Grade the Illini here

Bob Asmussen's postgame video here

Final: Ohio State 30, Illinois 0

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Illinois did not make it 8 of 11.

A dominating Ohio State defense made sure the Illini didn't add to their
recent success at Ohio Stadium. On the day the 1979 Big Ten champion Buckeyes were honored, Ohio State rolled to a 30-0 win.

The first half was played in a steady rain that was, at times, torrential. The Ohio State fans cheered as the harder rain started to fall.

The Buckeyes won despite a less-than-effective passing game that produced
no yards in the first half. Of course, you could argue Ohio State didn't
need to do much more than hand the ball to tailbacks Dan Herron and
Brandon Saine. Or keep the ball in the hands of shifty sophomore
quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

Illinois got off to a good start, holding the Buckeyes without a first
down on their initial drive. The Illini drove to the Ohio State 24 on
their first possession. But an illegal substituion penalty was followed by
linebacker Brian Rolle's interception of Juice Williams' wayward pass.

The Buckeyes used Rolle's 39-yard return to set up Aaron Pettrey's 50-yard
field goal midway through the first quarter.

Saine did most of the work for Ohio State on its next drive, gaining 64
yards to set up another Pettrey field goal, this one a 46-yarder.

Ohio State got help from Illinois penalties on its next drive. Pryor was
thrown for a loss on a first-down play, but Illini end Clay Nurse was
called for grabbing the facemask. Two plays later at the end of Pryor's
16-yard run, Supo Sanni was called for a late hit out of bounds.

Three Herron runs later, the Buckeyes reached the Illini 5. Herron went
the rest of the way, scoring a touchdown in his eight consecutive game.

Pryor completed three passes in the third quarter for 40 yards. The period
was dominated by the Buckeyes, who scored a touchdown on another Herron
run and got a third field goal from Pettrey to go up 23-0.

Illinois had a drive into Ohio State territory midway through the third
quarter. But a Williams pass was tipped then intercepted by end Lawrence
Wilson.

After three quarters, Ohio State held a 224-157 advantage in yardage.
Williams entered the game needing 171 yards to become the school's career
leader in total offense. But he had just 90 in the first three quarters.

Illinois continues a rugged stretch next week, hosting Penn State in front
of the ABC cameras. The Illini follow that with a home game against
struggling Michigan State and a trip to improving Indiana, which threw a
scare at Michigan today.

5:08 fourth quarter: Ohio State 23, Illinois 0

Just noticed on the east side of Ohio Stadium that the flags of all the Big Ten Schools are displayed. Right smack in the middle is a Notre dame flag. Odd.

These guys haven't given up, Evan Frierson, who has smingly been in on every tackle in the quarter just recovered a Terrelle Pryor fumble. The Illini will have at least one more chance to put some points on the board.

It'll happen with Eddie McGee at quarterback. McGee saw significant action in Illinois' last game against Illinois State when Juce went down with a quad inury on the first play from scrimmage.

Juice will finish the day 70 yards short of Kurt Kittner's record.

McGee's first pass was intercepted without a white jersey anywhere near the ball.

 

9:14 fourth quarter: Ohio Satte 23, Illinois 0

The Illini are still showing some life. Evan Frierson just celebrated after making a tackle. He and Donsay Hardeman are trying to get the Illinois sideline fired up. There just isn't a whole lot to get excited about at this point.

And another uninspiring drive by the Illini, followed by a good Anthony Santella punt.

Terrelle Pryor still at the controls for the Buckeyes. Guess they want to make sure nothing funny happens.

Eddie McGee is throwing the ball on the Illinois sideline. Expect him to be at quarterback the next time the Illini get the ball.

 

End of third quarter: Ohio State 23, Illinois 0

Third quarter numbers:

4 — carries by Mikel Leshoure for 25 yards. (He also caught a pass for 7 yards).

81 — yards neded by Juice to break the record.

45 — yards gained by Illinois

90 — yards gained by Ohio State

1 — Angry 77-year-old columnist

 

2:28 third quarter: Ohio State 23, Illinois 0

Oh, the Buckeyes are just showing off now. Two consecutive completions? They're just having their way on offense. They're having their way on defense, too — and special teams, for that matter.

Those of you who took Ohio State -14-1/2 are sitting pretty. The Illinois offense hasn't really threatened to score so this lead will either hold, or increase.

 

6:48 third quarter: Ohio State 20, Illinois 0

Heck of an athletic play by Lawrence Wilson on that interception. Heck of a tackle by Mikel Leshoure on the return. He could be a really good player for the Illini.

The Illinois secondary is still playing well. It's only allowed 7 yards on 1 completion. Keep in mind, the Buckeyes have only gone to the air four times. There has been no need to throw. For one, there was a small hurricane here earlier. Two, OSU has had all sorts of success on the ground.

Its freezing up here, I'm having trouble typing.

8:21 third quarter: Ohio State 20, Illinois 0

That was quick. 1 minute, 40 seconds to be exact for Ohio State to get on the scoreboard.

Gotta get a sustained drive going, or this one will get uglier real quick. Can't have three-and-outs against a team running the ball as well as Ohio State is.

Not much energy to speak of on the Illinois sideline.

Even after that first down reception by Champaign's Mikel Leshoure.Look for more Leshoure in the scond half. He was the team's most effective runner in the opener against Missouri in St. Louis.

Michael Hoomanawanui made his first reception and the press box public address announcer had a heck of a time with the pronunciation. The most entertaining thing I've seen or heard all day.

Tate is going to have a heart attack laughing about it. "That's the best one yet," Tate said of the pronunciation. "I can't say it."

 

12:30 third quarter: Ohio State 13, Illinois 0

First play of the second half and another penalty against Illinois.

The first time Ohio State didn't complete a pass in a half was in 2007 at Michigan. The Buckeyes won that game 14-3.

Not too much of a dropoff in the crowd at the half. A good majority of fanatics are still in their seats. Bless their hearts.

If you punt enough times in a game, you're gonna have a bad one. Santella just hit a 27-yarder giving Ohio State excellent field position.

Ohio State finally completes a pass — a 7-yarder to DeVier Posey.

Halftime: Ohio State 13, Illinois 0

Two consecutive positive plays, the muffed punt followed by a pass interference penalty against OSU.

Jarred Fayson has uncharacteristically dropped two passes today. We'll chalk that up to the conditions.

If you're wondering what happened on that throw by Williams, it looked like Fayson zigged when he should have zagged. Hard to believe Juice made that bad of a read.

Bad break for the Illini as Juice made a heck of a throw to Chris Duvalt in the end zone, but Duvalt was pushed out of bounds, forcing another Santella punt, which stopped at the 4. He's the Player of the Game so far.

Illinois has now been penalized for 61 yards. Ohio State, 15 on the pas interference.

First half numbers:

0 — Passing yards by OSU

135 — rushing yards by the Buckeyes

7 — penalties by Illinois (for 61 yards)

1 — penalty by OSU for 15 yards.

42.0 — average yards per punt by Anthony Santella on five kicks.

6 — total yards by Terrelle Pryor

101 — yards needd by Juice Williams to become the school's all-time leader in total yards.

37 — Diet Cokes consumed by Bob Asmussen.

1 — annoying ring tone courtesy Asmussen

153 — Number of unpublishable words muttered by Tate.

1:54 second quarter: Ohio State 13, Illinois 0

Tate doesn't like people running away from punts. Jared Fayson's blunder cost Illinois about 15 yards in field position.

Ohio State has yet th throw a pass in the second quarter. Could it be the Buckeyes were afraid of the Illini secondary? My guess is the success of the running game and the "real rain" that fell had something to do with it.

Illinois goes three-and-out again. The Illini have gained 10 yards in the second quarter.

At least Santella is getting some good practice in live action. He's doing well. His last punt turned out to be Illinois longest play of the day, as the Buckeyes fumbled the punt and Jeff Cumberland emerged with the ball. Let's see how they respond to a huge break.

4:53 second quarter: Ohio State 13, Illinois 0

Wonder if Illinois has a second set of uniforms? It can't be fun to sit in the locler room at halftime in wet attire and come back out in it.

According to Tate, "This is real rain." As opposed to the fake rain that fell earlier.

Maybe Illinois should just take the Ohio State approach and run every down.

Someone just got arrested. We don't know what for, but a student, wearing a NO. 3 OSU jersey, is being taken away by the police.

The rain has stopped, and so has the Illinois offense — again. Anthony Santella punted again. This time for 43 yards.

7:30 second quarter: Ohio State 13, Illinois 0

Clay Nurse is doing a heck of a job containing the edge against Terrelle Pryor, save the 15-yard facemask penalty.

Pryor is far less dangerous if he can't turn the corner and and get in the open.

The Buckeyes are tough to beat as it is, but when you give them 30 yards in penalties on one drive, they're nearly impossible to stop. Illinois needs to clean it up if it hopes to have a chance in this one.

We've got ourselves a monsoon now. The rain is coming down in buckets now and the crowd absolutely loves it. I love it because I'm inside.

Too bad they're not playing on grass. This would be a mud bowl.

Hard to tell if the cheer for the rain was louder or the cheer for the touchdown. By the way, that is now the eighth consecutive game that Boom Herron has scored a touchdown.

On the positive side for Illinois fans, Ohio State hasn't completed a pass yet. That's progress, right?

10:38 second quarter: Ohio State 6, Illinois 0

Remember Daniel Dufrene had the big run to set the tone in Illinois' upset here two years ago. Ohio State fans will tell you he fumbled the ball out of the end zone and they would be right. But the officials didn't call it and, of course, Illinois went on to win that one.

He's having a solid start to this game, too.

It looks as though the Illini are committed to the run and that's a good thing. Juice has run well and continues to chip away at that record.

Mikel Leshoure, who was suspended for the Illinois State game has checked in.

Troy Pollard touched the ball for the first time and promptly fumbled. It appeared that he was down before the fumble, but either way Illinois still has the ball.

Wet footballs are hard to hold on to. That might be an issue as this one plays out.

12:39 second quarter: Ohio State 6, Illinois 0

The rain doesn't appear to be bothering Aaron Pettry. The Ohio State kicker has nailed field goals of 50 and 46 yards.

It's not bothering the OSU students, who are jumping around, waving wet towels and making plenty of noise. Quite the atmosphere in some pretty miserable conditions.

Let's see how Illinois' approach change with the rain.

Ohio State running back Marcus Williams was just carried off the field after the kickoff. WIlliams, a reserve running back, was featured in today's Columbus Dispatch.

End of first quarter: Ohio State 3, Illinois 0

Illinois better lock it up in the middle, or else the Buckeyes are going to run for days. They haven't looked as good on this series as the previous two.

First quarter numbers:

74 — total yards by Illinois (29 through the air, 45 on the ground)

4 — touches by Arrelious Benn. He has one carry for 9 yards and three receptions for 26 yards.

122 — total yards needed by Juice Williams to break Kurt Kittner's records for total offense.

Minus 9 — total yards by Terrelle Pryor. The quarterback has missed on both pass attempts and has one carry for minus-9 yards.

1:50 first quarter: Ohio State 3, Illinois 0

That, ladies and gentlemen, is why Benn is an All-American. What a catch. ESPN's crawl this morning had Benn listed as the third-best draft-eligible wide receiver for the 2010 class.

A nice throw by Juice, too, although that one was inches away from being picked off but a great play by Benn saved it.

Not much else to get excited about on the drive, as the Illini were forced to punt. Good job by Anthony Santella, pinning the Buckeyes inside their own 10.

Juice needs 122 yards. But he's going to have to do it in a torrential downpour as the rain is really coming down now. I'm still dry.

 

8:09 first quarter: Ohio State 3, Illinois 0.

Wow, what a play by Clay Nurse, catching Terrelle Pryor from behind and tripping the speedster up after it appeared he would break free.

Pretty good job by the Illini defense, again.

Pretty bad interception thrown by Juice. Those are the kinds of throws you hope you don't get from your senior quarterback. Let's see how he responds. Remember entering the game, he was just 171 yards short of becoming Illinois' all-time leader in total offense. He now needs 154, according to Bob.

Benn and A.J. Jenkins back to return the kick.

Check back in a few.

10:06 first quarter: Illinois 0, Ohio State 0

Good start for the Illini defense. The Illini held the Buckeyes to a three-and-out on the game's opening drive and safety Donsay Hardeman corralled Terrelle Pryor and forced the quarterback to throw the ball away.

Offensively, Daniel Dufrene got the start at running back. Benn, Jared Fayson and Chris Duvalt started at receiver.

An early carry for Benn out of the backfield, proves the Illini are going to make an effort to get him involved after the All-American wide receiver failed to record a catch for the first time in his career two weeks ago against Illinois State.

And Illinois' promising stalls after Williams was picked off by Brian Rolle at the OSU 15.

Kickoff

Injured linebacker Martez Wilson is on the Illinois sideline, wearing his No. 2 jersey. He is scheduled to have surgery on his neck Monday.

Juice Williams, Garrett Edwards, Doug Pilcher and Jon Asamoah represented Illinois for the coin toss. The Illini won the toss and deferred their choice until the second half. Ohio State will receive to start the game.

Speaking of Edwards, Bob did a Q&A with the safety this week.

Check back in a few.

5 minutes before kickoff

The Ohio State band just finished performing and they showed a little respect to Illinois, spelling out I-L-L-I-N-I with a huge block eye in the middle. Nice touch.

The "I" in the script "OHIO" is dotted, so I guess that means the game can begin, right? Alexander Martin, a tuba player in the Ohio State band, did the honors.

The rain is beginning to fall, too It's a steady rain, we'll see how that affects the play on the field.

Despite the rain, this place is packed. Should eclipse the 100,000 mark today. They LOVE fooball here.

Michigan held on to defeat Indiana 36-33. Tate says the Wolverines are beatable.

It's pouring out, we're dry in the press box but cold. The air conditioning is set on "Alaska". Should have brought a parka.

Check back in a few

15 minutes before kickoff

Both teams have now exited the field without further incident. Keep an eye out, however, for some personal foul penalties, as emotions will be high at the outset. Illinois hasn't played in a two weeks, so the Illini are itching to hit someone in a different color uniform.

Just made the rounds in the press box for some predictions, and here's what I came away with. WARNING — this isn't kind to Illinois.

Stu Dorando of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch picks the Buckeyes 35-14.

Mark Tupper of the Decatur Herald and Review picks OSU 42-16

Shannon Ryon of the Chicago Tribune says 24-13 Buckeyes.

John Supinie of GateHouse New Services picked the Buckeyes to win 33-13.

Asmusses went with OSU, too. He predicts 31-10.

Spent a few minutes with Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch. Here's his take on Illinois' first trip to the Horseshoe since the 2007 upset of the No. 1 Buckeyes.

"I think we talk about it more than they did. I think it sticks in the coaches’ (heads) more than it sticks in the players’ (heads)," May said of the 2007 game. "Terrelle Pryor wasn’t here then. Boom Herron wasn’t playing when they played that game. The defense couldn’t get off the field in the fourth quarter and that’s what we all remember. They just look at it as a new game, new challenge and a new set of faces."

The band is on the field, be back in a few.

30 minutes before kickoff

Had some fireworks on the field for a minutes as the entire Ohio State team took the field. The Buckeyes crossed the 50 yard line onto the Illinois side and started hopping around and jawing. The Illini didn't take kind to it and both teams stood near midfield and exchanged words and hopped around. It didn't appear that any punches were thrown, only a few slight shoves.

Emotions are definitely high. Juice Williams was especially animated, exchanging pleasantries with a number of Buckeyes and was the last Illinois player pulled away from the indcident before leading the Illini in their pregame stretch. As he was running around, it didn't appear that Juice's quad, which he injured in the Illinois State game, was bothering him.

Both teams are warming up and there is plenty of red making its way into the seats. There is a small pocket of orabge in the north end zone.

Check back for some predictions in a few.

 

45 minutes before kickoff

The Illini specialists just took the field, without much reaction from the fans. Matt Eller just lined up a field goal from 52 yards and came up well short. Jared Fayson and Troy Pollard are among the Illini catching kicks and punts, so is Arrelious Benn.

The Buckeyes' specialists just came out to a rousing ovation from the couple of thousand fans who are making their way to their seats.

Ohio State is wearing the traditional scarlet tops with the gray pants. Illinois is going white on white.

Interesting to note that Ohio Stadium doesn't have light standards, they bring in portable lights for the games starting later in the day. The company that handles the lights is Musko and it's based out of Iowa. Bob and I had lunch on Lane Street at the same place as those guys yesterday.

Spnt some time in the tailgating area before I came up to the press box with some folks from Illinois. Tuscola mayor Danny Kleiss and his family were enjoying themselves with some friends from Ohio. Optimism is still high within that group. They're banking on the fact Illinois has won seven of the last 10 meetings at the Horseshoe as a reason they think the Illini have a chance today. The Illinois fans I spoke with are predicting upset. We shall see.

Be back in a few.

 

1:00 before kickoff

Marcus Jackson here and I'll be with you throughout. I've got Loren Tate to my right and Bob Asmussen to my left, so there's plenty of Illinois football knowledge around me. Send me questions at mjackson@news-gazette.com and anything I don't know, Tate and Bob are sure to know.

Still overcast and miserable looking out on the field. Doesn't look like any rain is falling, but there could be some showers during the game. Tate says rain neutralizes things and takes away most of any advantage Ohio State might have over Illinois. We'll see.

How about those early games? Indiana still leading Michigan 26-21 in the Big House. The Hoosies are struggling to get in the end zone, having kicked four field goals. A couple of touchdowns and things would be drastically different. There is plenty interest in the Michigan game here in the Ohio Stadium press box.

You can knock out two scouting reports in one with today's Cincinnati-Fresno State game. The Bearcats lead 21-17, but Fresno State is driving. Anyone looking forward to seeing either of these teams late in the season?

How about South Florida leading Florida State 14-0 in its first game since losing quarterback Matt Grothe?

Not much happening on the field here, other than some managers and team staff members tossing the football around on the Ohio Stadium turf. The crowd is slowly filing in.

Check back in a few for another update.

 

1:15 before kickoff
The Illinois players are on the field, stretching, kicking and catching passes. The team spent Friday night at the Marriott in nearby Dublin, about a 20-minute drive from Ohio Stadium.

The weather appears to be letting up a bit, though there is still rain falling.

Illinois quarterback coach Kurt Beathard is sitting on a bench on the Illinois side of the field, which is on the east side of the stadium. Illinois special teams coordinator Mike Woodford, an Ohio native, is pacing the sidelines. So is co-defensive coordinator Dan Disch.

Speaking of pacing the sidelines, did anybody notice former Illinois assistant Eric Woolford on the sidelines for South Carolina on Thursday. You will usually see Woolford near coach Steve Spurrier. Smart move. The Gamecocks got a big win against Mississippi.

It's interesting to see some of the Illinois players wearing headsets during the warmup. Wonder if the players would like to listen to music during the game? Our choice would be "Eye of the Tiger."

A quick check around college football while I wait for words of wisdom from Loren Tate:

Indiana is still up against Michigan early in the third quarter. If the Hoosiers win, the "all is well" talk in Michigan might stop. The Wolverines have been good in their first three games, but so have the Hoosiers.

Wisconsin is still up 11 against Michigan State. Scott Tolzien and John Clay are having big games for the Badgers.

Minnesota is hanging on against Northwestern, leading 21-17. Don't be surprised if something goofy happens late in the game.

Cincinnati leads Fresno State 21-17. I will be very, very surprised if the Bearcats lose at home.

South Florida, without Matt Grothe, is upsetting Florida State 14-0.

"I'm wondering whether the weather conditions can affect the game," Tate said. "We're all aware that rain on the field tends to equalize the competition."

***

1:30 before kickoff

Former Illini linebacker J Leman wasn't able to watch the Illinois games against Missouri and Illinois State, but he promises to be in front of the TV today.

Leman was a star for the Illini in the 2007 win against the Buckeyes, recording 12 tackles.

Leman spent most of the preseason with the Carolina Panthers and thought he had a good chance to stick with the team. But he was released on the final cut and went looking for a job. The Philadelphia Eagles made a quick call, asking Leman to join their practice squad.

"It's going well," Leman said. "I'm not getting the payoff of the game on the weekend. That's what you work so hard for. I just keep working hard and I believe my time's coming."

Unfortunately, guys get hurt in the NFL. And that's when Leman will be ready to step in.

"I'm preparing like any day can be the day," Leman said.

Leman doesn't believe the criticism againt the current Illinois team, pointing to the fact the team has played just two games. The off week came at a good time, Leman said.

"People forget that the whole Camp Rantoul takes a toll too," Leman said. "It's actually close to the middle of the season if you look at it from that standpoint. I think Illinois will be ready to play. They are always ready to play."

Leman didn't have the Big Ten Network at the hotel where he is living, which meant he had to miss the Illinois State game. He will have ABC for today's game.

As a practice squad member, Leman spends each day with the Eagles. Wednesday to Friday are the busiest days of the week.

"During the season, it's a busy time," Leman said. "It's not just show up for two hours and then you're done."

Leman has had a close view of Michael Vick's time with Philadelphia.

"He's just another teammate," Leman said. "It's like me playing with Juice Williams. He's another No. 7 playing quarterback. It's not even that big of a deal."

***

1:45 before kickoff:

The Ohio State players and coaches just walked into the stadium wearing suits and sportcoats. We assume they will be putting on uniforms soon.

The rain is really coming down. Hope none of the players is wearing suede.

Let's take a quick look around the Big Ten and at some of the national games:

Indiana continues its solid play against Michigan, leading 23-21 at halftime. Give Bill Lynch a giant pat on the back for having his guys ready and not letting them listen to preseason talk that they would be at the bottom of the Big Ten. A bunch of schools in the Big Ten would trade places with the Hoosiers right now. Quarterback Ben Chappell is playing well.

Minnesota is up four at halftime against Northwestern. The Wildcats haven't looked very good early in the season, so a win against the Gophers would be big. Eric Decker is a really, really good player. Former News-Gazette All-Stater Duane Bennett, who missed last season with an injury, has two touchdowns. Minnesota is going to be a challenge for Illinois in early November.

Wisconsin leads Michigan State 21-7 at halftime. The Spartans need to get it turned around in a hurry. If Wisconsin wins, it will be one of the least impressive 4-0 teams in the country.

In the battle of future Illinois opponents, Cincinnati leads Fresno State 21-17 at home.

***

2 hours before kickoff:
The Columbus Dispatch gets it. Especially when it comes to college football. With a staff devoted to the sport, the Dispatch had a 24-page tab-sized section devoted today's game.

The cover story is on the musical skills of Ohio State defensive end Thaddeus Gibson. There are all sorts of breakdowns, starting lineups and stats. Similar to what you get in The News-Gazette. And like your local paper, there is also a Q&A with an Ohio State player.

In a position-by-position breakdown, the Dispatch gives Ohio State the edge in all six categories. There are pictures of the two coaches inside the rosters that look like they were taking during their college days.

And, of course, there are game predictions from the folks who cover Ohio State. Beat writer Ken Gordon goes with Ohio State 30-20. Beat writer Tim May picks Ohio State 31-13. Local TV sports anchor Dom Tiberi goes with Ohio State 42-9. And local radio personality Bruce Hooley picks the Buckeyes 27-17. The Dispatch did find somebody to pick Illinois: former Illini great Dick Butkus, who favors his alma mater 24-21.

Butkus said: "If can happen if Juice is clicking, they play smart and manage the clock like two years ago. You hope a week off helped them get healthy and come up with a way to keep Pryor in check."

It's still raining and there is hardly anybody inside the stadium.

***

2:15 before kickoff
Still rainy. Very, very gloomy. Feels like one of those November games Illinois has played here so often.

They seem to be having troubles raising the American flag at the north end of the stadium. There is a giant pole just beyond the goal posts where the flag will hopefully fly soon. Maybe they trying to keep it dry.

Of course, a big deal is being made out of the quarterback play in today's game. Both Illinois' Juice Williams and Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor are on the Davey O'Brien watch list and Pryor was named the Big Ten's preseason offensive player of the year.

Former Illinois quarterback Kurt Kittner knows all about winning at Ohio Stadium, going 2-0 here.

"Quarterback play is really important in every game," said Kittner, now the analyst on the Illinois radio network. "Taking care of the football and getting more turnovers than you're giving up, there is a higher percentage of winning if you're winning the turnover margin. If you can create some turnovers and put the ball in the end zone, you're going to win a lot of games."

Williams threw four touchdown passes in Illinois' 2007 win at Columbus. But the final drive, when Illinois held the ball and didn't allow Ohio State to regain possession, impressed Kittner, too.

"He did a great job managing the game," Kittner said.

There are bowl scouts here today from one organization representing two games. The Capital One and Champs Sports bowls are run by the same organization. It will be the first time bowl scouts have watched the Illini this season. Expect scouts to show for next Saturday's Illinois-Penn State game.

***

2:30 before kickoff:

Bob Asmussen here at rainy Ohio Stadium. Don't know who the wet weather favors, but the general rule is that it works to the advantage of the underdog. We'll know in a couple of hours.

Four hours before the game, traffic wasn't bad. And this is a place where it can get really, really bad. There is road construction in the area, so maybe folks are getting here even earlier. Or, maybe, it will be a New York City-style bottleneck two hours before the game. Just be glad you are not in that traffic.

Of course, there isn't a better place to see a college football game than Ohio Stadium. The place was already one of the best in the country before the recent renovations that put it over the top. The past is honored with signs for the national champions and for the Ohio State greats ringing a space at the north end of the stadium.

The nice folks at Ohio State had the Minnesota-Northwestern game playing on the giant screen at the south end of the stadium. As promised for today, there is closed captioning on the screen. That will be the case throughout today's and something other schools should consider.

Missouri had a good second half Friday night at Nevada, though the Wolfpack had a chance to tie the game in the fourth quarter before fumbling near the end zone. Blaine Gabbert is the real deal and he's got all sorts of weapons at receiver. The Missouri defense played well in the second half.

Indiana is giving Michigan a game in the first quarter, tied 14-14. Maybe the Hoosiers are on their way to another bowl.

I'm going to be with you for the next 90 minutes or so, then Marcus Jackson will take over.