Bucks Looking for Revenge in Champaign

Ohio State is just about ready to kick off against conference rival Illinois in their final road game of the Big Ten season. It was just over a year ago that the Illini shocked the college football world by marching into Colombus and beating then #1 and undefeated Ohio State. The game catapulted Ron Zook and the Illini to the Rose Bowl, and sent Ohio State spinning off on a strange path that eventually landed them in the BCS championship game.

Ohio State enters the game with much to play for, but we're not really sure what a win might mean. The Buckeyes can still win the conference if they win out and Michigan State is able to beat Penn State in the season finale, leaving OSU in a tie with the Spartans. Even without the conference title, the Buckeyes seem positioned for a shot at a BCS at-large berth. There are a number of scenarios that could play out, but a two-loss OSU would be very attractive for ratings and alumni travel. They would be competing with a potentially undefeated mini-might like Boise State, which likely can't automatically qualify because Utah will be ranked higher. And if Oregon State runs the table, that would also probably push the Buckeyes to the Capital One Bowl.

But back to the matter at hand - the pesky Illini. Ohio State has struggled over the years against Illinois, no matter what the talent looked like on paper. This edition of the Fightin' Illini has lost some of its bite from last season, including current Steelers RB Rashard Medenhall and all-conference linebacker J Lehman. The Buckeyes were absolutely manhandled on both sides of the ball, unable to stop Juice Williams from grinding them down. We didn't know it then, but it was also the beginning of the end for Todd Boeckman. That loss, combined with the LSU bowl game and the USC debacle landed him on the bench, where he hasn't seen substantive action since.

So what of this game today? It will be cold. Michigan is just around the corner. And Ohio State usually looks and plays like they'd just like to get the heck out of there. Despite the Illini's uneven season, which included a loss last week to Western Michigan, Ohio State cannot be on auto pilot today. The Illini offense can score points in bunches, and Ohio State has not looked comfortable in a shootout recently. We'll have to see how wide-open the game plan looks; my guess here is that Jim Tressel plays it close to the vest, hoping Beanie Wells can have a big game. It will be critical to see if Pryor can continue to make the strides he showed passing last week. Yes, this game is important. But for Buckeyes fans dreaming of taking on a Big 12 or SEC power in a big bowl, just winning without improvement is not enough.