So being completely overwhelmed is ok and they get a pass because they're Illinois? wow that's friggin brilliant.
Look as I said what I meant by what started all of this probably did not come off the way I wanted it too. If you want to be mad at them cause they did not show up and did not play well, that is cool I am not happy about it either. Some people want to act like the sky is falling in on the Big Ten and ILL just ruined our rep for the next ten years. Persoanlly I am not that shook up about thier loss. It certainly isn't good but I choose to cut them a little slack and hope they canuse it as a learning experience. I am not giving them a pass because they are ILL. I am giving them a bit of a break because, they are a young team who went 2-10 last year and this year found themselves playing one of the top teams in the country in the Rose Bowl. If it was Indiana or NW I would cut them the same break. If you and others don't want to that is cool, you are certainly free to have your opinion just like I am mine. I will respond to a couple of things you said though.
they did embarass the Big Ten even Indiana played respectably and they are no more the powerhouse than you claim Illinois to be.
Indiana played respectably? Ok maybe they didn't play as bad as ILL but they were down by 25 at halftime and still down by 25 by the end of the third quarter against a 6-6 Ok State team. Who by the way ran up over 500 yards of O on them. Your definition of respectably and mine must be different.
obviously I can't agree with cutting them some slack, the Big Ten was representing itself nicely in a "down year" even if they weren't winning every game they were giving them selves a shot at winning in the second half atleast. that's a hell of a lot more than you can say for that putrid performance last night.
the Big Ten is in a "Down year" by whose standards? ESPN? The Big Ten is going to finish with 5 teams with 9 or more wins and possibly the NC. 10 of the 11 teams are .500 or better. the only other conference that can say they have 10 teams at .500 or better is the SEC. Most of the losses for each of the Big Teams came within the Big Ten. The Big Ten is currently 3-4 in bowl games with Wisky taking the SEC runner up right to the end and Michigan St taking a 10 win BC team right to the end both of who lost.
I already pointed out how Indiana had no shot in their game due the hole they dug even after the third quarter.
at no point in that game did I see the Illinois team man up and get a stop or make a hit to get some kind of momentum and the performance looks poorly on Ohio State because it's their only loss.
here is where I think some of the problem is. I think some people are more mad at ILL not because of what it makes them or the Big Ten look like but what it makes OSU look like. While this may or may not be true I don't care either way.
If OSU looks bad because ILL got blown out that is not ILL fault that OSU's fault for loseing to them in the first place. If OSU is going to worry about how other teams they lose to play then don't lose to them in the first place and then it will not mater what they do. you know what is going to stop what people think of OSU based on ILL'as performenace? Go out and beat LSU and nobody will care that ILL got hammered.
right, you prove your college football knowledge there Illinois is 4th all time behind tsun 42, tOSU 32 and Minnesota 16 in All Time Big Ten Titles with 13 so saying if ever just proves it. stop, think and maybe do a little research before arguing a point and having nothing substantial to back it up with except a feeling or perception.
This is your response to me saying ILL is not now or maybe has never been a Big Ten powerhouse. I admit I made the staement without doing any real research. I based on the years I have watched CFB and while I don't have the greatest memory I was pretty sure I didn't remember ILL being a huge threat in the Big Ten that often.
you went out and did some research and through out some numbers to prove me wrong. Fair enough but maybe you might want to do a little more research before questioning my knowledge.
ILL may be 4th all time. That is great!!! WOW 13 Big Ten is pretty good. Here where useing that kind of falls apart when trying to say they are some kind of powerhouse.
ILL actually has 15 Big Ten titles.
12 of those 15 are prior to 1964.
8 of the 15 are prior to 1928.
From 1983 to present they bascially won 1 title per decade skipping the 1970's.
They won those 15 titles even though they have belonged to the Big Ten for just about 100 years.
So saying they are the 4th best doesn;t sound so impressive when you consider most of their Big ten titles were in the early 1900's. So I guess technically I was wrong because they have obviously been a powerhouse in the Big Ten but not for about 80 years.
I stand by what I say that they are not a powerhouse in the Big Ten and since I like to stay a little more modern than the early 1900's I say they never have been. That enough research for you?
Illinois laid a big egg and last night's performance does even more damage because if Illinois is the Big Ten's up and coming team then they have a looong way to go compared to some other up and coming programs out there like Boise State last year Missouri this year and to a lesser extent U of Cincy. win a bowl game and make a real statement.
Well we all think ILL is an up and coming team we really don't know that yet. I have said before 1 good year proves nothing. Comparing ILL to Boise state, Mizzu and U of Cincy is a bit unfair too.
Boise state while having a great year last year and ending it with beating OK could not even win the WAC this year.
Mizzu had a good year but lost twice to the same team by 10 and 21. Yes they won their bowl but it was r-kansas not USC. ILL had a little tougher opponent.
U of Cincy played southern Miss in thier bowl. Come on, that is not exactly the same as playing USC either is it?
