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 36, Hurricanes 24

Well, no one is going to say it was a perfect game, but a 12-point win over a top 15 team is a good thing.
The Good
Offense
Thank goodness for Terrelle Pryor running the ball. Although that is sort of a good news-bad news sort of deal. It's good that he ran for 113 yards, but it's not great that the running backs weren't very spectacular. Boom Herron looked pretty good running the ball too. Aside from that, the offense was really pedestrian.
Defense
If you look at the stats, you wouldn't necessarily see a great performance by the defense. However, this is one of those games where you need to look beyond total yardage. The Buckeyes defense not only forced four turnovers, but also held the Hurricanes offense to only 10 points. I think any of us will happily take that. John Simon had a really good game. So did Nathan Williams and Cameron Heyward. And Chimdi Chekwa. I mean, he has been a favorite target for me (and opposing offenses) as long as he has been a Buckeye. But you have to give the guy credit for his two interceptions. I sure didn't have that one pegged before the game.
Special Teams
Devin Barclay made five field goals. The end.
The Bad
Offense
For all his offensive heroics, Pryor completed only 12 of 27 passes. And some of those pass attempts were downright awful. Like the time he threw the ball and the four (yes, four) closest guys to the ball were wearing Miami jerseys. Brandon Saine averaged a robust 0.6 yards per carry. Ouch.
Also, this wasn't really bad, but I was a little disappointed that the Buckeyes didn't try to hang 40 on the 'Canes. I get it. It's not Tressel's style, plus the Buckeyes have to play in Miami next year. Still, I kind of feel that if you get the chance to put 40 on the board against Miami, you do it. You know Miami wouldn't be shy about tacking on another TD.
Defense
Again, what can you say other than the defense gave up more yards than we're used to seeing.
Officials
I know what you're thinking. How can I criticize the officials when Miami had eight penalties and the Buckeyes had two? Just answer me this. How many times did you see a Buckeyes defender get molested (or tackled) by an offensive lineman and nothing was called? If I can see it 2,200 miles away, how come the refs cannot see it on the field.
The Ugly
Offense
Oh, I don't know. Some of TP's passes. Saine gaining less than one yard per carry.
Special Teams
Um, did you see the game? It wouldn't surprise me if both special teams coaches were looking for work after this game. Two return touchdowns in a game? Yeesh!
Schwinderjection
Yes, loyal reader. It's a new feature here on the weekly write-up. This will be my unique spin on something about the game. After the game when Jim Tressel and Randy Shannon were shaking hands, I couldn't help but think that each one said the same thing to the other: "You'll have a solid club once you get a real quarterback."
Under the Radar player of the game
There are some good candidates here. Nathan Williams is a solid player who had another good game. Cam Heyward was really good also. But I have to tell you the player that is most deserving of the award this week is John Simon. He harrassed Jacory Harris for a lot of the day and just seemed to be around the ball a lot.