Ohio State Buckeyes Football LIVE STREAM: Illinois Fighting Illini Preview, Predictions, Odds, TV Schedule, Where to Watch

With just three games remaining in the 2013 college football season the undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes find themselves right in the mix for the national title game. The Buckeyes had a bye week last week, but because of an Oregon Ducks loss, Ohio State is ranked third in the nation. The Buckeyes and Florida State Seminoles both moved up a spot in the AP top 25 rankings behind the top ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. Today, the 9-0 Buckeyes travel to Illinois to face the 3-6 Fighting Illini. While an upset is unlikely, the Buckeyes not only need to win, but also they need to beat Illinois convincingly to prove they deserve to be in the national title game.

You can break down this game any way you want, but the Buckeyes are the heavy favorite. They have been dominating this season, especially on the offensive end. Behind Heisman candidate Braxton Miler, the Buckeyes are ranked fifth in the nation in points scored. The Buckeyes are averaging over 48 points per game while Illinois is giving up nearly 35 points per game. This could get ugly.

Illinois hasn't won a Big Ten game since 2011 and Saturday likely won't break that trend. However, Illinois has shown some firepower on the offensive end as well. In their three wins this season they have scored over 40 points and they also pushed Penn State to the limit earlier this year when the lost to the Nittany Lions in overtime, 24-17.

In the end, I don't perceive this being a question of whether Ohio State will win or not, but by how much. With three games remaining and Ohio State needing either Florida State or Alabama to falter, the Buckeyes need to make every win count. A simple two-touchdown victory won't do at this point in the game. The Buckeyes need to reaffirm their dominance with a blowout.

At the opening OddsShark had Ohio State as 32 point favorites. I predict they beat that margin of victory today. Game time is 12pm ET with the game airing on TV on ESPN. You can watch the live stream online on WATCHESPN.