals and deliver an accurate football for the Ohio State offense to reach its potential. Apparently that message was received loud and clear as he routinely made the proper read and drilled his targets on the way to 226 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.

Stat of the game: The Buckeyes kept the Illini in bad situations on third down, but it hardly seemed to matter how far the latter needed to go to move the chains -- Illinois couldn’t do it. In all, the Illini picked up just two conversions in 13 attempts on third down when the Ohio State starters were in the game, struggling mightily to mount a consistent threat in the process.

How the game was won: The Buckeyes controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, consistently opening huge holes for running back Carlos Hyde and blowing up a handful of plays in the Illinois backfield with another aggressive defensive game plan. Ohio State had shown flaws in previous games while rolling to nine consecutive wins, but the 10th of the year was perhaps its most complete outing in every phase.

What it means: Heading into their long-awaited bye week, the Buckeyes are playing their best football of the season and have a chance to get healthier and stronger with just two games standing between them and a perfect record. In particular, Ohio State is expected to get linebacker Etienne Sabino back in time for a trip to Wisconsin, restoring a bit of depth to a defense that is thriving thanks to a scheme relying on man coverage and pressure packages.

Illinois, meanwhile, has another chance to go back to the drawing board after failing to come up with any answers on offense or defense in another lopsided loss that leaves it winless in the Big Ten in five league games under Tim Beckman.

Join our ESPN.com college football experts as they preview Week 10.

Contribute your thoughts and questions beginning at 10 a.m. ET. See you there.

Now is the time to send us pictures of your tailgate celebrations @ESPNCFB. The best photos of your food, friends and family will be uploaded to our chat. Here are our previous tailgates.

RecruitingNation has summoned its writers from around the country to compile a list of the top 10 battles for elite football recruits leading up to February's signing day. We'll update our rankings periodically to reflect a change in a player's status (i.e., new offers, trimmed-down list or a positive/negative official visit).

Our writers have debated the list for weeks, but we value your input as well. Voice your opinion on Twitter (@RecruitingESPN) using#BlueChipBattles or vote for which player should hold the No. 1 spot on Facebook.