Sept. 18--TV: 2:30 p.m. Saturday; ABC-7, WIND-AM 560, WLBK-AM 1360.
Line: Ohio State by 341/2.
Records: Northern Illinois 2-0; Ohio State 2-0.
Last meeting: Ohio State won 35-12 on Sept. 2, 2006, in Columbus, Ohio.
On the offensive: Ohio State coach Urban Meyer says his quarterback decision is "game to game," so look for both Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett. NIU's Drew Hare is off to a strong start, fifth nationally in passing efficiency rating (203.3).
Getting defensive: NIU is yielding a disconcerting 5.1 yards per play and needs a big game from 5-foot-9 safety Marlon Moore. Ohio State is at 3.7 yards per play after shutting out Hawaii.
The number: 2. Times the Huskies have faced the nation's top-ranked team, falling 35-12 to Ohio State in 2006 and losing 34-0 to Miami in 1986.
The talk: Meyer called the Huskies a "Big Ten-quality team" because of their size on the line and dual threat at quarterback. Great, but the Buckeyes are a nationally elite team.
Teddy Greenstein's pick: Unfortunately for NIU, the Buckeyes got their "bad" game out of the way last week. Ohio State 49, Northern Illinois 20.
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