Buckeyes 17, Fighting Illini 7

Photo of John Simon by Neal Lauron

I missed most of the first half of this game. Fortunately, there wasn't much to miss.
The Good
Offense
Well, it was good to see Boom Herron back on the field and the guy answered the bell with 114 yards. Overall, the Buckeyes had 211 yards rushing, which means that the offensive line did its job and Herron wasn't the only one running well. You might wonder why I would think that only four pass attempts is a good thing. Maybe it's a little extreme, but it was probably the right decision for this game. Champaign had some 20 mph winds and if you have ever been to Memorial Stadium, you know that is one drafty barn. With the pass blocking, the young quarterback, and the wind, running the ball 51 times was probably the right move.
Defense
The Buckeyes locked down the Illini offense. John Simon had a great game. He seemed to be in the Illini backfield as much as the Illinois tailback. Jonathan Hankins also had a great game. You really can't complain about the defense in this game.
The Bad
Offense
It was definitely good to see Herron back on the field, but I would like to see Carlos Hyde get more than three carries. The offensive line allowed four sacks. But then, we know what to expect from the pass protection with this team.
Defense
Aside from a really stupid penalty by Bradley Roby, I can't think of anything to put here.
The Ugly
Let's face it. This game isn't going into the vault as an instant classic. I don't think I need to be more specific than that. Other than the game itself, I would say the officiating falls here. The left tackle for Illinois must have held on every play. That's not unusual, but this guy would grab handfuls of the back of the jersey of whomever he was blocking. Even if the defender changed direction to make it obvious that he was being held, the refs didn't call it.
Schwinderjection
Here is an unexpected stat. The Buckeyes threw half as many passes in this game as Georgia Tech against Virginia. Let that one sink in for a moment. Watch for the Buckeyes to spring a Hawai'i-style passing attack on the Badgers. Fickell's just been giving the old rope-a-dope.
Under the Radar player of the game
John Simon, Bradley Roby, and Jonathan Hankins all deserve mention here and any one of them would be a solid choice. However, Tyler Moeller forced the fumble that led to the Buckyes second touchdown and that is the epitome of what earns this award.

Buckeyes 45, Thundering Herd 7

Well, it's definitely good to be writing this again. Football season is always too short and 8 months between games is a long time. That being said, a game like this is never easy to write about. You don't really watch the game because you don't have to. That being said, here we go with the first write-up of the season.
The Good
Offense
Let's see. Terrelle Pryor completed 68% of his passes for 247 yards and 2 TDs. Brandon Saine and Jamaal Berry both averaged more than 11 yards per carry. The offense had two touchdowns of more than 40 yards. Dane Sanzenbacher had more than 100 yards with only 3 receptions. And get this. The offense had 3 touchdown drives of less than 70 seconds. No, I sure didn't think that I would be writing those words. Just mull that over. Teams that run a hurry-up offense rarely have 3 TD drives that brief in a game. Brandon Saine's 45-yard touchdown run was sweet. No one even came near him, which means that the offensive line did its job.
Defense
Anytime the defense yields fewer than 200 yards, it had a pretty good game. Brian Rolle showed once again that he is the best and most exciting player on the Buckeyes defense. Seriously, he is the kind of guy you have to watch on every play. Tyler Moeller had an amazing game with a couple tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a sack. And as you know, I have to give props when props are due. For all the grief I have given Chimdi Chekwa over the years, I have to give him credit for forcing a fumble when Marshall was deep in Buckeye territory
The Bad
Offense
There isn't a lot to put here. We still saw flashes of the old Pryor, but luckily they were only flashes. Devier Posey dropped an easy pass, but that sort of thing can be forgiven in a 38-point blowout.
Defense
I can't think of anything to put here.
Special Teams
I didn't see for myself, but I was told the first 3 PAT attempts were not exactly spectacular.
The Ugly
I think we all know what needs to go here. If not for a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown, this would have been a shutout.
Under the Radar player of the game
How do you choose a UtR player of the game in a game like this? Well, I think it has to go to Tyler Moeller. He was the defensive leader on a night when the defense gave up only 199 yards.