Illinois Fighting Illini (you'll see)

[OrangeRoughy]

*waves at Mili*

I'm prepping my "Same Old Sorry Illinois" signature as we speak, sir. Lot's of great photos of Illinois tacklers flailing in the rain in Columbus to add to the sig. I'm really happy for you guys, and I'mma let you finish, but Illinois had one of the worst Septembers of ALL TIME!

But that's hasn't stopped me from blogging about Tressel's asshattery and these ridiculous "McGee wasn't defenseless" quotes. Dumbest statement JT has ever let his name be associated with, this.

Check it out

 

[jwinslow]

Does that seem like a smart thing to post around here, Roughy?

I don't blame you for being upset, but this is a buckeye board. Disappointing, because you've always been a good contributor around here.

 

[BayBuck]

But that's hasn't stopped me from blogging about Tressel's asshattery and these ridiculous "McGee wasn't defenseless" quotes. Dumbest statement JT has ever let his name be associated with, this.

Whiniest blog post you've ever let your name be associated with, that.

 

[OrangeRoughy]

Does that seem like a smart thing to post around here, Roughy?

I don't blame you for being upset, but this is a buckeye board. Disappointing, because you've always been a good contributor around here.

So only pro-Buckeye content is allowed? Really? Not the way I read things around here. I chose this site to post my Illini brand of crazy because it wasn't Bucknuts-y or Hineygate-y. Was I wrong?

Look, it's the dumbest statement of Tressel's career, and, combined with throwing for a TD with 1:00 left, has Illini fans across the state questioning why they were cheering so wildly for tOSU in the USC game.

Iowa? DO NEVER CHEER. Michigan? Disgusting. Ohio State? Always been classy, so we're cool. I'd say that in the Michigan/Ohio State game every year, 80% of the state of Illinois is cheering for tOSU.

But then Tressel threw for a TD (what happened to "I'm mad at Herron for scoring against Northwestern"??), and then comes out with the most obtuse statement I've ever seen: "He wasn't defenseless". Really? All kinds of dumb.

You don't see it that way? This wasn't so far out of character for JT that it left you scratching your head?

 

[jwinslow]

So only pro-Buckeye content is allowed? Really? Not the way I read things around here. I chose this site to post my Illini brand of crazy because it wasn't Bucknuts-y or Hineygate-y. Was I wrong?

No, you're allowed to disagree till the cows come home (HtM spent the entire offseason defending RR's drama), but you are required to do it respectfully. Asshattery does not meet that standard.

But then Tressel threw for a TD (what happened to "I'm mad at Herron for scoring against Northwestern"??), and then comes out with the most obtuse statement I've ever seen: "He wasn't defenseless". Really? All kinds of dumb.

OSU's offense has absolutely stunk in the redzone. Illinois fans aren't going to like it, but as you saw on the play before (when he Nick Sheridan-ed the ball to Ballard), Terrelle needs reps at executing down there.

You don't see it that way? This wasn't so far out of character for JT that it left you scratching your head?

I think it was a late hit that should have been flagged and probably earned an ejection. I don't think it was pre-meditated or intended to hurt McGee.

 

[Frohlich]

So only pro-Buckeye content is allowed? Really? Not the way I read things around here. I chose this site to post my Illini brand of crazy because it wasn't Bucknuts-y or Hineygate-y. Was I wrong?

Look, it's the dumbest statement of Tressel's career, and, combined with throwing for a TD with 1:00 left, has Illini fans across the state questioning why they were cheering so wildly for tOSU in the USC game.

Iowa? DO NEVER CHEER. Michigan? Disgusting. Ohio State? Always been classy, so we're cool. I'd say that in the Michigan/Ohio State game every year, 80% of the state of Illinois is cheering for tOSU.

But then Tressel threw for a TD (what happened to "I'm mad at Herron for scoring against Northwestern"??), and then comes out with the most obtuse statement I've ever seen: "He wasn't defenseless". Really? All kinds of dumb.

You don't see it that way? This wasn't so far out of character for JT that it left you scratching your head?

Orangeroughy, everybody has their own opinion. Mine is the combination of the hit with his apparent shit eating grin after the play did not sit well with me. I know many other OSU fans agree. Should he have been suspended..not sure I have a strong opinion. I do however feel that when a standard is established by the big 10 then every player or coach should be held to that standard. What about the Illinois player he threw a punch after he tackled pryor out of bounds and was flagged. Granted he whiffed, but he still had the intention of hitting somebody.

 

[Dryden]

Look, it's the dumbest statement of Tressel's career, and, combined with throwing for a TD with 1:00 left, has Illini fans across the state questioning why they were cheering so wildly for tOSU in the USC game.

Let me say this ... Tressel has been absolutely hammered in C-Bus the past month for not having the killer instinct; for not dropping the hammer. OSU was up 29-14 on Navy with less than 5:00 to play and let them back in it. Also, quite frankly, Pryor's management of the red zone offense really needs A LOT of work, and the conditions Saturday didn't give him many opportunities to pass. If it were 43-0 then I can concede the point, but it was 23-0.

Also, OSU fell every week in the polls, twice after wins, and once after a loss. So, to be honest, JT should get style points wherever he can get them, and 30-0 looks more convincing in the Sunday morning paper than 23-0.

Lastly, I think Illinois jumping on the 'O' in 2007 had something to do with it.

But then Tressel threw for a TD (what happened to "I'm mad at Herron for scoring against Northwestern"??), and then comes out with the most obtuse statement I've ever seen: "He wasn't defenseless". Really? All kinds of dumb.

You don't see it that way? This wasn't so far out of character for JT that it left you scratching your head?

If the referees didn't think the act was so egregious as to toss Coleman from the game, than I think it's fair to criticize whether the Conference is doing this according to their own mandate, or if they're doing this in response to Dick Rod whining about Mouton's suspension two weeks ago. The play was not over and Coleman left his feet before McGee was completely down. The whistle didn't blow for nearly a full second until after the hit. The still pictures are incriminating, sure, but at full speed players don't always think completely through.

As for your blog post wondering why Coleman, a senior safety and captain was still in the game, as JT explained yesterday, it was because OSU was already short two safeties due to injury, and at least one vet needed to stay on the field to help all the other young pups get aligned correctly once the mass substitutions started.

 

[BayBuck]

Look, it's the dumbest statement of Tressel's career, and, combined with throwing for a TD with 1:00 left, has Illini fans across the state questioning why they were cheering so wildly for tOSU in the USC game...

But then Tressel threw for a TD (what happened to "I'm mad at Herron for scoring against Northwestern"??), and then comes out with the most obtuse statement I've ever seen: "He wasn't defenseless". Really? All kinds of dumb.

You don't see it that way? This wasn't so far out of character for JT that it left you scratching your head?

This just sounds like pure sour grapes on your part, which comes through in your mis-reading of OSU's statement on the suspension. OSU (not just Tressel) did not say "He wasn't defenseless" as you "quote" -- they said "We do not agree that it was 'premeditated' or that he was 'targeting a defenseless player,'"in which they are clearly taking issue with the "premeditated" and "targeting" parts of this hyper-enforced rule. After all, nobody from OSU argued the penalty at the time, but a post-game suspension seems a bit much.

And really, complaining about a late TD pass? That just makes you sound like a baby.

 

[wadc45]

Going for the TD seems like the noble thing to do...and even Zook agreed. I would rather see a team go for the TD rather than tack on a meaningless three points in that situation. It's up to the defense to stop them.

 

[eobuck]

Throwing the ball gave Illinois a better chance at stopping the play than running it (something they could not do the entire game). Wasting the play by not trying to score would have been dumb. Kicking a FG would have looked worse than anything.

OSU probably won't be the last Ohio school that Illinois claims ran the score up on there this year.

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Going for the TD seems like the noble thing to do...and even Zook agreed. I would rather see a team go for the TD rather than tack on a meaningless three points in that situation. It's up to the defense to stop them.

Clay Nurse didn't seem to have a problem with it either. Since he's one of the few Illini defenders who showed up, I'll defer to him.

 

[Dryden]

The thing that seems confusing to me is that it would appear most Illinois fans are upset about passing for a TD there. Not the act of going for it itself, but rather that it was a designed pass play.

What was JT supposed to do, have Saine run into a pile? After Saturday it was pretty apparent that that would have gotten at least 10 yards, so the pass had a wider margin for failure.

 

[OrangeRoughy]

OSU's offense has absolutely stunk in the redzone. Illinois fans aren't going to like it, but as you saw on the play before (when he Nick Sheridan-ed the ball to Ballard), Terrelle needs reps at executing down there.

I'm OK with that. We did the same thing against Illinois State two weeks ago, running another play from the 15 instead of taking a knee. But we ran the ball. And it wasn't 4th down. My theory is that the play call was a giant eff you from JT to his USC game detractors. And to the Justin Green recruitment. And to the 2007 Illini.

Seriously - think about it. A coach who has gone on the record before about going out of his way to not run up the score throws the ball on 4th down. A coach who has gone on the record before about playing deep into his reserves in a blowout has his senior captain on the field with :37 left, delivering a blow. And a coach who has always been open and honest (at least from my view 600 miles away) makes a statement about how Eddie McGee wasn't defenseless? Not premeditated - fine, I can agree with that. Not a defenseless player? I can't remember a situation of a more defenseless player than a QB with his arms wrapped up, in a pile, with his torso sticking out. It's absolutely implausible to me that Tressel could see that replay and then defend his player.

I think it was a late hit that should have been flagged and probably earned an ejection. I don't think it was pre-meditated or intended to hurt McGee.

His grin says otherwise.

I expected Tressel to come out and say "What happened at the end of the game is inexcusable. Our player targeted the head of an opposing player, speared him, and then celebrated it. That behavior is not indicative of everything Ohio State stands for.

But he didn't. And he deserved to be called out on it. So I did, in my own little tiny corner of the internet.

Sometimes, it takes someone with an outside view to point out something I can't see. Mili calling me out on the fact that I had bought into Zook's hype, for example. That's why I visit other boards, to see the things I'm blinded to.

Which is why I linked this here.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

You really think he was trying to hurt the kid? Somebody who has never shown a side like that in his entire 3+ year career?

 

[OrangeRoughy]

The thing that seems confusing to me is that it would appear most Illinois fans are upset about passing for a TD there. Not the act of going for it itself, but rather that it was a designed pass play.

What was JT supposed to do, have Saine run into a pile? After Saturday it was pretty apparent that that would have gotten at least 10 yards, so the pass had a wider margin for failure.

Ed Cunningham is an Illinois fan?