Ohio State looks to extend 24-game Big Ten winning streak

Penn State and Rutgers have played each other already, but the remaining 12 teams in the Big Ten open up conference play Saturday, with all eyes being on Ohio State, with its wealth of quarterbacks and its countless streaks on the line.

The Buckeyes are the only team in Big Ten history to win every regular-season conference game - make it 24 - for three straight seasons. They have only one conference title, in 2014, to show for all that success, but that year became a splendid one, ending with a national championship.

The conference run is not the only streak at stake. Ohio State also has the nation's longest winning streak at 17; a 14-game winning run in road games; and 20 consecutive victories over Indiana, Saturday's opponent. The Big Ten title, however, is at the forefront of every player's thinking.

"That's the big thing, just getting in guys' heads that it's the Big Ten season," Buckeyes linebacker Joshua Perry said in an Associated Press story. "This is where we start to achieve our goals this year."

For the first time, head coach Urban Meyer has a chance to do his quarterback shuffle, if he desires, in a league game. Cardale Jones has completed 57 percent of his passes for 622 yards and four touchdowns, and has rushed for 147 yards. J.T. Barrett is throwing at a 55.3 percent clip, for 193 yards and two touchdowns, and has rushed for 64.

And let's not forget all of Ohio State's other weapons, led by Ezekial Elliott, who has 455 rushing yards in four games and is on a streak of nine 100-yard games.

Wisconsin had been counting on former Glassboro High star Corey Clement to be its featured running back this season, but Clement's sports-hernia injury that required surgery has prompted coach Paul Chryst to call an audible. When the Badgers open Big Ten play against Iowa, they'll go with either Dare Ogunbowale, a 5-foot-11, 200-pound junior, or 6-1, 220-pound redshirt freshman Taiwan Deal. They provide a contrast between shiftiness (Ogunbowale) and power (Deal).

As for Clement, he's expected to be sidelined for at least another month.

Louisiana State coach Les Miles is getting a bit riled at speculation that superstar running back Leonard Fournette may attempt to test the NFL's eligibility rules on its college player draft.

Fournette, who has rushed for 631 yards in three games, is a sophomore, meaning that he would not be eligible for the draft until 2017. The scenarios include Fournette testing the rule after this season, or sitting out 2016 as to not get injured and hurt his draft status for 2017. But Fournette said this week in a tweet. "I will never jump ship . . . I'm drowning with my brothers."

As for Miles, he said on his radio show: "There's a lot of people out there stirring the pot. . . . I can't imagine Leonard would be sitting anywhere inactive for a fall."

Georgia's Nick Chubb has rushed for 599 yards and is averaging 8.4 yards per carry in four games this season. Alabama's defense has allowed 227 yards over the same stretch, and opponents are gaining just 2.0 yards per carry. So it's going to be a battle of talent and of wills when the SEC's No. 2 rusher and the league's top rush defense go at it.

The Crimson's Tide front line averages 313 pounds, but the concern is Georgia's high-tempo offense, which will limit how much Alabama will be able to substitute.

The short Big 12 rivalry between West Virginia and Oklahoma has showcased some fine individual performances. There was Mountaineers quarterback Geno Smith throwing four touchdown passes to Steadman Bailey in a 50-49 loss in 2012. Last year, fast and strong Oklahoma freshman Samaje Perine rolled up 242 yards rushing and four touchdowns in another Sooners win. This year's game, at Norman, will test the rush defense of West Virginia once again, but coach Dana Holgorsen thinks his team will be ready.

"I doubt I'm going to have to say a whole lot to our guys," he said.

The pickings are a little slimmer in the Pac-12 for your late-night viewing this weekend, but the last game on the schedule, Arizona vs. Stanford, might be worth staying up for.

The Wildcats are trying to rebound from last week's 56-30 pasting on their home field against UCLA, while the Cardinal will try to take over the tempo with their physical play. Probably the most entertaining Pac-12 game will be played in the afternoon, Washington State and California, two teams that combined for 1,400 total yards and 119 points (60-59, Cal) last season.

Former Eastern High School star Eli Apple, a sophomore cornerback for Ohio State, was in on a season-best six tackles in last week's 38-12 win by the Buckeyes over Western Michigan. For the season, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Apple has 13 tackles, four pass breakups, one interception, and one fumble recovery. The Buckeyes will need to tackle well Saturday against Indiana's Jordan Howard, the Big Ten's leading rusher.

Braxton Miller, WR, Ohio State vs. Indiana

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound senior, who moved to the wideout position from quarterback in the preseason, started the year with two long touchdown plays against Virginia Tech but hasn't done much since, accounting for just 38 yards from scrimmage last week. Coach Urban Meyer said his offense needs to be better, and that might mean more touches for Miller.

West Virginia at Oklahoma, noon, FS1

The Mountaineers are feeling pretty good about themselves after putting up 45 points in a rout of Maryland. Their hopes for defeating the Sooners for the first time since they joined the Big 12 three years ago rest on stopping 237-pound Samaje Perine.

Ohio State at Indiana, 3:30 p.m., 6ABC

The Buckeyes open Big Ten play against a fellow unbeaten. The fact that Ohio State is a three-touchdown favorite on the road tells you all you need to know about the Hoosiers' chances. It's a huge challenge for Indiana running back Jordan Howard, the conference's top rusher.

Alabama at Georgia, 3:30 p.m., CBS3

Talk about an important game for the Crimson Tide, who need a win to avoid starting 0-2 in the Southeastern Conference. A matchup to watch is the Bulldogs' Nick Chubb, who has a streak of 12 100-yard games, against the Alabama front seven that has allowed just 56.8 yards per game.

Notre Dame at Clemson, 8 p.m., 6ABC

The Fighting Irish look for a quality win in Death Valley and will get a big boost if running back C.J. Prosise can navigate what should be slippery conditions resulting from likely rain from Hurricane Joaquin. Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson needs a big game.

jjuliano@phillynews.com

@joejulesinq