CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Ohio State’s 34-16 win over Illinois on Saturday wasn’t perfect but there also was no need to apologize for it.

That was the tone coach Ryan Day and the No. 1 Buckeyes’ players set after raising their record to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten with a win over an Illinois team hoping to get a statement win, which would have been the biggest victory by the Illini with Bret Bielema as their coach.

Ohio State’s offense struggled at times and finished the game with only 272 total yards. Quarterback Julian Sayin was 19 of 27 for 166 yards and threw touchdown passes to Jeremiah Smith and Bo Jackson, who was OSU’s leading rusher with 47 yards on 10 carries.

But the defense compensated for the below-average offensive numbers.

Payton Pierce’s interception in the first quarter

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