Game Thread Game Ten: #1 tOSU 17, Illinois 10 (11/4/06)

[spotpass]

:osu: IMO Great win. When all things weren't going our way, this team had the guts to fight off frustrations, not crack and put Illinois away. At NW, I do not want to see Pitt take the punishment he took today, with so many carries. C Wells, you are needed, so get back in there, just play football and get it done.

 

[Kueller]

I was on the road today so I only listened to the game on the radio (5 stations, 2 fm, 3 am, across 3 states), and it sounded like we were having quite a rough time of it in the second half. Looking back on things now Troy seems to have a bad game once a season ('04 purdue, '05 PSU, '06 Illinois), so I'm happy he's gotten it out of his system before The Game, I'm doubly happy he had an off game we didn't lose. I also think it just wouldn't be a JT team without a close game (or 7), after that '02 season 7 points should seem like a pretty comfortable lead to most Buckeye fans, eh?

Those of you who saw the game, what was up with the running game? Was Pittman not himself, is Alex Boone that big a factor on the OL? I'd expect to be able to run some, at least over the right side or even behind the second string line, but Illinois really seemed to shut us down.

I've seen Ball (#18) play before, and he was quite impressive so the stuggles in the passing game don't suprise me all that much.

Bottom line is the Buckeyes came out with another W. Get everyone healthy and ready, because NW isn't looking like a gimme after their performance against Iowa.

Go Bucks!

 

[sandgk]

The long drive home is done.

From the stands in Champaign IL this one was, to invoke a Berraism, a game of two halves. It was a trial, it was at times frustrating, it was a win - and that far and away above everything else is the most important point. The ugly warts will be dealt with by the coaching staff, heads will be cleared, eyes tightly focussed, the prize made clear as the goal once more.


First half it is really all about the Buckeyes O outpacing the Illini D (who played well throughout) on the ground. On the ground because the passing game was never fully in sync, big plays through the air were an endangered species. The score at the half would have lead anyone to hold out reasonable hope for beating the spread, but that's why they place both halves.
First half went badly enough for the befuddled Juice Williams that after the break he was pulled in favor of Brasic - who was on field for all the Illini second half scores.

Then came the second half, and the Buckeyes shelled up, went vanilla and let the D carry the bulk of the load. Hell, Troy even had an uncharacteristic pick to add to the Defensive load.

Luckily, that Defense keeps making plays. Off Brasic's throw post Troy's interception Laurinatis returns the compliment reeling in yet another pick. (There were a handful that the Buckeyes could have had today in addition to Laurinaitis' pick, but James pulled that errant throw in when it was needed most, when it would have the maximum momentum quelling impact).

Talking also of big plays the decleating hit Laurinaitis put on Williams when he was once again back in the game stunned and shocked the home crowd. If that isn't Jack Tatum award worthy they should simply stop rating these hits. Juice never did return to the game, he may not return to full clarity of thought for a week.

The Illinois fans were very cordial. Well I suppose one can discount the "Over-rated" chants at the end of the game, which were for the most part scattered and weak. Besides, doesn't over-rated only really work as a chant only when you are closing out an upset, rather than simply hanging tough with an opponent who was rated to wax you?

 

[O'Rourke]

I trust Tressel and this staff. The "shut it down and win" offense wasn't clicking today like it has been all year and we got stuffed again and again on first and second down. Pittman was getting hit in the backfield every play in the second half. I don't know if that is because of the blocking schemes, effort, execution or something else but whatever went wrong in the second half will be corrected by next week. It's going to suck to be a Northwestern fan next Saturday...:cheers:

 

[7 45 33 48]

I know I don't agree with some of the playcalling in the 2nd half. There had to be something Tressel saw to button it up offensively. Whether it was the wind, Beanie's fumble, the struggles of the offensive line, or the dominating performance by the defense. I don't know exactly the reason but as bad as everything was in the 2nd half for the offense, I think eventually Ohio State was going to have game like this before going up against scUM. Looks like this tough game came against a team that I don't think most us thought it would be against. It seems like every national championship team in the last 10 or so years has a game like this in a season. USC only beat a 4 win Stanford team by 3 points and a 6 win UCLA team by 5 points in 2004. We all know the story with the 2002 Ohio State team. Even that so called juggernaut in the 2001 Miami team had some struggles against Boston College and Virginia Tech. Oklahoma won a bunch of close games in 2000. Even the 1999 Florida St. team almost slipped against a 6-6 Clemson team. Remember Clint Stoerner fumbling way the game against Tennessee in 1998? I don't know I guess I bring this up to calm some people down, myself included

 

[lvbuckeye]

I don't think you have a right to say that. You had some negative things to say as well.

i said it was frustrating to watch. not once did i question the play calling or the motive... like i said, i've seen this movie before.



it has a nice ending. :)

 

[lvbuckeye]

I could barely watch the game I was so disgusted with the 2nd half. They better get thier act together because they have now been marked as a team that can be beat.

what game were you watching? this was the football equivialant of beating a guy with one arm tied behind your back.

I think this game was a game that Tressel held a lot of things back. He doesn't want to show his hand before the 18th,

good.

but it was too close of a call for that today IMO.

this is where you lost it. with the way Illinois was crowding the box and crashing the LOS, all Tressel needed to do was call a playaction deep to Ginn, and we'd have scored. it was there ANY TIME HE WANTED IT.

 

[JXC]

I trusted the play calling and knew it would lead to a win. That's all that mattered. I said late in the 3rd quarter, "Welp, I doubt we score again unless we get a turnover...their defense is good enough to stop the run, and we are just going to try to control the clock and make sure we come out of here with a win, no matter how ugly." And that's what we did. Illinois played great...they played great last week too against an obviously good Wisconsin team. Things weren't clicking up front for the Buckeyes. The loss of Boone was felt. Being at the game the team also looked like it put the car in netural somewhere in the 2nd quarter and just let the car coast until it came to a stop at about the 3rd quarter. Our defense won the game for us, and it's good enough to trust to do that.

FINALLY WE HAD A GAME NOT DECIDED UNTIL THE END! I think that's a good thing. We are obviously the best team in the country this year...a struggle one week isn't going to change that. We know what Troy can do, we know what the recievers can do, and we know our line is better than it showed today. We came out flat. We won't against Michigan. But we finally had a close one, and I think overall it will be a good humbling experience. We aren't anything more than human and we have to play to win.

Maybe we are just focused on Michigan? Maybe Michigan is focused on us? Both teams looks horrible today. Ball State and Illnoins, while playing hard, aren't good enough to be hanging with the two best teams in the country, which Ohio State and Michigan are.

Indiana and Northwestern could surprise either team next week, but I think what happened today keeps that from happening.

One more game until it's Michigan week!

 

[Deety]

W

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ToledoBlade

Illini give Buckeyes scare
Ohio State recovers onside kick to secure victory

By MATT MARKEY
BLADE SPORTS WRITER


CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Ohio State's season-long reign as No. 1 had its shakiest moment - not in Texas or Iowa - but in the strangest place, here in the heart of the Land of Lincoln.

In a series of routs, runaways, and one-sided affairs through their first nine games, the Buckeyes never had to walk through fire, tiptoe along the edge of a cliff, or test shark-filled waters.

This king had never faced a coup - but now it has.

Ohio State had lowly Illinois playing well in the role of giant killer last night, but time ran out before the Illini could go for the throat, and the Buckeyes escaped with a 17-10 Big Ten win.

"We got through this game," Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith said. "And sometimes that's all you can do. A win is a win, no matter how you cut it, whether you score 50 points or 17, it doesn't matter. Playing here in their environment, on their stage - that's tough. We survived, and we won, and some days that's enough."

Ohio State led 17-0 at the half, but the Buckeyes' offense frequently found its feet stuck in cement in the second half, while Illinois slowly picked its way back. When Ohio State (10-0) drove to the Illinois 35 midway through the third period but came up empty, the emotional edge started to swing.

"I thought we had the tempo pretty much in hand, but when we didn't finish that series in the third quarter, we lost a little grip on the momentum of the game," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said.

While its defense held Ohio State to just 20 rushing yards in the second half, the Illini finally got some life from its offense too. A field goal with about nine minutes left in the game, and then a frantic 80-yard drive that produced a touchdown with 1:40 to play, put Illinois (2-8) within a touchdown of the nation's top-ranked team.

"This was pretty much their last shot at doing something big with their season," Smith said. "They never quit playing hard."

Illinois surprised no one by trying an onside kick following its touchdown, but Brian Robiskie recovered for the Buckeyes at the Illinois 47. After three rushes gained nothing and a penalty pushed OSU back, the Buckeyes took a delay of game penalty before punting the ball away.

A.J. Trapasso's kick was downed at the two with only four seconds left, and Illinois' failed desperation, rugby-style lateral play ended the game.

Senior defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock said the Buckeyes probably benefited more from the close call than they would have from another rout.

"We feel like we did need a game sometime to test us," Pitcock said. "We really hadn't battled all four quarters like that. We knew it was going to be a tough situation here, and we're glad to come out of it with a win, any way we can."

The Buckeyes seemed to take the buzz out of the Illinois crowd by going the distance on their first possession of the game with nothing fancy, just the power running of Antonio Pittman, a few short pass plays from Smith, then a fourth-down burst by freshman Chris Wells for the touchdown.

The best play in the drive had Smith faking the run out of the shotgun, drawing the defensive backs up, then stepping forward to hit a streaking Robiskie for a 17-yard gain to the 11. Smith's eight-yard run on a draw play set up the score and a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Ohio State's defense set up the next OSU score, as a hit by Lawrence Wilson caused an Illinois fumble, and Curtis Terry recovered for the Buckeyes at the Illini 38. After Smith rifled a bullet to Robiskie for another 17-yard gain to the nine, Pittman scored three plays later from the one for a 14-0 edge early in the second period.

Ohio State squandered an opportunity halfway through the second quarter when freshman Chris Wells fumbled without being hit on a carry from the Illinois 37, and the Illini recovered the ball.

The Buckeyes made it 17-0 before the half with a 50-yard field goal from Aaron Pettrey, which came at the end of an 11-play drive. Smith's 16-yard scramble kept the drive moving, but his intentional grounding stalled the drive at the Illinois 33.

Tressel said the Illini, who came into the game as huge underdogs, just did what any Big Ten team can do.

"I don't know what being the overwhelming favorite does for us - it doesn't spot us any points or give us any first downs," Tressel said. "Everybody can get taken against the wall. You've got to go in and win every battle. We'll grow from this game."

Contact Matt Markey at: [email protected] or 419-724-6510.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Close call in a close win

Robiskie's grab of onside kick saves OSU's victory

By Marla Ridenour

Beacon Journal sportswriter

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - When an onside kick went through the hands of Ohio State senior strong safety Brandon Mitchell, his whiff could have ended the Buckeyes' national-title hopes.
Then Brian Robiskie -- perhaps saving the season -- earned a career spot on the ``hands'' team.
The sophomore receiver from Chagrin Falls recovered the kick with 1:40 remaining to help top-ranked Ohio State escape with a 17-10 victory Saturday at Illinois. The Buckeyes were 24-point favorites.
``It wasn't coming to me at first,'' Robiskie said. ``It was in my direction; my heart was pounding a little bit. Brandon, I've seen him make that catch a thousand times in practice. I'm thinking, `Catch it and get down.' I saw it go through his hands and I'm like, `All right, I've got to scramble for it.'
``It bounced off somebody to the left of me and I saw it out of the corner of my eye and reached out and grabbed it.''
On the sideline where the kick went, OSU coach Jim Tressel had to refrain from joining the scramble.
``I almost jumped out there,'' he said. ``It looked like it was available too long. (Robiskie) seemed like the umpteenth person who touched it. Thank goodness we got it.''
Illinois coach Ron Zook, a Loudonville native who started his career at Orrville High School, said he told his team Thursday it would come down to an onside kick.
``When I saw the ball in the air, I really thought we were going to get it,'' Zook said. ``But it wasn't meant to be.''
Illinois got another last-gasp chance. With 18 seconds remaining, A.J. Trapasso punted 55 yards and OSU redshirt freshman Andre Amos raked it back at the 2, as the Buckeyes downed it with four seconds to go.
Illini freshman quarterback Isiah ``Juice'' Williams passed to Derrick McPhearson for 9 yards, but two laterals reached only the Illinois 19 before McPherson was ruled out of bounds as time expired.
Memorial Stadium, where the Buckeyes' 2002 national champions escaped in overtime, was nearly a house of horrors, as the Buckeyes (10-0, 6-0) were shut out in the second half by the relentless defense of the Illini (2-8, 1-5). Ohio State managed 29 yards on 30 plays after halftime and finished with a season-low 224 net yards.
OSU junior tailback Antonio Pittman carried a career-high 32 times for 58 yards (a 1.8 yards per carry average) and a touchdown, a 1-yarder that gave OSU a 14-0 lead with 12:39 left in the second quarter.
Aaron Pettrey contributed a 50-yard field goal with 56 seconds left before the half.
``I don't know where they rank, but they should be up there,'' OSU junior receiver Ted Ginn Jr. said. ``They are going to be a great team.''
Before Saturday, the Buckeyes' smallest victory margin had been 17 points at No. 2 Texas. They had totaled 199 points in the previous five games.
``It wouldn't be a good season without a test like that,'' Pittman said. ``That was a test we've been expecting for weeks. Iowa (a 38-17 victim) was supposed to give us a test. This is the Big Ten Conference and any team can be beat.''
The Buckeyes' mantra afterward was essentially, ``We needed that.''
``I think it helps us out. We come off cloud nine and we're back to reality. We can be beat,'' sophomore cornerback Malcolm Jenkins said.
``Guys were getting spoiled, beating up these teams,'' fifth-year senior Jay Richardson said. ``I told the younger guys, `This is what you guys needed.' This will be a big win for us.''
As Tressel observed: ``Every time you're tested and every time you're bruised and battered, it's always good for you. In life or in football you learn more in your suffering than you do in your wonderful moments.''
OSU quarterback Troy Smith threw for a season-low 108 yards and went without a touchdown pass for the first time in 12 games. He rushed 11 times for 37 yards and withstood three sacks.
``A win is a win, any which way you look at it,'' Smith said. ``Whether you score 50 points or 17, not the the way you want to. Who cares? We won today and will continue to grow.''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Ohio State notebook

Untouched Wells loses another fumble

Freshman jeopardizes chance of playing in big game against Michigan

By Marla Ridenour

Beacon Journal sportswriter

CHAMPAIGN, ILL. - Chris ``Beanie'' Wells prompted a collective groan across Buckeye Nation on Saturday.
Ohio State's freshman tailback from Garfield High School compromised his chance of playing against Michigan when he lost his fourth fumble of the season in a 17-10 victory over Illinois. Wells has lost three fumbles in the past four games.
This was the worst gaffe of the season for the Parade All-American, who was untouched when he dropped the ball. It slipped out at the Illinois 34 with 8:04 left in the second quarter, and he sat out the rest of the game.
``I think he went to squeeze it and it popped right out,'' junior tailback Antonio Pittman from Buchtel High School said.
``He's a freshman. He has a long way to go,'' Pittman said. ``When I first got here, I had a hard time holding onto the ball. As time goes, he has to learn to put it behind him, quit dwelling on it and worrying about it.
``He's down on himself because you don't want to fumble, especially with his circumstances. He already fumbled a couple times this year. That can bring you down a little bit.''
As has been the case on Wells' other three fumbles (against Northern Illinois, Michigan State and Minnesota), the defense came to Wells' rescue. An opponent has not scored a point off top-ranked OSU's 11 turnovers.
``He's a great running back and we stayed behind him,'' sophomore linebacker Marcus Freeman said. ``He'll keep working on it.''
Usually the Buckeyes' short-yardage back, Wells had ripped off a 13-yard run earlier in the series and gave the ball away on a first-and-10. He scored his fifth touchdown on a 2-yard run on OSU's first drive.
On Tuesday, OSU coach Jim Tressel said he still would play Wells in the Nov. 18 showdown against No. 2 Michigan despite his fumbles. He didn't indicate Saturday that he had changed his mind.
``I don't know exactly what happened. It looked like he made a nice cut and was going to gain a bunch of yards,'' Tressel said. ``No one was more disappointed than him. The guys were consoling him and working with him. I've said it before, we're going to need Beanie to become the best team we're capable of becoming. I like Antonio Pittman with his hands on the ball, especially when you're fighting in a tough battle, and we decided to go that way.''
Pittman also fumbled with 6:21 to play, but left guard Steve Rehring fell on it for a first down.
Wilson makes impact
Sophomore defensive end Lawrence Wilson of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School forced his second fumble of the season with 1:58 left in the first quarter and OSU turned it into a touchdown.
Illinois quarterback Isiah ``Juice'' Williams completed a screen pass to receiver Derrick McPhearson, but Wilson stripped the ball and linebacker Curtis Terry recovered at the Illini 38.
Wilson also finished with five tackles (three solos), 1 ? tackles for losses and a quarterback hurry.
Buckeyes
Sophomore left tackle Alex Boone (knee procedure) did not play and was replaced by senior Tim Schafer.... Defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock (concussion) did not start, but came in on OSU's second series and rotated throughout the game.... With a 50-yard field goal against the Illini, Aaron Pettrey improved to 2-of-3 in his career from 50-plus.... Sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis made his fifth interception with 4:50 remaining as OSU ran its season total to 19 interceptions.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

MorningJournal

Bucks pass pop quiz OHIO STATE: 17-10 victory closest they've been tested this season

JASON LLOYD, Morning Journal Writer

11/05/2006

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- In a brief moment of foreshadowing last week, T.J. Downing was discussing how impressive Ohio State has looked thus far and the fact the Buckeyes hadn't really been tested yet.


''Maybe that's a bad thing,'' he said.

He can stop wondering when that test will come, or how his teammates will respond. Illinois pushed the No. 1 team in the country yesterday -- hard. But the Illini's furious rally in the fourth quarter simply ran out of time and Ohio State held on, 17-10 for the closest win of the year against an opponent that is now 2-8.

''It's a good thing for us,'' cornerback Malcolm Jenkins said. ''It's humbling. Now we can come off Cloud 9 and come back to reality. We know we can be beat.''

None of the players admitted feeling invincible heading into the day, but quarterback Troy Smith hadn't taken every snap in a game since Sept. 30 at Iowa and the Buckeyes had gone over 160 minutes since the defense last allowed a point. Given that and the fact the combined scores over the last two weeks was 88-3, it's hard not to feel overconfident against just about anyone.

But that all changed in the fourth quarter, when their 17-0 lead was cut to a touchdown in just over seven minutes. By the end, an onside kick was sailing through the hands of Brandon Mitchell and Ohio State's perfect season wasn't rescued until Brian Robiskie fell on it amid a pile of white and blue jerseys.

''I almost jumped out there. It looked like it was available too long,'' coach Jim Tressel said. ''It seemed to me he was the umpteenth person to touch it. But that's onside kicks and that's life and thank goodness we got it.''

The fact the game could come down to an onside kick at the end seemed unlikely even midway through the fourth quarter, when Tressel admitted he had already felt the momentum shifting and the Buckeyes were leading, 17-0 on the strength of early rushing touchdowns from Chris Wells and Antonio Pittman.

But the Buckeyes' offense had long since shut down, generating just 29 yards of offense in the second half after scoring two touchdowns within the game's first 18 minutes. Troy Smith was under more pressure than at any other time this year, getting sacked three times and fumbling once, while getting belted on a number of running plays.

''Toughness is one key to anyone becoming great,'' Smith said. ''There were times when I really had to dig down deep and understand that this is where I want to be, this is going to be the situation I'm going to be in and I'm going to have to take some of these hits to continue to play in the game.''

The Illini's defense, which already held Penn State to 40 yards rushing, held Smith to nine yards passing in the second half (a season-low 108 for the game). Part of that was Tressel reverting to his old nature of sitting on a lead on the road in the second half, but most of it was attributed to relentless Illini pressure -- linebacker J Leman had 19 tackles (3 ? for a loss), a forced fumble and a sack.

''I think people realize our program is getting to the point where it's supposed to be,'' Illinois coach Ron Zook said. ''A lot of times when things go bad you can fold your tent, but these guys are fairly confident in being able to say ?We're not going to fold our tent anymore.' These guys are going to come to play.''

Trailing 17-3 in the fourth, the Illini seemed ready to pack up when James Laurinaitis intercepted Tim Brasic with five minutes left in the fourth quarter. Brasic had replaced freshman Juice Williams, who later returned, and the interception came on the first play after Smith threw just his third interception of the year.

It would have destroyed the momentum from most teams, but the Illini never quit. The defense forced a three-and-out, surrendering just three yards to Ohio State, and got the ball back on the 20 with 3:43 to play.

After a big third-and-10 conversion and a hook-and-ladder that went for 15 yards, Rashard Mendenhall scored Illinois' only touchdown with 1:40 left, cutting the deficit to 17-10 and setting up Robiskie's wild onside kick recovery.

The Buckeyes are 10-0, carry a 17-game winning streak and a No. 1 ranking. But as the finish line to this season appears in the distance, everyone knows it wasn't so easy.

''Today's performance, offensively and defensively, was one where we have to work on things, but we got through the game,'' Smith said. ''A win is a win, any which way you look at it. Whether you score 50 points or 17 ... who cares? We won today and will continue to grow.''

[email protected]

 

[Steve19]

I want to raise a few points that were not raised in this thread that may have contributed to the conservative play calling, in addition to the reasons that already have been noted.

Much of our game plan against TSUN hinges on the ability of our wide receivers to break the big play. Gonzo is coming off a mild concussion. Ginn has a bit of a nick. Small was out. Mo Wells is recovering from that shoulder stinger. Boone was out.

It was cold and very humid and there looked to be a LOT of off-the-ball crap going on. Circumstances in which injuries are more likely.

The last thing we need is to lose Ginn or Gonzo to be injured trying to run up the score in these circumstances.

We also needed our guys to put up their hands and execute. Let's be very frank. They didn't and many of them probably overlooked Illinois a bit, just like the TSUN guys have admitted that they overlooked Ball State. They won't overlook Northwestern.

Yesterday took the edge off of that TSUN focus. Cooper lost every year against TSUN because he won by wide margins and then, when we fell behind, his teams did not believe that they could win. After all, they had killed everyone they played.

Look for a close game against Northwestern. Look for Ohio State to try to establish the run. Look for conservative play that doesn't put our speed players at too much risk. We need a healthy team to enter the Shoe for their last game of the season at home.

 

[coastalbuck]

Well, its Sunday morning and its still a W so things are good! Except for my Pickem picks, they sucked...