Rose Bowl: USC 49, Illinois 17 (final)

[mooktarr]

They were doing very well until willis fumbled into the end zone, IMO he lost the game for the Illini.

 

[bkochmc]

I honestly thought Illinois would win. It's crazy to say this with the way the score was, but I wasn't really impressed by USC. Illinois moved the ball against them well, at times, but, like other big 10 teams this bowl season, was gashed by turnovers. They had some bad bounces going against them, also.

I understand Illinois shot themselves in the foot a few times but out of curiosity... what does a team have to do to impress you? I thought USC looked very good (but not worthy of OMG BEST TEAM EVAR!!!1!! talk).

 

[GoodLifeSean]

All I know is that USC is becoming the new Miami with thier attitude. It's fine and dandy if you want to stomp a team into the ground, but there is never a reason for three unsportsmanlike penalties, That was the downfall of Miami and if Petey doesn't watch the cocky attitudes, and arrogance and could be his downfall as well.

 

[OregonBuckeye]

USC's offense looked sharp and efficient. Kind of reminded me of our Penn St. game this year.

 

[graveyard.roses]

I understand Illinois shot themselves in the foot a few times but out of curiosity... what does a team have to do to impress you? I thought USC looked very good (but not worthy of OMG BEST TEAM EVAR!!!1!! talk).

Watching the game, it seemed to me that if both teams had 0 turnovers that Illinois would have hung with them or beaten them. There was also the strange, backward pass play. USC did force some of those turnovers, though.

 

[Lockup]

Because they played with no passion. Juice looked like a two-year-old trying to make a tower out of Playdoh. The come to the 'Shoe with over 100,000 people and they're able to handle the pressure against the #1 team in the land, but they laid an egg yesterday. I expected better; hence, my being "all over" them.

they played like they were completely overwhelmed which is what they were. Juice is pretty young and not a veteran QB yet so I can imgine playing on a big Stage like that got to him a bit.

Yes they played a suprisely good game against us but they did last year too. To be realistic too it wasn't just them playing a good game against us it was our D completely forgeting how to stop the rush in the 4th quater too.

I should note that I wasn't even so much EXPECTING a win, but instead, a competitive game. Illinois put up 445 yards on the SC defense, but they did little with that yardage due to mistakes, poor play-calling amongst other things. They should have presented better than they did.

Yeah I was a little confused about that too. How do you put up 445 yards and come away with so little. Anyway you were expecting more than I was. I was hoping they would be competitive but knowing how USC finished up their season it turned out pretty much like I expected.

Why not? They were playing their best ball at the end of the year like so many other teams. Furthermore, after listening to the director of the Rose Bowl explain the decision, I find no fault in his reasoning.

I did not hear his explaination but frankly I found this matchup not good. Georgia vs USC would have been better. While ILL was playing good ball at the end of the year so was USC. Besides us look who ILL beat and compare that to who USC was beating. UCS playing their best ball against ILL playing thier best and ILL still gets beat. They are just not ready to hang with teams like that yet.

Why not (again)? We as fans called out our own team for laying a turd last year.

Personally, I don't understand your beef with me having a beef. I'm disgusted with the way the Illini played yesterday. I'm disgusted with the poor play calling by Bielema in the waning minutes of the Tenn/Wiscy game. I'm happy for the scUMmers in their win. I root for the Big 10 every bowl season. That's my prerogative.

I don't really have a beef with you one way or the other. However calling ILL out for not playing a good game and saying they were handed a gift and calling them ingrates seems to be a little over the top.

Fact is they were out of their league in that game. They had a nice season but considering they were 2-10 last year I think them playing well against one of the better teams in the country is asking a bit much. Yeah they did it against us but how many more times could they do it.

Your comments sounded like ILL just embarrased the whole Big Ten. Well they didn't. scUM losing to Appy State and OSU and scUM getting blasted last year embarrased the Big Ten. ILL just proved they weren't quite ready for the big time yet. Hard to blame them to much for that. Give them another year or two and I think they would handle it better.

I certainly would have liked to see them play better but it didn't work out that way. I am willing to cut them a bit of slack though considering they are not used to playing at that level like we are.

 

[ysubuck]

Game should have been way closer than it was. That fumble into the end zone in the 3rd quarter closed the door on the Illini. They gave up after that.

But yeah, we are going to hear how USC is the best team in the nation right now because they beat the shit out of...gasp...Illinois.

This USC team gave up 31 to Nebraska. Barely beat Washington. Barely beat Cal. Yep, they also lost to Stanford (at home) and their back up QB. "Oh they were injured" cries the media. "Look at what a healthy USC does to teams!" Congrats on beating up on Illinois, a team that was just happy to be there. Yes Ohio State lost to Illinois by a touchdown. They played the perfect game that day and deserved it, but it makes me sick to see (once again) the national media crowning an undeserving USC team as the people's champion once again.

"Oh I wish we could keep playing" says Pete Carroll. Hey Pete, don't lose to Stanford and you don't have to worry about it. Illinois would beat Stanford by 3 touchdowns and that's being kind.

 

[osugrad21]

That game was over at the coin toss...

The Illini players, fans, and head coach looked like tourists who were more interested in finding photo ops to prove they were really at The Rose Bowl than winning the ballgame with the grit and grinding that got them there.

By the time the Illini woke up, they were down multiple scores, by the time they made an adjustment, USC was already planning two moves ahead...Zook said numerous times that they did not play up to their potential.

I agree 100%.

Juice looked nervous...multiple bad reads on the option and zone read, made himself one dimensional by refusing to scramble/take off, and just playing dull, normal football without that edge that earned him the damn nickname.

Where was J Leman? Well, USC did exactly what PSU did to Laurinaitis...take him out and make someone else make the play. Unfortunately for Illinois...nobody else made those plays.

They looked scared, nervous, pressured...and most of all, they quit one one another.

The lowest point of the night was when Benn caught the slant and outran the USC defense...then ruined the play by talking smack to the band...yes the freaking band.

I'm just glad the USC drumline didn't whip the Illni ass also.

 

[buckeyesin07]

Your comments sounded like ILL just embarrased the whole Big Ten. Well they didn't. scUM losing to Appy State and OSU and scUM getting blasted last year embarrased the Big Ten.

I disagree. Illinois made the Big Ten look worse yesterday than UM's loss to USC in the Rose Bowl last year. At least that game was tied at the half. Illinois was down 21-0 before they even knew what hit them.

 

[buckeyesin07]

Where was J Leman? Well, USC did exactly what PSU did to Laurinaitis...take hiim out and make someone else make the play. Unfortunately for Illinois...nobody else made those plays.

This is a good observation. I wonder why OSU didn't try to do the same thing. Lehman was all over the field in Columbus.

 

[Lockup]

I disagree. Illinois made the Big Ten look worse yesterday than UM's loss to USC in the Rose Bowl last year. At least that game was tied at the half. Illinois was down 21-0 before they even knew what hit them.

Who cares if it was tied at halftime it was 3-3. scUM got absolutly run over in the second half. So your saying that the #3 team in the country whose only lose was to the #1 team in the country the game before getting blasted is not worse than the a team who was 2-10 last year getting blasted? I completely disagree with that. When scUM gets to the Rose Bowl you expect them to do well. Well ILL got there we hoped they would do well.

 

[Taosman]

USC defense was dialed in on Juice early. And Juice was the one thinkin' and not reacting. Was over early.

 

[JCOSU86]

On the bright side, perhaps this will silence all the "Zook is God" talk.

 

[Lockup]

On the bright side, perhaps this will silence all the "Zook is God" talk.

Zook did a nice job this year and earned the rewards he got. I want to see him do it again and again though. He couldn't do it at florida so I am not sure how they think he is going to do it at ILL. He may at least make the program decent though.

 

[Lockup]

This is a good observation. I wonder why OSU didn't try to do the same thing. Lehman was all over the field in Columbus.

We did in the 4th. Unfortuanlty we did it by not allowing our O on the field. took him out of the game regardless.