Many in the National Media have written that the sixteenth ranked Illini were overrated and shouldn't be ranked that high. A win Saturday against the Buckeyes would prove some of the doubters wrong. Unfortunately the Illini (6-1, 4-2) didn't oblige as they fell to Ohio State 17-7.
Saturday's game was a defensive struggle right from the beginning. Neither team could move the ball on the opposing defense and the game would be decided on field position and turnovers. The Illini turned the ball over three times which led to 14 Ohio State points which proved to be more than enough.
The Buckeye's (4-3, 1-2) welcomed back runningback Dan Herron who was back after serving a six game suspension. Herron lead OSU with 114 yards rushing on 23 carries and also scored the first touchdown of the game. Ohio State only attempted four passes on the day and relied on their running game and defense to take down Illinois.
The Illini defense played a great game on Saturday allowing only 228 yards to the Buckeyes, but couldn't stop Ohio State when their offense turned the ball over, which it did three times. Nathan Scheelhaase threw for 169 yards and a touchdown, but also threw two interceptions. Scheelhaase also led the Illini on the ground with 49 yards rushing.
Illinois will look to get back in the win column when they travel to Purdue next Saturday.