College Football Rankings, Week 11: Ohio State Buckeyes move up in AP

The Ohio State Buckeyes moved into the top five after a 52-22 victory against Illinois.

Illinois vs. Ohio State 2012: Buckeyes continue to show ability to win in different ways

The Ohio State Buckeyes started a bit slowly against the Illinois Fighting Illini Saturday, leading only 7-6 after the first quarter, but the team turned it on after that and pulled away with a 52-22 win to improve to 10-0 on the season.

Luke Zimmerman of Ohio State blog Land-Grand Holy Land writes that the game was impressive because, more than anything, Ohio State has simply shown an ability to win in a variety of ways this season.

"While the Buckeyes continue to have to battle obstacles and juggle personnel, they keep winning," Zimmerman wrote. "Their last two remaining tests of the season may be amongst their toughest, but while many probably didn't expect Ohio State to be where they are with two games remaining, they still fully control where they'll be when the clock hits zero in Ohio Stadium in that final game against Michigan."

Ohio State out-gained Illinois 570-172 in the game, led by Carlos Hyde, who had 18 carries for 138 yards and three touchdowns.

Ohio State vs. Illinois: Carlos Hyde emerges as reliable rusher for Urban Meyer

Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde carried the ball only three times for eight yards against Illinois in 2011, and afterward, expressed his frustration with the lack of playing time, tweeting, "Guess I'm not good enough. Take myself elsewhere."

One year later, his role and perception on the team has certainly changed.

Hyde rushed 18 times for 137 yards and three touchdowns in Saturday's victory over Illinois. He has now carried the ball at least 18 times in the past five games for Ohio State, scoring 11 touchdowns and rushing for more than 100 yards three times in that span.

Perhaps in part due to Hyde's tweet, Urban Meyer began his Ohio State tenure having a negative perception of the bruising running back, according to Doug Lesmerises of the Plain Dealer.

"He was kind of a guy that didn't have a great reputation," Meyer said. "I'd say our first month was not pleasant. He's a genuine guy. I've actually grown to appreciate who he is as a person. I think the perception on him was incorrect."

Meyer admits that he and Hyde have clashed at times, especially in their first month together. But now, Hyde has become the primary rusher in a reliable backfield. What a difference one year makes.

Illinois vs. Ohio State 2012 final score: Buckeyes dominate 52-22

The Ohio State Buckeyes prevailed over the Illinois Fighting Illini to move to 10-0 on Saturday.

Illinois vs. Ohio State score update: Buckeyes score again, lead 38-14 heading into 4th

The Ohio State Buckeyes entered the second half with a sizable 31-6 lead, but the Illinois Fighting Illini tightened up their defense and are being a bit more stingy in the third frame. That being said, the Buckeyes still managed to find the end zone in the third. Miller led his team on an 11-play, 73-yard drive that was capped off by a rush of two yards from the dynamic quarterback, putting OSU up, 38-14, heading into the fourth quarter.

Carlos Hyde had a couple big runs on that drive as well, picking up rushes of 24 and 20 yards to move things along. He has three touchdowns on the day, from 3 yards, 5 yards and 4 yards out. Miller has thrown one touchdown pass, hitting Rod Smith for a 51-yard strike in the second quarter.

It would have been 38-6 heading into the fourth quarter, but Rod Smith fumbled in Ohio State territory near the end of the quarter, and Jon Davis scored a one-yard rushing touchdown for the Fighting Illini near the end of the third to make it the present score. They also were successful on the two-point conversion.

Illinois vs. Ohio State score update: Buckeyes hold commanding lead at halftime

The Ohio State Buckeys got off to a sluggish start, as they led the Illinois Fighting Illini by just a point following the first quarter. That all changed in the second frame, though, as they found the end zone a couple times and now hold a commanding 31-6 lead heading into halftime.

Braxton Miller didn't throw a pass for a whole 10 minutes of play, but in the second quarter he found Rod Smith for a 51-yard touchdown to put the Buckeys up 24-6. That came after a touchdown from Carlos Hyde that went for 5 yards, his second of the day, after he scored one from 3 yards out in the first.

Hyde then found the end zone again near the end of the first half, scoring from 4 yards out to widen the gap further. It just took Ohio State a little bit of time, but they've found their offense and are rolling right along in this one.

Illinois vs. Ohio State score update: Buckeyes lead, 7-6, heading into 2nd quarter

With a couple minutes to go in the first quarter, the Ohio State Buckeyes finally found the endzone, as running back Carlos Hyde followed up two-straight Braxton Miller rushes with a three-yard touchdown score of his own. Drew Basil kicked the extra point and the Buckeyes led the Illinois Fighting Illini, 7-3. The Illini managed a field goal on the following possession though, and the score heading into the second quarter is 7-6 in favor of the Buckeyes.

Miller didn't attempt a pass for the first 10 minutes of the opening frame, before he hit Jake Stoneburner for a 24-yard reception. Prior to that pass, he'd ran the ball four times for just six yards, and nobody had more than 25 yards at that point. In short, the Buckeyes didn't get their offense going nearly as fast as they usually do, and at the end of the quarter, still haven't got into a rhythm.

Illinois managed a field goal on their second possession, when Nathan Scheelhaase led his team on a 10-play, 39-yard drive. Scheelhasse had two-straight incompletions following a nine-yard pass after a false start penalty, and Nick Immekus had to kick a 43-yard field goal to make it 3-0 at the time. The second field goal came on a promising drive in which the Illini had a strong return and a 15-yard personal foul penalty on Ohio State, but they stalled at the nine-yard line and Immekus kicked a 28-yard field goal.

Illinois Vs. Ohio State 2012: TV Schedule, Game Time, Spread And More

Buckeyes look to stay undefeated as they host Illinois Saturday.