By: AP via Cleveland.com —
COLUMBUS, Ohio — What’s brewing today with the 2008 Ohio State Buckeyes …

BUCKEYES BUZZ:@ It seems everybody is talking about where the Buckeyes will play in a bowl game.

Speculation online, on TV and on radio talk shows runs the gamut from the Fiesta Bowl vs. Texas Tech, to the Capital One Bowl vs. Alabama, and almost every place imaginable in between.
Scout.com/FoxSports.com looks into the crystal ball and sees the Buckeyes playing Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. In other words, another trip back to New Orleans.

CBSsportsline.com foresees the Buckeyes meeting Texas Tech in the Fiesta Bowl. That would mean five trips to the Arizona desert in the last seven years for the Buckeyes.

Fact is, it’s way too early to tell who’ll even be among the 10 teams playing in BCS games: the national championship game and the Fiesta, Sugar, Orange and Rose bowls. Be patient. It’ll get clearer every weekend.

WEATHER OR NOT:@ Here’s the forecast for Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Ill.: A high of 36, low of 33 with gusting winds around 25 mph from the northwest. Rain early, possibly shifting to snow.

STAT OF THE DAY:@ From the first meeting in 1902 (a 0-0 tie) through Ohio State’s 10-6 win in 1987, the Buckeyes had a 51-21-4 record against Illinois. Since 1988, they are 9-9-0 against the Illini.

GOT THEIR NUMBER?@ Illinois coach Ron Zook, on why his team seems to match up so well with Ohio State: “If I had the answer to your question, I would have fixed a whole bunch of things this year. I think if you go back in any high school or college or in the NFL, you’re going to find certain teams that play certain teams better for some reason or another. I don’t know why that is. It was like that when I was in the NFL, it’s been like that in college.”

HE’S HONORED:@ Rob Harley, a former Ohio State special-teams player and the great-great nephew of Ohio State icon Charles “Chic” Harley, is the honorary captain for Saturday’s game at Illinois. The success that the Buckeyes had while Chic Harley was playing (1916-17-19) was among the factors that led the school to build Ohio Stadium.
“You talk about the people it’s meant so much to be a part of this football family, and I can’t think of anyone that it has meant more to than Rob Harley,” said coach Jim Tressel. “He’s a native of the state of Illinois (Elmhurst), and you think back to his roots that it was his great-great uncle that kind of spurred the interest so the Horseshoe was built. That’s pretty deep history and I know it’ll mean a lot to Rob and we’re excited for him to be with us.”

Harley is now an Ohio State football analyst for a Columbus television station.

Part of his job as honorary captain will be speaking to the team.
Tressel said he was expecting, “a rousing, rousing pregame talk.”

“I want those guys to knock the door off the locker room on the way out because of what he says.”

ILLINOIS-BOUND:@ The Buckeyes left their practice facility at 2:15 p.m. Friday for the bus ride to Rickenbacker International Airport south of Columbus. They flew to Champaign, Ill., and were planning on a return flight immediately after Saturday’s game.

BIG BENN:@ Ohio State CB Malcolm Jenkins is considered one of the best at his position in college football. So is Illinois WR Arrelious Benn. The former is looking forward to playing against the latter on Saturday.

“You always like a challenge. Whenever you’re going to go against somebody who’s making plays all over the field and he’s their premier guy, you always get up for that and you always want to be at your best when you play him,” Jenkins said. “He plays more in the slot than outside, so I probably won’t see him too, too much. Just us as a secondary, we’re getting ready for their receiving corps because they have great athletes.”

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