Breaking Down the Ohio State Vs Illinois Game, The Good The Bad The Ugly

From Ohio States opening three and out, Buckeye nation knew they were in a dog fight once again with a fighting Illini team that has beat them 14 of the last 25 meetings. It was opening day of conference play and this one sure had the typical feeling of a Big Ten battle. The Illini had an extra week to prepare for this game and Ron Zook had his team ready to play, especially on Defense and Special Teams, holding Ohio State to 24 points, their lowest total of the year. Also strong punting by Anthony Santella punting three kicks inside the 20 troubling Ohio State with bad field position.  

The Good: The Buckeyes Defense, Dan Herron and Terrelle Pryor. Yes the defense gave up some yardage early but when they needed stops, the Defense got the job done. Mikel Leshoure was held under 100yds , 80 to be exact for the first time all year. The defense also held Nathan Scheelhaase to 12 of 22 passing for just 109yds and a pic. Dan Herron won the game in the 4th quarter with his hard nosed running. Once Tressel decided he wasn't going to throw the ball it was time for Herron to takeover, and he did finishing the game with 95 yds on 23 carries and a touchdown that sealed the game with 1:49 left. If Ohio State fans learned one thing from this game it's that a injured Pryor is still far superior then the backup Joe Bauserman. Pryor played a good game, he once again managed to rush for over 100yds and although the final passing numbers weren't what fans have become accustomed to, Pryor did what Tressel wanted him to do in the second half which was run the clock and manage the game. Ohio State fans must have faith in Tressel, no matter how frustrating it may be to watch 13 run plays in a row be called with a 4 point lead.

The Bad: Ohio State passing game and the special teams. This has to be in part blamed on the coaching staff, as the offense just didn't seem to come out opening things up like they had been all year. Pryor did go down with an injury early in the third which didn't help matters, but let's face it, not much was going on threw the air in the first half either. Pryor did have 2 nice TD passes going into halftime where he showed nice touch, but he also had a interception that looked like a throw Pryor would have made last year. Ohio State must be able to throw the ball more successfully as Big Ten play goes on, especially with the inconsistency with the running game. The Special teams coverage was better this week, but as far as returns went nothing really good happened. Jordan Hall had a nice 15yd punt return in the 2nd quarter but nothing much else outside of that. Ohio State could have used a good return in a game where offensive yards were few and far between but that return never came.

The Ugly: Brandon Saine,Joe Bauserman,Illinois discipline. Brandon Saine looked terrible. His worst game of the year by far, totaling 7 carries for 14 yards against an Illinois defense that ranks 48th nationally. Saine has to be better if Ohio State wants to be able to rush the ball against Wisconsin, Iowa and Penn State who all rank in the top 25 for total defense nationally. What was learned from Joe Bauserman on Saturday is that Terrelle Pryor needs to be healthy for this offense to function, plain and simple. Bauserman had a three and out on his first series, and on his next possession scrambled outside of the pocket then threw an ill advised pass down field which was intercepted. It's clear that Pryor must be on the field, so much to the point where it has to make fans nervous every time Pryor is tackled. It also has to be brought up that the Fighting Illini were not the most disciplined team on the field, committing 3 face mask penalties and a  game changing offsides that would have given Illinois the ball with a chance to win the game.

Bottom Line: Its a win. Nothing fancy or flashy about it, but at the end of the game Ohio State improved to 5-0. The offense must continue to improve and Terrelle Pryor must stay healthy for Ohio State to be successful in the coming weeks.