Rose Bowl: USC 49, Illinois 17 (final)

[muffler dragon]

they played like they were completely overwhelmed which is what they were.

Which is a poor presentation. I expected better. grad has stated (more eloquently and succinctly) how I viewed the game yesterday.

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.

Yesterday was no bigger than the environment in the 'Shoe, IMO.

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 understand all the nuances of the OSU-ILL game. I just had expected better of Illinois.

I was hoping they would be competitive but knowing how USC finished up their season it turned out pretty much like I expected.

So, essentially, you expected differently than me. And that's what this boils down to.

I did not hear his explaination but frankly I found this matchup not good.

Well, there were four key points which included: 1) tradition (which is contractual) 2) sponsorships (which played a key role, and supported Illinois more than any other team) 3) TV markets (LA and Chicago) and 4) The Rose Bowl could not pick any of the top 5 BCS teams.

Georgia vs USC would have been better.

Which is irrelevant according to point #4 above.

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.

USC beat TWO teams with winning records this year in the regular season: TWO. While they played poorly, because of injuries, I am of the opinion that USC plays hard only when they want to. Yesterday happened to be a day when they felt like giving a shit. Many other times this year, they didn't. To me, that smacks of a "deserving" attitude. FTR, Illinois had more victories over teams with winning records than USC did.

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.

And, IMO, expecting to get the waxed is under-appreciating their effort during the regular season. But yet, I hadn't called you out on it.

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.

Then I guess they shouldn't have even had the game yesterday.

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 feel they embarrassed the Big 10. It's one thing to lose, but it's another to look like shit doing it. The lack of passion is what pisses me off; not the loss. And when a team from the Big 10 plays without passion on a national stage; then that equates to embarrassment. I'm not judging them on a singular basis. I'm consistent with this. I don't feel that Wiscy nor MSU embarrassed the Big Ten with their losses. Yes, there were bone-headed plays, but nothing embarrassing. Illinois' lack of effort is what was embarrassing.

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.

And I'm not. So what?

 

[BuckeyeTillIDie]

did Illinois just run a worthless swing pass again?

:p

 

[osugrad21]

When scUM gets to the Rose Bowl you expect them to do well. Well ILL got there we hoped they would do well.

That is valid..but if Illinois is the up and coming program they claim, they would have done...well, better.

I would have loved to have USC vs. UGA or Oklahoma with Missouri playing the other.

 

[Lockup]

And I'm not. So what?

If you don't want to cut them some slack that is your choice. I personally don't see laying into them like they are scUM, OSU, PSU or Wisky. They are up and coming, maybe. 1 year proves nothing. I am not trying to take anything away from what they did this year but I want to see it happen more than once to be really impressed.

 

[Lockup]

That is valid..but if Illinois is the up and coming program they claim, they would have done...well, better.

I would have loved to have USC vs. UGA or Oklahoma with Missouri playing the other.

well I agree but like I said in the other post 1 year means nothing to me. Do it again then we will talk. If ILL has a season next year like they did this year and goes into a bowl and gets beat like that I would be all over them too.

I don't think the coaches helped Juice much either with the horrible play calling. So to me it is not all on the players.

 

[muffler dragon]

If you don't want to cut them some slack that is your choice.

I know this.

I personally don't see laying into them like they are scUM, OSU, PSU or Wisky.

OMG. I have written that they played with little-to-no passion, and that they appeared to not appreciate the gift they were given. I'm not laying into them. If you didn't attempt to wear the mantle of protector, then you might read exactly what I'm writing instead of projecting upon me.

They are up and coming, maybe. 1 year proves nothing. I am not trying to take anything away from what they did this year but I want to see it happen more than once to be really impressed.

And this has absolutely nothing to do with anything I've written.

 

[OCBucksFan]

There's a lot of things to consider here. First off, I think everyone knew the Illini were over-matched, sure they got up for tOSU, but there's a lot less to that for a conference opponent regardless of their ranking. You play those guys every year, you get more exposure to them and as silly as this sounds it's just a conference game, you're going to win one sooner or later.

The Rose Bowl, whether any USC fan wants to admit it, is pretty much a home game for them. They sleep in their own beds, they are on their time zone, they play there much more frequently than anyone from the Big10 will, and their fans aren't even impressed when they get there any longer.

Now, the excuses are put to the side, they actually have very little to do with the outcome yesterday.

Play calling? What the hell, someone needs to tell Zook that if you just run the ball that you're going to be punting a lot. What the hell was up with waiting til the end of the first half to start throwing the ball around. Also, if you have an option quarterback, why was it just hand it to the RB every time? USC just sat there and waited for the hand off.

How about someone teach the Illini how to hold onto the friggin' ball? Every time Illinois got a decent drive going they turned the ball over, it was stupid, they had the ball ripped out and poked out, sorry, that's on the players. Actually hold the thing securely and that game becomes a very different game.

And how about not giving up? Seemed that after that turnover in the redzone they just gave up, after that they just seemed to slow down and let USC have their way with them.

Overall, Illinois had no place being in that game, Zook went in un-prepared and it felt like the Illini were happier to be in California for New Years rather than being in the Rose Bowl to play a football game. They are a greatly improved team, and sure, they are our one loss, but nothing I saw yesterday on the field made me think they Illinois is any different than what they have been over the past 5 years, a team that goes in and hopes to win, not prepares and expects to win.

 

[buckeyesin07]

Who cares if it was tied at halftime it was 3-3. scUM got absolutly run over in the second half.

The last time I checked, giving up 28 points and 436 yards in the second half, like Illinois did last night, constitutes getting absolutely run over in the second half.

 

[Lockup]

The last time I checked, giving up 28 points and 436 yards in the second half, like Illinois did last night, constitutes getting absolutely run over in the second half.

I didn't say ILL didn't get run over. But it was ILL a team who has not won more than three games a year in the past 5 or 6 years.

Now last year scUM got 29 hung on them in the 2nd quarter and have a long history of winning not to mention they were the #3 ranked team in the country. I am thinking that looks worse.

 

[MD Buckeye]

Here we go again......

PASADENA, Calif. - For the USC Trojans, this Rose Bowl wasn't just about winning.
It was about attracting attention ? with prolific offense, dominating defense and ridiculous celebrations ? actions that would send a message to the college football world.
The best-laid plans of the Bowl Championship Series and decorum be damned, the Trojans screamed. Showtime was back in L.A., and any talk about the national championship shouldn't be centered solely on Ohio State and LSU............

Rivals.com College Football - USC makes its case with rout of Illinois in Rose

 

[muffler dragon]

At least, the author was struck by logic at the end:

That still won't be enough.
Why? USC would have two losses to Ohio State's one. Say what you will about the Buckeyes' creampuff scheduling (Youngstown State, Akron and Kent State) and the crummy Big Ten.
It doesn't offset the Trojans' Cardinal sin. National champions do not lose to 41-point underdogs. At home. Against a backup quarterback making his first start.
Even the raucous events at the Rose Bowl can't change that.

Stanford.
At the Coliseum.
41-point underdog.

End of story.

 

[NFBuck]

CREAMPUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!11!!!!!!!!LOL!!!!!11!!

 

[MD Buckeye]

I thought the AP and networks were slowly making the swing from USC's nuts to LSU's, but apparently I'm wrong

 

[Lockup]

Congrats USC and methomps on a dominating performance.

To the Illini:

Next time you're given a gift, act like you freaking appreciate it. Ingrates.

OMG. I have written that they played with little-to-no passion, and that they appeared to not appreciate the gift they were given. I'm not laying into them. If you didn't attempt to wear the mantle of protector, then you might read exactly what I'm writing instead of projecting upon me.

The first quote is what I first talked about and I said more than once and I said I thought it was a bit harsh considering. That is what I was talking about nothing else you really said and even though I quoted you, you are not the only OSU fan I have seen or heard ripping on them. So I stated I did not understand why OSU fans were taking that kind of attitude towards ILL.

Some people seem to forget that we are talking about freaking ILL. A team who for the last 6 years minus this year has probably lost more games than we won. They are not used to playing on that level. They are not and have not been a power house in the Big Ten for a long time if ever. They had one good year that was it. With pretty much the same team that went 2-10 last year.

 

[muffler dragon]

The first quote is what I first talked about and I said more than once and I said I thought it was a bit harsh considering. That is what I was talking about nothing else you really said and even though I quoted you, you are not the only OSU fan I have seen or heard ripping on them. So I stated I did not understand why OSU fans were taking that kind of attitude towards ILL.

Some people seem to forget that we are talking about freaking ILL. A team who for the last 6 years minus this year has probably lost more games than we won. They are not used to playing on that level. They are not and have not been a power house in the Big Ten for a long time if ever. They had one good year that was it. With pretty much the same team that went 2-10 last year.

I don't give a shit. I am disappointed with the passion-less presentation by the Illini team, and nothing you write is going to change that. Drop it.