SB Nation - Martez Wilson

The Final Word on the 2009 Fighting Illini football Season

Joe Kutsunis — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:47:49 -0000

More photos » by Seth Perlman - AP

I really did not want to write this post. This season was so bad that we have known for many weeks that there would be very little positive that could be taken from it. It was a season that will be defined by let downs, unmet expectations and uncertainty.

Like I did at the end of last year's basketball season, I have assess to what expectations I wish to hold this team. At the beginning of the season, after reading my Phil Steele and feeling about as confident as I ever have about this team, I said that this season would probably be an 8-4 year, with losses to Penn State, Ohio State, Cincinnati and one team we should not lose to. That's a bowl, a solid season and in a situation that gives you a good feeling about the future.

Phil Steele said we would finish 3rd in the conference, and that there was an outside chance we would go undefeated. If there is anyone more upset with Ron Zook right now than Phil Steele, I would like to meet him, because this 3-9 season has got to hurt his credibility.

You know what might be the worst thing about this year? That the defense by the final three weeks was completely unable to make a stop and the offense was putting up sick numbers on otherwise good teams. The polar opposite of the beginning of the year where the defense would hang tough for 3 quarters before folding from exhaustion at the end, and got no support from the vaunted offense.

That offense that finally got its feet under it in the second half of the year put Illini fans through some awfully difficult to watch games early in the year. It would move the ball down the field and then lose the ball in one disastrous way after another. Fumbles and penalties and interceptions, groan. The offense at times was literally tripping over its own feet and keeping itself from success. There were lots of problems from receivers like Fayson and Cumberland who disappointed in their production, to Arrelious Benn who just plain was not thrown to enough. (double standard maybe, but which of these 3 is getting first round money?) One of the weapons I was looking forward to seeing better used this year was Uh-oh who outside of a catch here or there was either not thrown to or was sidelined with injury.

The running game would eventually prove to be one of the bright spots of the team, but early on it too was inconsistent, and underused more than likely due to all of the talent we perceived ourselves to have a wide receiver. Mikel Leshoure needs to get the ball more next year than any of the other backs, I don't care what playing time has been promised to the others. He is your go-to back, no excuses.

As for Juice, I still feel bad the way his final season as an Illini ended up. When he is allowed to play his game, the game he excels at, the game that got him to the Rose Bowl, it can be plainly seen how much of a threat he can be to defenses. He is as classy as football players get, even through being pulled earlier this season and then being put back in without any fanfare. He is your all time offensive yards leader, he will go down as one of the most important players to this school, and I for one wish things would have gone better for him. Maybe I am biased, going to school at Illinois during the Rose Bowl run will probably tend to do that.

As for the defense many of the problems that plagued it at the beginning of the season still plagued it at the end, but to a greater degree. There are some spots on defense of real strength, most notably defensive tackle, but the weak points were never fully shored up. I suppose some of this can be blamed on injury the losses of Martez Wilson, Miami Thomas and intermittently Donsay Hardeman combined with youth and inexperience in other areas to create at best an inconsistent defense.

The season just never really got off to the start it was supposed to. The loss to Missouri I really think sent this team into a tailspin and had it under perform its own ability from then on. I believe to some degree it was not as good as advertised, but its talent level is not as bad as its record. Ohio State, Michigan State, and Penn State did just as some predicted and put the Illini in a hole that they were never really fully able to pull themselves out of. If the Illini take one of those three games, I don't believe they lose to either Purdue or Indiana. This team should have been at least a 6-6 team. You can blame the coaches for panicking maybe, or the players for despairing, or the AD for giving the team a schedule that seems hell bent against going to a bowl. Whatever the reason this team was not put into a position to succeed, and underperformed.

There are still some bright spots to look forward to, somewhat at least. Terry Hawthorne, whatever position he is going to play, on whatever side of the ball, is going to be one of the better players for this team. He ended up being the best defensive back after being converted to the position halfway through the season. Jacob Charest emerged as the probable starting QB for next year, with Eddie McGee moving to receiver, a position he proved better at than many established players.

For all the problems this team has had it still has talent. Right now both Jon Asamoah and Arrelious Benn are projected first round draft picks. Along with Rashard Mendenhall from two years ago and Vontae Davis last year that will make three years in a row with a first rounder. Thats not something that usually happens to consistently bad teams. But to us, it has.

I don't know what next year really holds. There are a lot of rumors of firings and transfers that will be decided in the next several week, so I could not really tell you in what direction the team will ultimately go. The two indicators we do have though are next year's schedule and recruiting, and both of those point to another losing season. See you this summer football, I hope under better circumstances.

Alright guys, don't blow it now

BoilerTMill — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:47:26 -0000

I am trying to keep the good vibes going. If anyone listened to the Boiled Sports podcast Tuesday night I made a pretty bold statement. I said that as good as the Ohio State win was, losing to Illinois would be 10 times worse. As a result, I am watching the video of the Ohio State win as I write this, hoping it carries over into the blog.

It is true though. If we can beat Ohio State, there is absolutely no reason we should lose to Illinois. You do not often get a chance to play the best team in the conference, then the worst team in the conference the very next week. I would even take it a step further. With Ohio State, we may have played the best team on our schedule last week (though Oregon may be better since they have a real offense). I think Illinois is the worst team on our schedule. They proved last week they are worse than Indiana. I think they are worse than Toledo (who beat NIU last week) and Northern Illinois. This is a team that has quit on its season already. They need to win their remaining games (one of which is against one of the nation's last unbeaten teams) just to qualify for a bowl. Unless we see some unexpected fight from the Illini Saturday, they are done.

2008 Record: 5-7, 3-5 Big Ten

2009 Record: 1-5, 0-4

Bowl result: No Bowl

Blog Representation: Hail to the Orange

Series with Purdue: Illinois leads 41-37-6 (Purdue leads The Cannon portion 29-26-2)

Last Purdue win: 11/11/2006 at Illinois 42-31

Last Illinois win: 10/12/2002 at Illinois 38-31 (OT)

This may be one of the least celebrated trophy games in the Big Ten, but it is one of the closest overall. We have had the Cannon in our possession since 2003, but the recent two-year hiatus in the series means that we only have four straight wins. Speaking as a Purdue fan, the Illinois game really doesn't feel like much of a rivalry. There has never been a ton at stake, as both teams haven't exactly torn up the Big Ten at the same time for quite awhile.

Illinois offense:

This is the main reason that any loss to the Illini would be awful. Their offense, especially if you take away the 45-17 win over Illinois State (a 1-AA team), has been abysmal. That one win represents 45 of the 99 points the team has scored through six games. Not only has Illinois managed just one first half touchdown against a 1-A foe, they have only led one game against a 1-A opponent for about five minutes. That occurred last week at Indiana when the Illini led the Hoosiers 7-3 with 5:27 left in the first half. Illinois gave up 10 points in the final minute of the half, and never threatened again.

I don't even know who we will face at quarterback. Juice Williams (80 of 143, 4 touchdowns, 4 interceptions) is the Big Ten's most experienced quarterback, but he has already been benched in favored of Eddie McGee (21 of 41, 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions). There is even talk of third string quarterback Jacob Charest, a redshirt freshman, getting some time Saturday. Charest has yet to take a snap in his collegiate career, so if he plays it will officially label Illinois as desperate. Illinois has only passed for 1,128 yards between Williams and McGee.

For a true preview of Saturday, just reverse the 9 and 4 on the jersey. The result of this play (a sack, strip, and fumble recovery for a TD) will likely be the same.

Whoever plays, they will likely become well acquainted with Ryan Kerrigan, Mike Neal, and the rest of our defensive line by the end of the day. The Illinois offensive line is among the worst in the Big Ten, giving up a league high 19 sacks. If our defensive line is not dominating and causing pressure all day something is severely wrong. This is especially true since these guys just played like warriors against Ohio State.

Illinois is not moving the ball well on the ground, either. Williams is the leading rusher with only 239 yards and one touchdown. Jason Ford (222-1), Daniel Dufrene (199-1), and Mikel Leshoure (163-2) form a running back by committee approach that is far from effective. McGee also has a pair of rushing touchdowns, so he is a threat to run if he plays. One has to remember though that the bulk of these numbers, running and passing, have been put up either against Illinois State or after the game is well decided. Illinois has not been in a game against a 1-A foe except last week against Indiana.

If they can get him the ball, there is a bit of a danger at wide receiver. Arrelious Benn was a preseason All-American, but he has only 22 catches for 271 yards and no touchdowns to lead Illinois receivers. As long as we cover him we will shut down Illinois' pathetic passing game. Jarred Fayson (11-119-1), Chris Duvalt (9-136-1), Leshoure (8-115-1), and A.J.Jenkins (7-100-1) have put up modest second half numbers, but again, this offense has literally done nothing in the first half of most games. They need to get the ball to Benn more, who is a playmaker, but they have been unable to.

Illinois defense:

This is a battered unit. They have already lost possibly their best player in Martez Wilson for the season. They may have lost their second best player, Donsay Hardeman, for his career last week. They are not getting to the quarterback with just six team sacks on the year. The offense is doing nothing to help them out, so the defense is getting worn down to the point where it is about as reliable as the Rhythm Method in preventing conception. They have also only forced seven turnovers (three interceptions, four fumbles), and three of those came against Illinois State. I kind of feel bad for them because they are undoubtedly playing hard, but they are getting zero help from their teammates.

Ian Thomas and Tavon Wilson lead the team in tackles with 43 apiece. Thomas has one of the team's sacks, while Wilson has one of the three interceptions. Doug Pilcher is a bit of a force on the defensive line as well. Pilcher has two sacks, 18 tackles, and an interception with a 41 yard return. Russell Ellington could also be a factor, as he has an interception with a 78 yard return. This is still not a fearsome unit.

Illinois is giving up over 28 points per game and their run defense is particularly bad. They are giving up about 180 yards on the ground, which is good for Ralph Bolden. Bolden has not had much room to run recently, and against Northwestern when he did have room we just kept fumbling the ball away. Look for Bolden to get over 100 yards for the first time since the Oregon game. McBurse and Taylor should also see some holes when they are in there. The pass defense is not much better, as it gives up 241 yards per game.

Honestly, we should only have trouble against their defense if we start giving the ball away again. Turnovers were still an issue last week against Ohio State, but we gave up no points off of them. Illinois does not force nearly as many turnovers as Ohio State does, so it once again comes down to us not shooting ourselves in the foot.

Illinois Special Teams:

And you thought their other units were bad. They have no punt return game (a long of nine yards), no kick return game (Benn is a dangerous returner, but only has a long of 33), and Matt Eller has hit on just half his field goals. Granted, the offense is not getting Eller in position to kick, as he is just 3 of 6 on the year with a long of 38.

One phrase we should get used to hearing is, "Anthony Santella is in punt formation". He averages almost six punts per game and has almost a 41 yard per kick average. Both coverage units on special teams for Illinois are merely average.

Intangibles:

This is a team that is already beaten. I watched part of Saturday night's game at Indiana and they had no hustle or emotion whatsoever. Beating them would officially end their bowl hopes, as there is no way they will win their five games after this and qualify at 6-6. This is Illinois' last shot to save its season, but given their body language and effort so far it would be a total shock to see them suddenly turn things on. Though Purdue and Illinois have similar record, Purdue has fought hard and has been in every single game. Illinois hasn't even been close, and they have rolled over and died since the opener against Missouri.

The one Illinois blog, Hail to the Orange, has already virtually given up and jumped to basketball content. Their last two game wraps of Rock Bottom and Failing on all Cylinders show that confidence in the football program is at an all time low. There is no doubt that Illinois has more talent than a lot of teams, but that talent is severely underperforming in all phases of the game at the moment. They are even one of the most penalized teams in the league. I am not even going to mention the gigantic Ron Zook intangible right now. Every writer in the Big Ten is saying enough about his epic level of fail at the moment.

Contractually obligated Ron Zook blog picture. He will likely soon have plenty of time for his hobbies, such as fighting Boilerdowd to the death.

Purdue, meanwhile, is as high as it has been in about five years. Even the 8-6 season of 2006 and 8-5 season of 2007 did not have a moment that was a tenth as important as last week against Ohio State. As long as we don't go out and pull a Northern Illinois we will be fine.

Keys to the game for Purdue:

Hogtie the team that showed up against Northern Illinois
Don't turn the ball over
Maintain last week's momentum
Run the ball with Bolden, McBurse, and Taylor
Dominate along the defensive line

Malicious Internet Interrogation With Hail To The Orange

BSD — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:01:05 -0000

This week Penn State goes on the road for the first time this season to meet the Illinois Fighting Illini. So we sat down with Joe from Hail To The Orange to get his perspective on Penn State and the game.

BSD: Penn State fans can sympathize with Illinois fans this week. We know what it's like to see your team not live up to your expectations. How are you coping with it?

HTTO: I suppose I have become numb to Illini football failure, seeing as how there hasn't ever really been a prolonged period of football prosperity. Its beginning to look like 2007 was just a cruel taste of something Illinois is not allowed to have. Otherwise I have taken to NCAA 10 on my Xbox, and playing the Ohio State and Missouri games over and over, trying to fool myself into believing that it didn't really happen like that, that the Illini came out and threw the ball all over the field and won by 30. Hey its my reality, I will do what I want with it.

BSD: Is it safe to say Ron Zook is on the hotseat in Champaign? Is there any hope that he can return the Illini back to where they were in 2007?

HTTO: Oh my yes, the calls are already coming and they are angry. I listen to the radio call in shows locally here in Champaign, and while normally the locals are the typical very polite salt of the earth "support the team and coach blindly" type, something about getting blown out by the only two real opponents the Illini have faced has turned the locals mean. There are people who want Juice benched (not going to happen) Zook fired (still probably not going to happen, at the very least not before the end of the season) and want the Athletic Director Ron Guenther gone as well, all though I fail to see the logic in that. Zook is visibly very worried for his job, he knows he is squandering an opportunity here, and might not see another season if he doesn't get the team playing better. I'm not calling for his head, I am just stating fact, he basically bet his job on this season, its coming up snake eyes so far.

BSD: Last Saturday the Illini couldn't score in a women's prison with a fist full of pardons. Where are the breakdowns happening on offense?

HTTO: I think at just about every level on offense, there was a major breakdown. Schultz play calling that wont stretch the field, the horrendous amounts of stupid penalties, (too many men in the huddle, holding, multiple false starts) supposedly awesome receivers who cant catch a ball, turnovers. It all just really sucked. The most damning thing of all though, is that given 3 weeks, including a bye week and an FCS team to get things straightened out, the offense came out and made all the same mistakes and poor decisions as week 1.

BSD: How much has the loss of linebacker Martez Wilson impacted the defense?

HTTO: Oddly enough, so far not too much. It has helped that he has only missed against 1-AA Illinois State, and an inclement weather Ohio State, where Pryor only made 4 pass attempts in the first half. Martez will be missed over the course of the Big Ten season, he was big and fast and there are going to be some good TEs and RBs that I am sure will make us all wish Tez was healthy. So far though Frierson, Thomas and Ellington have filled in admirably.

BSD: I'm sure you probably watched Penn State look completely lost against Iowa last Saturday night. What are your impressions of Penn State and where do you think Illinois can exploit them?

HTTO: I would have to say that Iowa possesses a Daryl Clark voodoo doll that made him look that bad. I fear that Zook will not be able to borrow said doll from Ferentz. Here is the thing, Iowa has a very good secondary, and if there is a major weakness on the Illini defense it is that secondary. The weakness was masked due to Tressel's on going war against modern football, but if Clark throws down field, I fear for the Illini.

BSD: What are the keys to the game for Illinois, and how do you see it playing out?

HTTO: There was once a time where I believed that this offense could score with any team in the nation, now with the evidence before me, I have to drastically reassess what my team is. I believe it has the potential to score, given the fat that this offense is composed of the exact same players as last year, and I think that this sort of offensive failure is frankly unsustainable, there is no way that that many good players can play so poorly for an extended period of time. Eventually things will have to get at least a little better. It may not be until game 5, and it might be too little too late, I am just hedging my bets on the whole Illini football apocalypse that we are seeing play out. The key to this game if the team wants to stand a chance, is to cut down on the dumb penalties, which against Ohio State prolonged their drives, and killed our own. Penalties easily resulted in a 14 point swing. Maybe if we can cut the dumb mistakes this week we will see a team more in line with last years team.

BSD: Thanks, Joe. Good luck on your season.

Wha Happened? Week Four

RossWB — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 06:01:56 -0000

There actually were a few other games involving Big Ten teams that took place before The Greatness That Was 21-10, so Wha Happened?

Welcome to the dark side, baby.

Ohio State 30, Illinois 0
There are three things to take away from this game. First, Illinois fucking sucks. Take whatever "dark horse" or "look at all that talent they have" blather you heard before the season began and flush it down the toilet. Their defense was miserable as it's been in both games against legit teams this season (Mizzou and Ohio State) and yesterday the offense decided to join in the misery party. Granted, they had their excuses for both failures - Martez Wilson is out for the year with a neck injury and the weather was miserable - but those excuses ring hollow: Ohio State had to play in the same miserable weather and the Illini had two weeks to gameplan for this game. Second, Ohio State's defense is legit - I don't care if it's against Juice "Mr. Interception" Williams or the mighty Toledo Rockets, pitching back-to-back shutouts is damn impressive.

Third, and perhaps most intriguing, is the ongoing heel turn of Jim Tressel. Two weeks after calling out some Ohio State fans for "being miserable," ol' Sweatervest embraced his inner Belichick and had Pryor throw a three-yard touchdown pass with barely over a minute to go and the Buckeyes sitting on a 23-0 lead against an Illinois offense that had been unable to do much of anything all game. Now that's a Fuck You touchdown. Not that we disapprove or anything -- sticking it to the Zooker and Illinois is always enjoyable and embracing his inner dickhead is certainly making Tressel a bit more interesting. But when he pulls a foreign object out of his pants (um....) and nails Rich Rodriguez with it during the post-game handshake... well, remember who told you to expect that.

Bill Lynch loses his fucking mind

Michigan 36, Indiana 33
The enduring images from this game will be Bill Lynch throwing a shitfit (and his gum) after a seemingly badly blown call went against the Hoosiers (apparently simultaneous possession no longer defaults to the receiver -- who knew?!) and the mega-hyped wunderkind Tate Forcier rifling in the game-winning touchdown pass while his other arm hung limply at his side. Still, as much as Indiana fans can gripe about that call, the bigger problem was their inability to turn red zone opportunities into touchdowns: they made it inside Michigan's 20 five times, but had to settle for a field goal on four of those trips. Their funky pistol offense had little trouble slicing Michigan's defense to shreds outside of the 20 (they amassed 476 total yards of offense), but that doesn't mean much if you can't turn all those yards and red zone trips into touchdowns (particularly when your own defense can't stop a fly). As for Michigan, the GERG-revamped defense again got shredded (the tremendously-named Boubacar Cissoko spent much of the day getting torched, which has become a recurring theme for Michigan this season) and while Forcier again pulled off some late-game heroics, his pinball playing style again exposed him to some big hits and left him battered. The Iowa defensive line is already licking its chops.

"Motherfucker hit my penis": truly poetry for our time

Minnesota 35, Northwestern 24
Maybe the LOLcats should have spent more time following the lead of that bold, Gopher-hating yard marker and cracked the Gophers in the junk a few times; lord knows it couldn't have been any less effective than their defense's shoddy attempts at concepts like "tackling" or "covering receivers" or "not being fucking douchebags." A week after allowing Greg Paulus to go buck wild, the LOLcats made Minnesota look like they had an actual competent, balanced offense: 186 yards passing, 166 yards rushing (including 89 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries by Duane Bennett). Also not helping the LOLcats: a -2 turnover margin, with Mike Kafka contributing a pair of crippling fumbles late in the fourth quarter, and a non-existent running game (64 yards on 29 carries). Meanwhile, Eric Decker continued to stake his claim for Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year with eight catches for 84 yards and two touchdowns.

Three years later, Bucky's boys get their revenge.

Wisconsin 38, Michigan State 30
And now for this week's entry in Overly Deceptive Scorelines... Wisco jumped out to a 21-7 lead at halftime, then expanded it to a 38-17 early in the fourth quarter; Michigan State then tacked on two late touchdowns to make the scoreline look respectable. Turnovers (three interceptions and one lost fumble) were one aspect of Michigan State's demise, but the bigger culprit was a defense that was supposed to be the strength of the team but has instead bled points and yards at an alarming rate. Scott Tolzien didn't become the third straight quarterback to throw for over 300 yards against the Spartan secondary, but he did continue his solid start (19/31, 243 yards, 4 touchdowns, 0 interceptions), while John Clay rebounded from his three fumble effort against Wofford with 142 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries. But the real story is Michigan State: from preseason favorite to finish third in the Big Ten to a team now struggling to salvage its season. They still haven't beaten a non-FCS team this season, their defense has been a massive disappointment, they still appear to have a quarterback controversy (both Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol played quite a few minutes yesterday), and now they have to entertain a resurgent Michigan team.

Notre Dame: just as douchey as you thought they were.

Notre Dame 24, Purdue 21
This week's lesson in Baffling End-of-Game Decision-Making comes courtesy of Purdue's Danny Hope who bailed out Notre Dame by calling a timeout after Charlie Weis had called a (failed) run play on second and goal (with no timeouts of their own remaining). Instead of letting time tick away while a disorganized Notre Dame offense attempted to get set and spike the ball (leaving them with just one potential shot at a game-winning play), Hope called timeout, allowing Notre Dame to regain their focus and call two plays to win the game (an important move since the game-winning touchdown pass came on 4th down). While there's certainly merit in making sure that the defense is set and ready, the Notre Dame offense was in a bind at that point and Hope gave them a "get out of jail free" card. The rest of the game was fairly evenly matched, but that ending represented a new and painful way for the Boilermakers to lose a game this year.

BETTER KNOW A NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENT CORNER:

More interesting than anything to actually do with Arkansas State.

Troy 30, Arkansas State 27
Arkansas State jumped out to a 10-0 lead, then gave up 23 unanswered points; for the game they gave up 507 total yards of offense, including 373 passing yards. A visit by Arkansas State could be just what the Iowa passing game needs to get on track. Offensively, the Red Wolves mustered only 305 yards of total offense, including 70 rushing yards. Arkansas State's only win this season came over an offensively inept Mississippi Valley State team. Let's be clear: Arkansas State is not a good football team.

Grading The Offense: Nittany Lions Put The Turd In Saturday

Run Up The Score — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:06:50 -0000

More photos » by Carolyn Kaster - AP

2 months ago: Iowa's Broderick Binns (91) closes in on Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark (17) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Browse more photos »

Seemed like it would be a pretty easy night after that first offensive play from scrimmage and the 20-play, ten-plus minute field goal drive, didn't it?

First, the drive chart (from espn.com):

When you hear the old cliche about football games being won in the trenches, Exhibit A should be Saturday night's game. On the 20-play drive, Penn State wasn't necessarily dominating Iowa's defensive line, but was certainly getting a consistent push. That trend slowly eroded toward the end of the drive, as Iowa generated increased pressure on Clark when Penn State entered the red zone. You can see what happened throughout the rest of the game.

Quarterback Grade: D. The numbers are horrific. 12/32, 198 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT. The opening strike to Chaz Powell was a thing of beauty, and Clark was perfectly fine on the field goal drive. As Iowa began getting pressure on Clark, however, he clearly couldn't deal with it. By the second half, Clark was simply imagining pressure in the rare instances that Iowa's defensive linemen weren't in the backfield. This led to a number of plainly awful throws on what should've been relatively simple throws. Even on Clark's final interception, which was deflected at the line by the tenacious Karl Klug, Clark tried to impossibly fit the ball into an area between three Iowa defenders. It never would've had a chance even if Klug didn't get a piece of it. Clark remains an above-average college quarterback, but he just doesn't perform well when things start to break down around him. Too many physical and mental mistakes under pressure. He's not a superstar, and it's time to acknowledge it.

Running Backs Grade: C-. Royster ran for 69 yards on 17 carries, but his fourth quarter fumble squashed Penn State's last, best chance at tying the game. It seems that the lack of blocking has taken its toll on Royster's decision making, as well. He's known for making the right cut at the right time, but it's not happening for him so far this season. His mishandling of a short Clark pass led to a backbreaking interception. Stephfon Green got a few series as the feature back. Nothing really happened.

Spectacular 100mph Train Crash Test (via diagonaluk)

Offensive Line Grade: D-. Yes, Iowa deserves credit here, but it's hard to oversell how awful Penn State's offensive line was in the final three quarters of the game. DeOnt'ae Pannell was utterly owned by Broderick Binns on two plays, the second of which led to Iowa's safety. Nerraw McCormack came in for Pannell on the next series and promptly drew a holding penalty that wiped out a big gain to Derek Moye. Stefen Wisniewski often looked lost, and his shotgun snaps are still consistently low, making Clark work a little harder to scan the field. His move to center seems like a worse idea as the weeks go by. This section could go on forever, so here's the summary: too often, the offensive line doesn't know who to block, and when they do know their assignments, they aren't getting the job done with alarming frequency. Temple caused them problems, so it's no surprise that Iowa blew them up. Spells big trouble against a team like Ohio State.

Wide Receivers: B-. Hard to get a read on their performance because there were so many breakdowns by the offensive line and quarterback. Chaz Powell created nice separation on his long touchdown catch and run. Derek Moye still looks very, very good. Everyone else was missing in action.

Coaching Grade: D. Hey, it's easy to say that the players on the offensive line aren't getting the job done, but it's up to the coaching staff to get the proper personnel on the field and make adjustments in protection. That never happened. Passing plays often too slow to develop, given the pressure that was being put on Clark. A stunning lack of emotion on the field, even when things were still going well.

Next Week: Illinois' defense was bad before they lost Martez Wilson for the season. If Penn State can't move the ball and score points against them, start planning on a third-tier bowl game in Orlando or Tampa.

Big Ten Pick'em: Week 4

Adam Hoge — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:48:00 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Neibergall - AP

Can Iowa pull off another upset over Penn State like did last year after Daniel Murray (1) hit a game-winning field goal to end PSU's National Championship hopes? Not likely. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

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Finally! We're into Big Ten season. The good news? Less games to get wrong. The bad news? Less games to make up for previous bad picks.

Actually, at 26-6, I had a decent non-conference season. But the games get much tougher now. Let's get started:

Michigan 31, Indiana 14
IU's defense is good enough to keep this a close game entering the fourth quarter, but Michigan's offense seems in-tune to Rich Rod's system and will once again execute to near perfection in the fourth quarter.

Wisconsin 34, Michigan State 24
Wisconsin's secondary scares me against MSU's renewed passing attack, but the word out of Madison is that defensive end J.J. Watt is healthy and will play Saturday. He and fellow end O'Brien Schofield will get to the Kirk Cousins early and often and two interceptions will keep the Spartans from catching up to UW's offense which get more production out of the running game after the coaching staff made changes on the offensive line this week.

Upset Special: Minnesota 27, Northwestern 24
The Gophers gained some confidence last week against Cal and won't let it get to their head with a tough road game in Evanston. Instead, they will use it to get the offense going, while NU will continue to struggle to pull away from teams it should beat. Adam Weber hits Eric Decker for a late touchdown to win the game.

Ohio State 38, Illinois 24
Why has the season-ending injury to Martez Wilson gone almost unnoticed? The Buckeyes will have no problem scoring early and often, while the Illini offense commits a few turnovers to keep them out of the game.

Penn State 27, Iowa 23
The Nittany Lions are probably worse than last season and Iowa might actaully be a little better. Still, that doesn't mean the Hawkeyes can come into Beaver Stadium at night and win.

Notre Dame 38, Purdue 34
I correctly predicted Purdue's demise last week, but there's something weird about this game that makes me think the Boilers might have a chance. Maybe it's the primetime ABC telecast or maybe just the fact that Erin Andrews will be there. The bottomline is that Notre Dame's defense is bad and Purdue's offense is good. Still, why did RB Ralph Bolden struggle so much against NIU? Jimmy Clausen will be fine without Michael Floyd and the Irish hang on.

Record: 26-6
Upset Specials: 1-0

Big Bloggers Pick'em Standings

	Standings	Pts
1	Buck Bravo	27
1	Maize and Blue Nation	27
1	Michigan Sports Center	27
4	Sparty MSU	26
4	Happy Hour Valley	26
4	Maize N Brew	26
4	Gopher Nation	26
4	Lake the Posts	26
9	Gopher Football Blog	25
9	Nittany White Out	25
9	The Buckeye Blog	25
9	Bucky's 5th Qtr	25
9	Crimson Quary	25
14	Hail to the Orange	24
14	Zombie Nation	24
16	Boiled Sports	23
16	Hammer and Rails	23
16	Black Shoes Diaries (RUTS)	23
16	OSU Silver Bullet	23
20	Eleven Warriors	22
20	Buckeye Battle Cry	22
22	The Nittany Line	20
23	The Only Colors	17

"That puke, inside of a pumpkin orange"

Sam @ WWAHT — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:00:25 -0000

They low down, they dirty, they some snitches...*

I guess technically it's hate week. Illinois is, after all, one of our two main rivals (sorry Penn State) and we even have a dorky trophy to commemorate this "rivalry", in which Ohio State's all time record stands at 61-30-3, and in which the Buckeyes actually have more losses in the Shoe (18) than they do in Champaign (12). Yeah, it's a weird rivalry, characterized lately by weird games. Last year, Illinois outgained Ohio State by over 100 yards and still lost by ten. Ohio State won the game with just 49 yards through the air, 36 of which came on just three of OSU's ten attempted passes. The year before, Illinois capitalized on a blown fumble call, three picks from the previously unblemished Todd Boeckman and an agonizing final drive that took 8 minutes off the game clock and roughly ten years off my life.

Even in 2006, when Ohio State was rolling anyone and everyone in its path, the Fighting Illini sacked Troy Smith 3 times, held him without a passing touchdown for the first time all year, and forced him to throw just his third pick of the season in an uneven effort from the Buckeye squad, which ended up winning only 17-10. It was the closest anyone outside of Michigan would play them throughout the entire regular season.

2005 was largely unremarkable, save the final score: 40-2, the only Illini points coming off a blocked XP that was returned for a safety. So we know these games have a definite recent trend of overall weirdness, and many of them would serve as good fodder for Dr. Saturday's intriguing Life on the Margins series. Will this weekend be any different?

*(full disclosure: I don't hate Illinois. I don't think I could be more indifferent to a team. Ron Zook provides me with lulz when they're bad, and Juice Williams puts on a show when they're good. I almost like them.)

Well, there's no real reason to think so. As ridiculous as the Ohio State defense might be, this might be the best offense - when healthy and feeling like it - that it will play all year. The problem is, of course, that the Illini have yet to actually look like it

Date	Opponent	Surface	Result	Rush Yards	Pass Yards	Plays	Total Yards	Yards/Play
09/05/09	+ Missouri	Turf	L 9-37	110	215	72	325	4.5
09/12/09	Illinois St.	Turf	W 45-17	384	164	63	548	8.7
	Totals			494	379	135	873	6.5

And after putting up such relatively lackluster stats against a) a rebuilding outfit and b) an FCS school, there isn't really cause to believe the Illini are going to explode against an Ohio State defense that is giving up an average of 15 ppg. But in this series, it's difficult to rule much of anything out. In 2007, Juice Williams was coming off three straight games in which he had thrown at least one pick. He responded with four touchdowns and zero interceptions against a dumbfounded Ohio State secondary that would finish first in the nation in yards allowed. If there's one Buckeye defense that should have stopped the Illini, it was that one, and it just couldn't.

As much success as Williams has had against Ohio State, the Illini running game has done its part, totaling 474 yards in the last two games combined. It could be said that Illinois runs the one offense that Jim Heacock just can't figure out. Ohio State was fortunate enough to intercept Williams at a key point in the 2008 game, and with the running game exploding for 305 yards, the Buckeyes never felt threatened in the second half. This is the one thing that worries me about tomorrow's game; if Juice finally gets it going, like he always seems to against the Buckeyes, does Ohio State have a running attack that can slow the game's pace down a crawl?

Illinois runs the type of offense Jim Tressel just absolutely has to hate, because it's not a ball-control affair, and like Florida and LSU, can put points up in bunches against almost any defense that doesn't adjust immediately. It's Toledo with talent and speed, and a quarterback who can run against teams not named Colorado. I'd hate playing against it too.

So why, if the 2007 and 2008 units couldn't stop Illinois, should this one in 2009 be any different? Simple answer: speed. This might not be a particularly popular opinion, but I'm willing to place good money on Ross Homan, Brian Rolle and Austin Spitler being faster as a unit than James Laurinaitis, Marcus Freeman and Larry Grant. Brian Rolle especially is a speed demon who should have no serious problems tracking down Williams and the Illini running backs in the open field. Just watching the game against Toledo; it was rare that guys weren't at least in place to make the needed tackle, which is huge against teams that run this offense. A defensive clinic of similar proficiency will result in the Illini netting 14 points at the most.

Offensively, this game will be a good way to gauge Terrelle Pryor's progress purely as a passer. Illinois has one of the softest secondaries one could hope for in the early part of the season, and the fact that both of the Illini's interceptions have come against Illinois State makes me giddy. An arm punt here or there will be picked, sure, but I think Pryor will get a bit more leeway with his throws against the Illini than against other Big Ten secondaries, which will give the coaching staff a bit better of an idea of what he needs to work on.

I'm still waiting for Daniel Herron or Brandon Saine to have a breakout game. Really, if neither can get it together at this point, I can't help but conclude that they won't under these circumstances , and that the staff seriously needs to re-evaluate some schemes or get Jordan Hall some more reps. Illinois' rush defense has been decent, holding Mizzou and State to 2.8 yards a carry on the ground, but Mizzou is Mizzou and Illinois State is coached by Brock Spack, who brought basketball-on-grass to the quite little burg of Normal, Illinois. Neither will ever place the emphasis Ohio State does on pounding the rock, so the Buckeyes need to get something going early and often.

Five predictions that will make me look foolish come Monday :

- Juice throws at least one pick, and is held under 50 yards rushing

- Ohio State actively exploits the hole left by Martez Wilson's departure

- The running game continues to struggle, but Pryor's improvisational skills make it look a bit more respectable.

- Pryor throws at least one arm punt pick, to go with 3 or more touchdowns

- Final score: Ohio State 31, Illinois 13

The Obligatory Predictions Competition - Week 4

Law Buckeye — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:44:55 -0000

While the scoreboard is beginning to take shape, the competition remains in its infancy. It's still anyone's game, so step up to the plate for the fourth installment of college football's smartest picks contest.

1. MINNESOTA at NORTHWESTERN, 12:00 p.m. EST (9/26), Big Ten Network

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts NORTHWESTERN by 7

This game might actually be more important than Penn State-Iowa, because they both want the same thing: 8 win seasons and an Outback Bowl berth. On paper, Northwestern is the favorite. They have a more efficient offense, a more talented signalcaller (the all of a sudden laser throwing Kafka), and will be at almost full strength on defense, unlike last week. But Minnesota showed extreme toughness at home against Cal, battling back when it seemed the game was turning into a blowout. The Minnesota Offensive Coordinator is showing improvement also, calling trick plays and mixing up the offense so that Weber doesn't focus so much on Decker. What will make the difference here? The Wildcats have a proven offensive system, the Gophers don't.

LAW BUCKEYE predicts MINNESOTA by 7

Considering the history of this matchup I don't think there's any question we'll be treated to a close game. The real question here is can a Wildcat defense that blows hot and cold stay stout against Minnesota's dynamic duo of Weber and Decker? I like the Gophers to steal this one on the road, in the wake of a closer than expected showing against California.

2. MICHIGAN STATE at WISCONSIN, 12:00 p.m. EST (9/26), ESPN 360

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts MICHIGAN STATE by 10

Camp Randall, spurned last year by 5 Big Ten losses and a defensive breakdown at home against Ohio State, will be rocking this year. The Badgers have a competent quarterback and less dependence on the run game, meaning they should be 30 times better than last year. Of course they don't feature a defense, which slows down improvement. Michigan State's Kirk Cousins, the 2nd best QB in the land according to my updated rankings, is going to have a big day throwing slants and comeback routes against the sad-sack Badger secondary. Remember how calm Samuel Jackson was at the end of Pulp Fiction (the "be cool baby, be cool" statement, the gold briefcase)? That was Cousins in South Bend, right up until the horrific pick. Good news for anyone worried about this sophomore reacting badly to the thunder of Camp Randall. It also would be nice to see a stagnant MSU run game finally get off the ground and if there is any team to do it against, it's Wisconsin.

LAW BUCKEYE predicts MICHIGAN STATE by 10

One thing you can't deny is that picking games in the Big Ten is tough work this year. Varying struggles, combined with a more competitive conference landscape make matches like this one a headache. Will Michigan State live up to its reputation as an underachiever, riding two consecutive losses into a third defeat -- firmly cementing the season as a disappointment? Or, will Wisconsin, the pariah of the offseason, fall back into a few bad habits in the pass game? I see a Spartan team with a lot of potential, one that had Notre Dame on the ropes. I think Kirk Cousins has a big day in Madison, and Dantonio gets the green and white back on track.

3. INDIANA at No. 23 MICHIGAN, 12:00 p.m. EST (9/26), ESPN 2

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts MICHIGAN by 17

None of you are going to pick Indiana, so why analyze? Because I love the matchup and it poses some interesting questions. Will Michigan's struggling defensive line, hammered by the ND run game and scored on twice by run-focused EMU, be able to stop the suddenly run-effective Pistol? Does Indiana have the defensive options, outside of Kirlew and Middleton, to slow the third best run attack in the BCS? Will Michigan show the numerous defensive formations (4-3, 3-4, 3-3-5) to confuse the steady but unspectacular Chappell? Or will all my questions be mooted by a 41-10 thrashing?

LAW BUCKEYE predicts MICHIGAN by 17

Michgian hasn't lost to Indiana in Ann Arbor in 42 years. That streak will be extended Saturday. In the easiest game of the day to pick, a Wolverine squad averaging 270 yards a game rushing will run over the Hoosiers. Not so fast? It's true that IU's run defense is solid, allowing a scant 228 yards over three games, and that Michigan will be without starting center David Molk (broken foot) and right guard David Moosman (dislocated shoulder). Still, their run block will be strong enough to overpower IU's defensive front. As Rich Rodriguez said after last week's win, "We had the intention of throwing a little bit more. But why would you when you don't have to?"

4. ILLINOIS at No. 13 OHIO STATE, 3:30 p.m. EST (9/26), ABC

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts OHIO STATE by 14

A healthy dose of Juice Williams running and J Lehman doing his best Superman impression was enough for the Illini last time they visited Columbus. But there's no J Lehman (hell there's no MLB Martez Wilson, he's done for the year) and Juice Williams showed no comfort or passing touch against Mizzou. Although OSU is saying the right things, I can't see a hobbled 7 to 9 attack getting anywhere against the bend but don't break Buckeye defense. One other thing I'd like to discuss - USC loss aside, this is still OSU. Don't forget that until they lose more than two conference games in a single year.

LAW BUCKEYE predicts OHIO STATE by 14

The Fighting Illini always seem to put up a fight against the Buckeyes, especially in Columbus. The last time Ron Zook and Juice Williams visited the Horseshoe they ran out the clock on Ohio State's No. 1 ranking, employing an impressive Williams/Mendenhall run tandem. Not this time. The fastest and meanest defense Columbus has seen in 5 years will bury a hesitant Juice Williams. Meanwhile, the Illini will be forced to corral Terrelle Pryor without star linebacker Martez Wilson. It's a frustrating day away for the Illini.

4. IOWA at No. 5 PENN STATE, 8:00 p.m. EST (9/26), ABC

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts PENN STATE by 10

Penn State might have to go one-dimensional if the run game gets stymied early by this solid Iowa front four. Will the Spread HD's favorite routes (wheel, sit down, sideline comeback route) succeed against the healthy and talented Iowa secondary? Will Ricky Stanzi throw an inexplicable pick early and kill all Iowa momentum? How can a frosh RB succeed in Happy Valley against Sean Lee and Bowman? Will the spiritual power of one hundred thousand fans drunk on revenge somehow form a ghostly 12th man in the shape of Jack Ham who plays every down next to Bowman, making tackles and screaming"We Are" the whole game? Oh my...Well Brick, that got out of hand.

LAW BUCKEYE predicts PENN STATE by 14

Revenge is a dish best served white and at night. Iowa ruined Penn State's perfect regular season in 2008 in front of a zealous home crowd. This time, they'll have to go it alone -- in the den of 110,000 roaring Nittany Lions. Iowa is banged up on offense, with left tackle Bryan Bulaga out with an undisclosed ailment, tight end Tony Moeaki sidelined with a sprained ankle, and receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos off the depth chart. Penn State is banged up on defense, with star linebackers Navorro Bowman and Sean Lee probable. I think this game belongs to Daryll Clark, a veteran averaging 274 yards in the air. The Nittany Lions storm out to an early lead and they never look back.

Bucknotes is snappin' fingers, tappin' toes

Sam @ WWAHT — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:00:19 -0000

Idaho State's WR Coach Likes The Hustle - Brian Cook - The Sporting Blog - Sporting News
This weekend, I want our very own Caucasian Sensation Dane Sanzenbacher to bust out the patented white-dude-attempting-to-dance finger snaps and toe taps in an attempt to confuse and entertain the Illinois secondary. It might not be necessary to burn the toasty Illini defense, but it'd be the single greatest play Jim Tressel has ever called, and the forces of justice would make it illegal to criticize his playcalling for like a week.

Jim Tressel on flu protections, elbow bumps, Chris Fields and Jordan Hall and saying S'happening, with video
Chris Fields reminds Jim Tressel of Santonio Holmes? Woo! And did the reporters really think he'd cop to giving Hall more playing time if Herron and Saine continue to struggle? Boo!

Unpredictable Illinois brings a talented roster (as always) to Columbus to face Buckeyes
Thankfully, the team is well aware that the Illini always bring their A-game to Columbus.

Do not be alarmed, but ... who's going to beat Cincinnati? - Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports
Yes.... let them make the title game... yes.... let them play Florida, Bama or Texas.... yes.... everything is going according to plan.

EDSBS " Archive " PAINTBRUSH EXPLAINS THE UNIVERSE: WHY OHIO STATE IS UNFAIRLY SINGLED OUT
It all makes perfect sense now.

BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : Illini try to plug leaky defense to face Buckeyes
And it's only going to get worse with Martez Wilson going down.

Tressel says he learned lesson (Blogging the Buckeyes)
Confirms what I had suspected; the "miserable people" remarks was directed at the "more venomous, raunchy" e-mails Tressel received. I don't think Tressel has as much trouble taking criticism as most; one need only look at the numerous QB sneaks from this past weekend.

Tale of the tape: Toledo (Blogging the Buckeyes)
Gordon submits that the pass blocking from the OL is better than the run-blocking, and I'm inclined to agree, especially after watching the interior struggle so mightily against Toledo. But I'm wondering, where do the countless broken plays fit into all of this? Pass protection breakdowns contributed to some huge runs for Pryor, as he outmaneuvered a few blitzes to turn busted plays into first downs. What do those plays count toward? Heck take away the Pryor scrambles that didn't directly result from called runs, and the blocking looks even more pedestrian. And that's against one of the worst defensive fronts we'll see all year.

Mizzou Links, 9-18-09

Bill C. — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 10:41:42 -0000

Furman Links!

PowerMizzou: Paladins Insider: Five questions for Saturday
What would you say the biggest strengths of this Furman team are?

MR: Furman's greatest strength is its experience and depth at wide receiver. The Paladins boast a five-deep wideout corps, with possessions guys Adam Mims (9 rec., 112 yards) and David Hendrix (5, 99), and speedsters R.J. Webb (5, 46), Sederrik Cunningham (2, 12) and Tyler Maples (4,19), a transfer from Tennessee. Furman will also split out its all-conference tight end Chris Truss. They hope by spreading the ball around and rotating fresh guys, they can wear down Mizzou's secondary.
The Missourian: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Furman University
The Trib: Behind the Stripes Webcast: Episode 6, Part 2
Post-Dispatch: Sore hamstring for Sean Weatherspoon?
The Maneater: Missouri takes lessons from last week's game