Game Thread Illinois 28, Ohio State 21 (final)

[Pheasant]

I need to preface this by saying hats off to Illinois, you definitely deserved that win.

Now, time to vent.

Why didn't we challenge that first TD? He fumbled and we recovered, which was clearly shown in the video-review, Illinois didn't snap the ball quickly and we still didn't challenge.

I'm not sure if it is the play-calling or the inexperience of Boeckman, but some of the plays he made were stupid. On our only 4th quarter possession, when he started to drop back to throw it deep, I was yelling at my TV why we were deviating from pounding it inside and quick slant routes. Then they intercepted the pass.

Last week we were losing to Wisconsin and they were firing on all cylinders, we were getting yards but they were punishing our guys. They were fired up. Just like this Illinois team was fired up. The difference between the Wisconsin game and this one? We never established the run. Give the ball to Beanie, Mo Wells or Saine and pound it inside. Beat up on their defense. Tire them out.

Our defense was weak today. It was pathetic. It's a 3rd and long and you know they're not going to pass it, and yet we run a delayed blitz every single time and Juice just continues to run up the middle for first downs. How does anyone on the coaching staff not see this?

How does not one single defensive player fight off a block, and how does Gholsten let Juice Williams gain 2 yards after contact when Gholsten was running full speed at him?

 

[Bucklion]

I'm wondering where we might drop in the polls....at this point I'm thinking around #5...behind the obvious LSU and Oregon...but likely behind Kansas and OU as well...

Further than that...a lot of people looking at the Big Ten as a weak conference have been salivating at the chance to drop us. I'd say we hit 8 or 9.

 

[keeponrisin]

I'm wondering where we might drop in the polls....at this point I'm thinking around #5...behind the obvious LSU and Oregon...but likely behind Kansas and OU as well...

-
I'd put us at 10

 

[martinss01]

We got pushed around on our home field, and that hasn't happened in a while.

that seemed to be the story of the game to me. seemed like illi owned the los.

On a side note, Boeckman seemed to decide he was going to add an extra dimension to the arsenal tonight by running the ball several times down the field, which is great, but the more he ran the poorer he threw. I prefer what he was doing before.

he's been throwing like that all season. in the past the d has bailed us out. tonight they just weren't there. high balls, floaters, throwing behind and short on deep balls has been an all season thing. *shrug* he's getting better though. im pretty impressed by how far he has come.

tough loss, but we all knew this 4 game stretch was going to be rough. illi earned it tonight. hats off to em. 11-1, a big 10 championship, hart/henne/long 0-4 in a rebuilding year? i think i could find a way to be satisfied with that .

 

[sparcboxbuck]

Keep our coaches at home too...

What we've learned (a couple times unfortunately) this year is that JT is far from flawless. This is twice this (calender) year he has been thoroughly outcoached...once by Ron friggin' Zook. I love the guy, he's one of the best, but he is most definately human, no matter what many of us like to think.

Lot of blame to go around. For as bad as we all feel, think of the team and the senior(s).

RE: Zook (and his kind):

Is there anyone else out there that thinks that we should be focusing on keeping OUR frick'n coaches at home as much as we focus on keeping out kids a home?

Seriously... If I find another tOSU / Miami of Ohio / BG (now, doesn't that kick you in the nuts?) / or anyone with OHIO frick'n roots beating us... I'm going to frick'n loose my mind.

It's one thing to have a lot of talent in the state... recruit well out of the state... but to loose out on coaches is frick'n killing me.

That all said, I'll still take JT over anyone in the country. After all the "talk" during last year's run about how if JT won the NC game he could tear up his contract (if he wanted to say, coach, for Cleveland Browns), I'll take where we are to keep JT. I think that he does realize that coaching at tOSU is the terminal head coaching job in OH. But, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Need to sober up now. Having a keg of Boddingtons in the basement is a dangerous thing...

Next week I want to see Chad and Michael on the field so they can recieve the ass-whooping that they've got coming to them.

:osu:

 

[Bucklion]

Listen, hindsight is 20/20. Was it a mistake to call a timeout? Yes. But I don't think Tressel should be crucified for the way the game was played. I promise you Tressel didn't coach Checkwa, Grant, etc. to miss as many tackles as we did. And I promise you that Tressel didn't coach the line to be dominated on the LOS. And I promise you, Tressel had nothing to do with the referees failing to call a penalty all night on Illinois (maybe Vegas did, but not Tressel). So let's take Tressel off of the cross and place the blame on the poor performance on nearly every cog in this machine for breaking down.

I think everyone is, but Tressel deserves some heat as well for the way things went down.

 

[hdcolumbus]

I need to preface this by saying hats off to Illinois, you definitely deserved that win.

Now, time to vent.

Why didn't we challenge that first TD? He fumbled and we recovered, which was clearly shown in the video-review, Illinois didn't snap the ball quickly and we still didn't challenge.

I'm not sure if it is the play-calling or the inexperience of Boeckman, but some of the plays he made were stupid. On our only 4th quarter possession, when he started to drop back to throw it deep, I was yelling at my TV why we were deviating from pounding it inside and quick slant routes. Then they intercepted the pass.

Last week we were losing to Wisconsin and they were firing on all cylinders, we were getting yards but they were punishing our guys. They were fired up. Just like this Illinois team was fired up. The difference between the Wisconsin game and this one? We never established the run. Give the ball to Beanie, Mo Wells or Saine and pound it inside. Beat up on their defense. Tire them out.

Our defense was weak today. It was pathetic. It's a 3rd and long and you know they're not going to pass it, and yet we run a delayed blitz every single time and Juice just continues to run up the middle for first downs. How does anyone on the coaching staff not see this?

Definitely should have challenged the first Illinois run... The refs were oblivious to any of the Illinois holds. To have one penalty the entire game for a team that is 10th in the Big Ten in penalties is ridiculous--they were ripping the jerseys off of our linemen. That being said, you can't turn the ball over three times (once in the red zone), give up two scores on the turnovers, and a 9 minute drive on the last (in the 4th quarter) and expect to win the game.

 

[Buck Kid 66]

I think plain and simple we bring it to Ann Arbor and hand it to them Big Time

 

[bgantz]

Further than that...a lot of people looking at the Big Ten as a weak conference have been salivating at the chance to drop us. I'd say we hit 8 or 9.

You could be right...I need to look at the polls again. I think we are going to be ahead of 2loss teams still.

 

[CausticMick]

Sorry about your loss. I really wanted you guys undefeated heading into the Game, always makes it more fun when everything is on the line for at least one team.

I still can't believe Boeckman missed a wide open Ballard down the seam. One of the bigger plays of the game.

Here's to 11/17!!!!!!!!!! Should be a hell of a game.

:cheers:

 

[Buck Kid 66]

No one likes us we fall big in the polls.

 

[TRON]

10 years ago it was a night just like tonight.


We went on to win the Rose Bowl.

 

[Bill Lucas]

My glasses weren't scarlet, they simply weren't defeatist. Watch some college football, you'll learn something.

If you give up the game definitively with minutes left, and down by one score, my respect for you is lost.

Sorry.

Just me.

I have, in the past, enjoyed the seats you gave up at the Shoe to watch some exciting comeback wins.

Sorry, pal. Writing was on the wall. I simply had the ability to read it.

I enjoy the comebacks as well but there needs to be momentum present to come from behind and we had none in the 4th.

 

[Bucklion]

You could be right...I need to look at the polls again. I think we are going to be ahead of 2loss teams still.

You're looking at 1-loss teams like Mizzou and Arizona State (if they win) that could also be ahead of us in the voting polls this week.

 

[CausticMick]

We ran a LOT of 4-2-5, which I didn't understand. We knew they were running the ball and we went with a pass-oriented defense. probably had something to do with the plays Juice made earlier, but that hurt a lot.

As far as the polls... we drop out of the top 117.