Cincinnati 49, Illinois 36 (final)

[ORD_Buckeye]

Anyone who remembers what the Big East refs tried to do in the '07 WVU/Pitt game shouldn't be surprised by any calls UC has or will get this year.

That replay of a fumble they decided was a TD a few weeks ago was one of the worst things I have seen lately.

Exactamundo, Ringo. Pitt will need to dominate the game to come away with a close victory.

 

[JXC]

Considering this, do you think you may be giving them a bit more credit than is due?

• In its previous 5 games, Illinois managed only 16 points against Northwestern and 14 against the Spartans and the Boilermakers.
• They scored 38 and 35 against the Wolverweenies and Gophers, respectively. The Wolverweenies gave up 30 or more in seven games including both FCS games prior to the Illini. Minnesota gave up more than 30 in 4 of the seven games prior to the Illini game, including the two games prior to playing the Illini.

Again...you play to win the game. You are worrying way too much about game to game stats. This was a classic trap game for Cincy, and they survived. If they lost, or were behind, then fine. But honestly, who cares if you give up 30 points when you score 50. They were up by double digits the whole game, they really didn't need to call on their defense.

Cincinnati looks like a team that could beat a lot of the teams that are going to be in the BCS. I actually think they would give Texas a run for their money. That's a game I would love to see. Not saying they would win for sure, but I think it would be a great game.

Cincinnati's offense will keep them in any game. I love how people like to talk shit about teams that are undefeated. Especially when it's UC and "threatens" Ohio State being the best team in the state. Cincinnati has had a better season than Ohio State this year. They've executed, they've won, they've done everything they could do. Heck, their defense has even stepped up this year. They went into Oregon State, a team that may end up being one of those BCS teams, and held the Beavers to their lowest point total of the year.

I'm sure you can find a reason to say how each of their wins were unimpressive, but it's a lot more impressive to win all your games, than lose a few. And it's not like they haven't played any ranked teams.

 

[TheIronColonel]

Again...you play to win the game. You are worrying way too much about game to game stats. This was a classic trap game for Cincy, and they survived. If they lost, or were behind, then fine. But honestly, who cares if you give up 30 points when you score 50.

Because scoring 50 on a shitty defense is easy. Giving up 36 to a terrible offense isn't. They haven't played a really good defensive team all season, but they continue to give up gobs of points to atrocious teams. That's a recipe for disaster.

Cincinnati's offense will keep them in any game. I love how people like to talk [censored] about teams that are undefeated. Especially when it's UC and "threatens" Ohio State being the best team in the state. Cincinnati has had a better season than Ohio State this year. They've executed, they've won, they've done everything they could do. Heck, their defense has even stepped up this year. They went into Oregon State, a team that may end up being one of those BCS teams, and held the Beavers to their lowest point total of the year.

How is Cincinnati threatening Ohio State? Are you fucking serious? Cincinnati being good happens as often as Papal elections. For every good season that UC has (i.e. every time they have a schedule loaded with patsies and a quarterback with a pulse), they have 5-6 years of being remarkably awful. Cincinnati is as threatening to Ohio State as Indiana or Northwestern.

I'm sure you can find a reason to say how each of their wins were unimpressive, but it's a lot more impressive to win all your games, than lose a few. And it's not like they haven't played any ranked teams.

I agree, it is impressive to win all of your games. That notwithstanding, it's less impressive to win all of your games when your opponents are barely over .500 as a group. How many ten win teams did UC play this season? How many ranked teams? You can dump on a lot of teams for playing shoddy schedules, but the fact of the matter is that UC has the weakest resume of the top ten by a fair margin. Even Boise State has a better win than UC. So great, they won all of their games. Fantastic. It still doesn't mean they're any damn good.

 

[JXC]

Because scoring 50 on a shitty defense is easy. Giving up 36 to a terrible offense isn't. They haven't played a really good defensive team all season, but they continue to give up gobs of points to atrocious teams. That's a recipe for disaster.



How is Cincinnati threatening Ohio State? Are you fucking serious? Cincinnati being good happens as often as Papal elections. For every good season that UC has (i.e. every time they have a schedule loaded with patsies and a quarterback with a pulse), they have 5-6 years of being remarkably awful. Cincinnati is as threatening to Ohio State as Indiana or Northwestern.



I agree, it is impressive to win all of your games. That notwithstanding, it's less impressive to win all of your games when your opponents are barely over .500 as a group. How many ten win teams did UC play this season? How many ranked teams? You can dump on a lot of teams for playing shoddy schedules, but the fact of the matter is that UC has the weakest resume of the top ten by a fair margin. Even Boise State has a better win than UC. So great, they won all of their games. Fantastic. It still doesn't mean they're any damn good.

It doesn't mean they are ANY good? Really? How can you have any credibility when you say a blanket statement like that? It's not like they played 11 mid-majors and D1aa schools.

And it seems like a lot of OSU fans get the panties in a bunch when UC fans try to say that they are better than Ohio State. That's threatening to them. I'm sorry you can't see that. And i'm not talking about overall. I'm not talking about taking over as the best team in Ohio for years on end. I'm talking about THIS YEAR!

And if scoring 50 on a shitty defense is easy, then how come Ohio State doesn't do it in half their games every year? I don't remember the last time Ohio State put up 49 on Illinois.

GIVING UP 36 POINTS DOESNT MEAN SHIT WHEN YOU WERE UP BY DOUBLE DIGITS THE WHOLE GAME!!!

 

[sepia5]

GIVING UP 36 POINTS DOESNT MEAN SHIT WHEN YOU WERE UP BY DOUBLE DIGITS THE WHOLE GAME!!!

I think it means your defense sucks when it's Illinois racking up those points and yards. Cincy has some legit talent on offense to be sure, though. The Pitt game should be a good one.

 

[LordJeffBuck]

How in God's name could a top ten team give up 36 points to fucking Illinois? That's pathetic.

While we're busy bashing UC's pathetic defense, let's not overlook their non-existent running game that gained 4 yards on 9 carries prior to their run-out-the-clock drive at the end of the game. Even after that final drive, UC ended up with 23 yards on the ground on 15 carries, not exactly the recipe for success against a team with a real defense.

 

[jwinslow]

It doesn't mean they are ANY good? Really? How can you have any credibility when you say a blanket statement like that? It's not like they played 11 mid-majors and D1aa schools.

Playing Oregon State & South Florida leaves you with no useful comparison to playing Florida or Texas. It doesn't mean they aren't really good, but there's no useful metric to coompare the two.

I'm not talking about taking over as the best team in Ohio for years on end.

Then what exactly is threatening about them? Or are you trying to sidestep that little jab?

And if scoring 50 on a shitty defense is easy, then how come Ohio State doesn't do it in half their games every year?

For someone trying to mock folks for getting their panties in a bunch about OSU, you sure do bring them up a lot. How is OSU's completely opposite approach to winning games relevant to whether it's easy to light up Illinois defense?

How many times did the tight end or another WR find himself open by 20 yards? Arguing that this was anything but a porous defense doesn't make much sense.

GIVING UP 36 POINTS DOESNT MEAN SHIT WHEN YOU WERE UP BY DOUBLE DIGITS THE WHOLE GAME!!!

Yelling statements really help your case here.

 

[NateG]

Yelling statements really help your case here.

BUT I ATE A HUGE SUB SANDWICH EARLIER THIS WEEK......IT WAS DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[LordJeffBuck]

I'm sure you can find a reason to say how each of their wins were unimpressive, but it's a lot more impressive to win all your games, than lose a few. And it's not like they haven't played any ranked teams.

Marshall won all of its games in 1999 ... Utah in 2004 ... Boise State in 2006 ... Cincy's in the same boat, as far as I'm concerned.

Cincy has played one currently-ranked team, that being Oregon State (#16 this week), a team that was unranked at the time. So, they've played one decent team ... big deal. See Marshall, Utah, Boise State, above.

 

[jlb1705]

Just got back from the game. Most of the people in my section were nice - nice and drunk, but still nice. The stadium was pretty cool. It was like a mini version of Illinois' stadium but not in the middle of fucking nowhere. The fan experience though - it was like going to a pro game - and I mean that in the worst way possible. I wish they would let the band play more instead of blasting that Click, Click, Boom song and a bunch of tired-ass classic rock.

As for the game, it looks close on paper, but Illinois was never really in it. They looked really slow compared to UC - it's not a running speed thing - UC just plays the game faster. It's a sign of a well-coached team going against a poorly coached one. That said, Illinois left a lot of good opportunities unfulfilled out there. UC is unbeaten, but did not look unbeatable. I still think that a team that will commit to hitting them in the mouth running the football will give them all they can handle. Illinois had a stable of RBs committed to dancing around like Lydell Ross. I know they run a lot of those zone plays, but they didn't play fast and they didn't attack.

The late hit a call happened at my end of the field. I never heard a whistle on that play, so I can understand if the player didn't. The Gilyard catch/non-catch was at my end too, but I couldn't see it because the stands are right on top of that endzone.

 

[Honor&Glory]

Typical game as of late for UC...great offense, pourous defense and the benefactor of terrible officiating.

Oh, well...having been in the stadium when they were 1-10, I'll take 11-0. Think they are in big time trouble next week but stranger things have happened in college football.

 

[jwinslow]

H&G, if UC doesn't make the NC, who/where are they projected to play?

 

[jlb1705]

While we're busy bashing UC's pathetic defense, let's not overlook their non-existent running game that gained 4 yards on 9 carries prior to their run-out-the-clock drive at the end of the game. Even after that final drive, UC ended up with 23 yards on the ground on 15 carries, not exactly the recipe for success against a team with a real defense.

The crowd cheered when they finally broke in to positive rushing yards about halfway through the 4th quarter. Then Pike's fumble came on the next play. I don't think they got back into positive yards until the next series, when they cheered again.

Their run game sucked, but against a lousy team like Illinois they didn't really need it at all.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

And it seems like a lot of OSU fans get the panties in a bunch when UC fans try to say that they are better than Ohio State. That's threatening to them. I'm sorry you can't see that. And i'm not talking about overall. I'm not talking about taking over as the best team in Ohio for years on end. I'm talking about THIS YEAR!

But that is exactly what many UC fans and players are saying: that they are now Ohio's top program, not best team this year. They belittle Tressel and the Big Ten and are running their mouths that, with Kelly, they will become a dominant BCS every year program, and Ohio State is too scared to schedule an annual home-and-home series because Ohio State doesn't want to get exposed.

Hell, Grillz that Killz didn't even need to wait until this season to start running his piehole. He said last year that UC was "now the Big Brother, and Ohio State was the little brother."

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

H&G, if UC doesn't make the NC, who/where are they projected to play?

UC fan is convinced that it's the Florida/Bama loser in the Sugar. Both of whom will absolutely prison rape that defense.