Illini vs #1 OSU
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Illini vs #1 OSU
Finally get a TD with 10 min. left in 3rd quarter, now trail 20-10. Could be close if Illini had not had critical turnovers and if refs would not allow Ohio State secondary to constantly get by with pass interference. Illinois has also committed some bad penalties.
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Re: Illini vs #1 OSU
interesting how osu defensive backs always have their hands on the receiver when the ball is in the air...
Re: Illini vs #1 OSU
Not the reason the Illini lost, but there could have been many more pass interference calls on OSU, they were obvious.Clubmaker2 wrote: ↑11 Oct 2025 14:22 pm interesting how osu defensive backs always have their hands on the receiver when the ball is in the air...
Re: Illini vs #1 OSU
The constant pass interference was frustrating, but it was the mistakes that were more frustrating.
I'm so happy that BB has revived the football program back into something at least watchable. It wasn't that long ago that Lovie Smith was sending the FG unit out in the 4th qtr to make the score 40-3 week after week. I freely admit there were a number of years that I really didn't watch football games between a pre-conference cupcake and the Northwestern end of season game.
So, I remind myself to appreciate the difference. I actually planned this whole weekend around 11-2:30 on Sat. And it was a glorious weather weekend too. I wouldn't have done that even 5 years ago.
With that appreciation in mind, I will nitpick and ponder these things:
- the special teams coach has some coaching to do...I know we have a punt return TD and our FG kicker is really good, and I also know that the regular punt snapper was out, but come on...over 100 guys on the roster and only 1 guy can snap to the punter? That was a brutal mistake at a critical point in the game. The defense had been doing its job, forcing 2 figgies even after a turnover and a couple very short fields. But then with 5 mins to go in the half, only down 13 and getting the ball first in the 2nd....you make that mistake and give them another short field...arrghhh....super frustrating.
- at what point do programs gain the ability to recruit / portal offensive linemen who are good? I get that OSU skill players are better than our skill players, but not by much. Seriously. not by much. But what I see year in and year out is that the really good teams in the league simply have a MUCH better O line. Even if you take out the sacks, we're still only avging a little over 3 yards per carry. with the RBs we have, we should be WAY higher than that. And whoever told Kreutz that he could be a Big Ten center was blowing smoke up his skirt. He gets manhandled constantly.
- I get the "play zone and don't give up big plays" strategy of the defensive coaches when you aren't confident in the coverage ability of the corners, but the defense needs to make some big plays each game too. I also notice the other teams always seem to have 2 or 3 designed blitzes against us to make big plays. Sayin won't even need to wash his uni after that game, I don't remember him hitting the dirt even once the whole game.
- we have seen Lunney make adjustments in games this year and get the offense going when the opponent has game-planned to disrupt what we do best, so kudos to that aspect. I wish Brad Underwood was as good at making adjustments (separate thread). But it would be nice if we didn't always have to make adjustments...what I mean is, can we design a game plan that assumes the other team has watched tape and will take away what we do best? Maybe I'm nitpicking and just not able to express it correctly...I just think we should've assumed with OSU's big, physical, NFL-talent DBs we were not going to be able to throw quick slants to slot WRs like we like to do. Game-plan for that in advance. We saw the adjustment...again. We started running off the man coverage on the outside and throwing the vacated underneath patterns. Our leading receiver was actually a TE. What if we had done that to start and had scoring drives early in the first half?
I dunno, maybe I'm just a grouchy old man. Back to work.
I'm so happy that BB has revived the football program back into something at least watchable. It wasn't that long ago that Lovie Smith was sending the FG unit out in the 4th qtr to make the score 40-3 week after week. I freely admit there were a number of years that I really didn't watch football games between a pre-conference cupcake and the Northwestern end of season game.
So, I remind myself to appreciate the difference. I actually planned this whole weekend around 11-2:30 on Sat. And it was a glorious weather weekend too. I wouldn't have done that even 5 years ago.
With that appreciation in mind, I will nitpick and ponder these things:
- the special teams coach has some coaching to do...I know we have a punt return TD and our FG kicker is really good, and I also know that the regular punt snapper was out, but come on...over 100 guys on the roster and only 1 guy can snap to the punter? That was a brutal mistake at a critical point in the game. The defense had been doing its job, forcing 2 figgies even after a turnover and a couple very short fields. But then with 5 mins to go in the half, only down 13 and getting the ball first in the 2nd....you make that mistake and give them another short field...arrghhh....super frustrating.
- at what point do programs gain the ability to recruit / portal offensive linemen who are good? I get that OSU skill players are better than our skill players, but not by much. Seriously. not by much. But what I see year in and year out is that the really good teams in the league simply have a MUCH better O line. Even if you take out the sacks, we're still only avging a little over 3 yards per carry. with the RBs we have, we should be WAY higher than that. And whoever told Kreutz that he could be a Big Ten center was blowing smoke up his skirt. He gets manhandled constantly.
- I get the "play zone and don't give up big plays" strategy of the defensive coaches when you aren't confident in the coverage ability of the corners, but the defense needs to make some big plays each game too. I also notice the other teams always seem to have 2 or 3 designed blitzes against us to make big plays. Sayin won't even need to wash his uni after that game, I don't remember him hitting the dirt even once the whole game.
- we have seen Lunney make adjustments in games this year and get the offense going when the opponent has game-planned to disrupt what we do best, so kudos to that aspect. I wish Brad Underwood was as good at making adjustments (separate thread). But it would be nice if we didn't always have to make adjustments...what I mean is, can we design a game plan that assumes the other team has watched tape and will take away what we do best? Maybe I'm nitpicking and just not able to express it correctly...I just think we should've assumed with OSU's big, physical, NFL-talent DBs we were not going to be able to throw quick slants to slot WRs like we like to do. Game-plan for that in advance. We saw the adjustment...again. We started running off the man coverage on the outside and throwing the vacated underneath patterns. Our leading receiver was actually a TE. What if we had done that to start and had scoring drives early in the first half?
I dunno, maybe I'm just a grouchy old man. Back to work.
Re: Illini vs #1 OSU
Well, we did about everything we could to lose that game, and it was still a game in the 3rd quarter. Just some enormous shots to the foot with the turnovers, the punter kneel and not getting a TD to close out the half.
Defense actually stepped up pretty well considering the field position OSU was given all day.
OSU is a more talented team than us, but it could've been closer if we didn't kill ourselves. The refs didn't cost us the game, but they sure as hell didn't help. Just call a couple of those DPI's and maybe things change a little for us.
Now go and win out, and you've got a chance to make the playoff. At Washington is gonna be a heck of a test.
Defense actually stepped up pretty well considering the field position OSU was given all day.
OSU is a more talented team than us, but it could've been closer if we didn't kill ourselves. The refs didn't cost us the game, but they sure as hell didn't help. Just call a couple of those DPI's and maybe things change a little for us.
Now go and win out, and you've got a chance to make the playoff. At Washington is gonna be a heck of a test.