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FIRST IMPRESSIONS

– The Illini showed a lot of fight during pregame warmups, but not much once the ball was kicked. Illinois and Ohio State players engaged in a shouting match with a little bit of shoving at midfield before being separated and retreating to their respective sides of the Ohio Stadium turf. Perhaps that energy should have been bottled up and saved for when it counted. With the way each team performed, it probably wouldn't have mattered much.

– The maligned Illinois pass defense allowed 82 yards through the air. Don't be fooled, though. Ohio State had minimal interest in throwing the football. With rain coming down in a torrential downpour at times, the Buckeyes attempted two passes and didn't complete either in the first half. Ohio State was successful when it went to the skies in the second half, hitting 8 of 11 with a touchdown. The questions in that regard still remain unanswered.

– Needing 170 yards of total offense to become the school's all-time leader in career yardage, Juice Williams managed 95 Saturday. His interception on the Illini's opening possession killed any momentum Illinois had started to gather and seemed out of sorts much of the day. Not what you come to expect from a senior quarterback in his fourth year as a starter.

SECOND GUESSING

– We know Mikel Leshoure was suspended for the game against Illinois State, but having been reinstated earlier in the week, why wasn't Leshoure on the field early when the outcome was still somewhat in doubt? The Centennial product didn't touch the ball in the first half. In the second half, he ran for 25 yards on four carries and caught a pass for 7 yards and a first down. He was the best runner in the opener against Missouri and was the best runner again Saturday. If he's eligible, let him play.

– The talk the last two weeks has been about how to get Arrelious Benn more involved in the offense. Early, it looked like we'd see a lot of No. 9. He carried the ball for a gain of 8 and caught three passes for 26 yards in the first quarter. After that, just one more offensive touch. He needs to be involved, period. If things aren't working in the passing game, how about another handoff? It worked all right the first time.

– If Ohio State wanted to, it could have gone the entire game without throwing a single pass and still won 30-0. So why were the Buckeyes throwing the ball on fourth down leading 23-0 late in the fourth quarter? I agree with not kicking a field goal, too much can go wrong. But run the ball and score. That's OK. If you don't score, Illinois has to cover 96 yards in less than 90 seconds to get on the board. There was no hidden agenda behind his move, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said.

"That was the decision we made and, no, I don't think it was to send any message because we don't – the next teams we play are different teams and a whole different set of circumstances."

THIRD DEGREE

– Looking at the schedule, it's tough to figure where Illinois' next win is going to come. Penn State is ranked in the Top 5. Michigan State looked bad Saturday, but it can still score points. Indiana showed it is a legitimate threat. Or did Michigan just prove that it isn't as good as we think? Who knows? What we do know is that the Big Ten, while not held in the same regard as the SEC and Big 12, is pretty competitive within. There are very few locks when it comes to predicting who's going to beat whom.

– Speaking of that Indiana-Michigan game, how about the call that went against the Hoosiers late, sealing the game for the Wolverines? It definitely seems like Indiana has a gripe. And you can bet within the next couple of days, we'll hear from the league office about the call on the dual-possession catch.

– The Top 10 is in shambles. No. 9 Miami lost, No. 7 LSU squeaked by Mississippi State. No. 6 Cal got stomped at Oregon. No. 4 Ole Miss got beat by South Carolina. Maybe there's a chance for Ohio State and Penn State to challenge for a spot in the BCS title game, after all. Maybe Southern Cal can play its way back into the title hunt. There are a lot of ifs out there when it comes to college football and its rankings. But at least it gives us all something to debate.

FOURTH ESTATE

Ohio State's rivalry with Michigan is one of the best, if not the best rivalry in college football. Ohio State beat writer Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch thinks the Buckeyes' next main rival is ... wait for it ... keep waiting ... Illinois. Yes, Illinois.

"This is what I don't understand about the Big Ten. You take a rivalry (Illinois-Ohio State) that was, in my opinion, maybe the best rivalry Ohio State had with anyone other than Michigan and take it off the schedule for a couple of years," May said. "It went all the way back to the 1920s. I think they've kind of screwed up this rivalry a little bit because the last three decades, the last two for sure, it's been intense as (heck). The team that should win doesn't always win.

"Like in 1984, Illinois went up 24-0 here in this stadium and Keith Byars and the Buckeyes came flying back. It's been some great finishes, some great heroics on both sides. Whenever you beat a team in its own place seven out of 10 times, in any league, NFL or high school, that's a big deal."

The latest game in which the unexpected team won was 2007 – when Illinois shocked No. 1 Ohio State in the Horseshoe. May doesn't think that game had much to do with anything this time around.

"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. "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."

IN THE STADIUM

The rain was a big topic Saturday, and rightfully so. From the opening kickoff until the final seconds ticked away, water was falling out of the sky. At times it was as if buckets were being poured nonstop. That didn't stop 105,219 poncho-wearing Buckeye backers from packing the stands. They enjoyed it almost as much as the touchdowns, letting out a raucous cheer when the heavy stuff started coming down. The weather also didn't dampen the Hall of Fame inductions Ohio State had scheduled for halftime. Twelve former Buckeye greats, including Andy Katzenmoyer (football), Michael Redd (basketball) and Dick LeBeau (football) were honored.

IN THE (Ohio State) LOCKER ROOM

– Saturday's shutout was the second consecutive pitched by the Ohio State defense, nicknamed "The Silver Bullets," and Tressel had a good explanation for why his defense has had success. "I think it starts with we've got great players. We've got talented players, no doubt about it."

– The Ohio State players seemed to enjoy the rain a little more than their opponents. The Buckeyes waved their arms, encouraged the crowd and even danced as the rain fell harder. "Our guys did embrace the challenge," Tressel said. "They embraced the challenge of horrible conditions, and if you didn't have focus, you might slip up."

– The pregame fireworks didn't escalate to anything out of the ordinary on the field. There was no more trash talking than normal, and it didn't appear that anyone took a cheap shot at the opposition.

"It was like that in '07, as well," linebacker Austin Spitler said. "It's just emotions running high and you're just ready to get out there and hit someone."