Football
10 Things We Learned from the Shutout of Illinois
By Brandon CastelCOLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel felt his team’s 38-0 win over Toledo last week was just the confidence boost they needed heading into Big Ten play.
Turns out he was right.
In a seamless transition to conference play, the Buckeyes extended their shutout streak to eight straight quarters with a 30-0 win over Illinois. They have now allowed just one real touchdown drive in the last three games as the move to 3-1 on the season with a return trip to the AP top 10 just around the corner.
We look back at the 10 things we learned from OSU’s second consecutive shutout.
10. Illinois can talk the talk, just don’t ask them to walk the walk. If stomping on the Block-O two years ago wasn’t enough, the Fighting Illini tried to mix it up with the Ohio State players at midfield before today’s game. Give them an A for confidence but an F for overconfidence as they failed to realize that it takes more than talk to win a football game. They came out and moved the ball on the first drive, but when the Buckeyes punched them in the mouth, Illinois said, “Screw this, we quit.” Maybe it’s the difference in coaching style or a difference in the kind of players they recruit, but this Illini squad doesn’t seem to have any fight in them when they are backed against a wall.
9. This was likely the last trip to Columbus for Ron Zook. After watching Zook’s team knock off the top-ranked Buckeyes in Columbus two years ago, it seemed like the man Florida intentionally hit with the door on the way out had the Fighting Illini headed for bigger and better things. As history reminds us, Illinois went on to get pounded by USC in the Rose Bowl and things have not been the same since. There’s no question Zook can bring in the talent, but if he can’t turn that talent into wins, what’s the point? After going 5-7 last season with losses to Western Michigan and in-state rival Northwestern, Zook came into the 2009 season needing some big wins to avoid the hot seat. Instead, his team got blasted by Missouri for the third straight season and after today’s loss, Illinois could be staring at a 1-3 start unless they can upset Penn State next weekend. Patience has to be wearing thin in Champaign and if things don’t change quickly, Zook won’t be around when they return to Columbus in 2011.
8. Juice Williams was a one-hit wonder. This might seem like a knee-jerk statement for a player who led the Big Ten in passing yards and passing touchdowns last season, but Juice Williams is simply not the dynamic playmaker he is made out to be. His offensive line was not good today, but neither was Juice. He is a fine athlete and a decent quarterback against inferior defenses, but his one great game against a good defense came back in 2007 at Ohio Stadium. Although he was far from spectacular Saturday, Terrelle Pryor already makes throws as a sophomore that Juice cannot make as a senior, particular the ones to the sideline.
7. Something different is going on with the play-calling. Whether it was Jim Tressel or Darrell Hazell calling the majority of the plays Saturday, it’s obvious something has changed with Ohio State’s playcalling since the loss to USC. Forget the fact the Buckeyes have outscored their last two opponents by 68 points, which actually should not be forgotten, it’s the kind of plays they are running that has changed the most. Pulling the tight end on running plays, passing to the fullback, running the ball inside out of the shotgun…effectively; things are certainly different in Columbus as of late and it will be mighty interesting to see if they stay that way.
6. Lawrence Wilson still has gas in the tank. There was a time not too long ago where the Ohio State coaching staff considered Wilson to be the best defensive lineman on the team. That was before he went down with season-ending injuries in each of the past two years, but we learned today that the senior still has gas left in his tank. We will find out exactly how much over the next seven weeks, but for the first time in a long time, he looked like Lawrence Wilson out there today and not just on the interception. While that was certainly the highlight of the day for him, he made a number of nice plays out there and could boost an already stellar defensive front.
5. Aaron Pettrey and Jon Thoma help Tressel sleep peacefully. The Buckeyes lost both their kicker and punter in the off-season, yet haven’t missed a beat at either position this season. Expectations were high for Aaron Pettrey to replace Ryan Pretorius, but few people could have expected him to be such a valuable weapon for the Buckeyes. His ability to hit field goals from 50+ gives Ohio State a distinct advantage over nearly every opponent they will face. The same goes for punter Jon Thoma and his ability to pin teams inside their own 20 yard line. Both had good games again today, and last week’s game showed us that both positions are in good hands (or feet) down the road with Ben Buchanan.
4. Adams and Shugarts will solidify the future of the offensive line. As it turns out, Ohio State does have a running game. Illinois’ defense obviously isn’t Penn State’s – heck Penn State’s defense isn’t even Penn State’s – but the Buckeyes committed themselves to running the football in the rain and actually did it. In fact, they racked up 236 yards on the ground, including 177 by the running backs as the OSU offensive line pushed the Illinois front around all afternoon long. Certainly this doesn’t put an end to the question for OSU up front, but it was a good sign on a day where Mike Adams and J.B. Shugarts started as the two bookends on the offensive line.
3. OSU defensive line can do it against Big Ten offensive lines too. We knew the 2009 Ohio State defensive line good, but it was hard to gauge them against years past until seeing them against a real Big Ten offensive line. That’s not to say Illinois’ front stacks up against USC’s, but now we know this group can hang with pretty much any in the country. Doug Worthington is having a breakout senior season and Thad Gibson had his best game of the season Saturday against Illinois. This group goes eight or nine deep without a drop-off and they have made life easy on Ohio State’s inexperienced secondary so far this season.
2. Brian Rolle just makes plays. This might not come as an earth-shattering revelation after the play Rolle made in the opener against Navy, but we really needed to see him do it a few times before we could label him as a “playmaker.” Not only is he fast, but he’s smart too and always seems to find himself in the right place at the right time. He also gives the Buckeyes something they haven’t had in years past: a linebacker who can beat anyone to the sideline.
1. Ohio State’s running back committee has a leader, and it’s not Jordan Hall. After rushing for 44 yards on just seven carries in his first action as a Buckeye, there were some calling for freshman Jordan Hall to leapfrog veterans Boom Herron and Brandon Saine at tailback (be honest if you were one of those people). While Hall did look good, and seems to have a bright future (he picked up 22 yards on 7 carries against Illinois), he is NOT Ohio State’s best running back, at least not yet. That distinction belongs to none other than Brandon Saine. Take nothing away from Herron, who has five rushing touchdowns in four games, but watching Saine carry the ball today only confirmed the notion that he is the most complete back on Ohio State’s roster. He doesn’t hit the hole quite as quickly as Herron, but once he gets there, he moves the pile nearly every time. He runs with vision, he breaks tackles and can make big plays in the open field. He ran for 81 yards on 13 carries against Illinois, and although Herron doesn’t deserve to be benched after picking up 72 yards on 14 carries, it’s clear that Saine should be the go-to guy when yards are at a premium.
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