Recent conference paybacks

[MililaniBuckeye]

We all remember what a mediocre season 2004 was overall, ending up 4-4 in conference and going to the Alamo Bowl. During that year, we lost to Northwestern for the first time in 33 years (and the first time at Ryan Field since 1958), get pounded by Iowa, beat at home by Wisconsin, and lost at Purdue. Since then, JT has made it a point for them (especially Northwestern) to be sure to savor those wins because they may not see another for a while. Since losing to those four teams in 2004, this is what we've done to them since:

Northwestern
2005: 48-7
2006: 54-10
2007: 58-7 (45-0 halftime)

Iowa
2005: 31-6
2006: 38-17

Purdue:
2007: 23-7 (not as close as the score suggests)

Wisconsin:
2007: 38-17 (absolute domination by Beanie from mid-3rd qtr)

We've beat the [censored] out of each team that beat us in 2004, in each game we've played them since. Oh, by the way, since the completion of the 2004 campaign, we're 22-2 in conference, including a conference-record 20 straight.

You don't think we'll be out for some major payback in Champaign on Nov 15?

[mercer_buckeye]

If we're healthy it could be ugly. With losses on defense and a running game called Juice, Illinois will be a shell of last years squad

[BB73]

It's appropriate that the game is in mid-November, since "Revenge is a dish best served cold".

[Steve19]

This will be the year that Zook gets to win the Kirk "I guess he ain't Jim Tressel after all" Ferentz Annual Trophy awarded to coaches whose rep is far greater than their ability.

Don't get me wrong, I think he will put Illinois somewhere in the middle of the Big Ten and they will be in games in future years, which is an improvement, but he ain't Jim Tressel and neither is Ferentz.

The beatdown will be administered in a blistering fashion, primarily by the defense.

[JBaney45]

We've also handled Penn State pretty well in the 2 games since they beat us in 05 (28-6 and 37-17) and of course we handled Texas in 06 24-7