Illinois at Ohio State Football Odds & Picks
Written September 24, 2009 by Rock Henderson
An early season Big Ten match-up between Illinois and Ohio State was much anticipated when the schedules were released, but both teams enter the game full of question marks that need to be answered. Jim Tressel has recently come under fire for his conservative play calling with a game breaking quarterback behind center in Terrelle Pryor. The playbook was opened up a bit more in the 38-0 thrashing of Toledo, but Tressel will have to showcase it more than one game to please the Ohio State faithful. Illinois, on the other hand, fell hard to Missouri in the opener 37-9 and their high powered offense only managed nine points. The Buckeyes are favored by two touchdowns at home on Saturday according to the latest college football lines. Meanwhile, the total is currently set at 49.5 points.
Illinois comes into the Ohio State game with a 1-1 record after defeating Illinois State 45 to 17. In 2007, QB Juice Williams threw for four touchdown passes at the Horseshoe, leading the Illini to a 28-21 upset win. Williams was held out of most of the Illinois State game after injuring a quad on a run. Backup Eddie McGee played well accounting for three scores, but Juice should be able to play this weekend after getting an extra week to recover. Head coach Ron Zook could be placed on the hot seat if they lay another egg on national television. After going 5-7 in 2008, fans have become increasingly irritated with the inconsistent performance of the orange and blue. The defensive side of the ball for Illinois took a huge hit earlier this week when junior LB Martez Wilson was ruled out for the year to repair a lingering neck issue. Preseason All-American candidate WR Arrelious Benn has been non-existent in the first two games catching one ball for nine yards. The junior wideout has been plagued by an ankle injury suffered against Missouri but is expected to play Saturday. Illinois is 7-3 at Columbus in their last 10 games. If you bet on college football, you need to take advantage of the $500 match bonus at BetUS!
The IlliBuck Trophy has belonged to the Buckeyes the past year after their 30-20 victory in Champaign, IL. Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor was billed as the next big thing in college football coming out of high school. The sophomore quarterback has superior size and running skills, but has made mistakes in the passing game. The conservative play calling style Coach Tressel has portrayed with Pryor in his first two years was finally put to the side against Toledo as the dual-threat quarterback racked up 372 yards of total offense and accounted for four touchdowns with three coming by air. Much of the criticism directed at Tressel came after another disappointing loss to the USC Trojans where it was the defense that allowed the 86 yard drive for the go-ahead touchdown.
Illinois was viewed as a sleeper to take home the Big Ten conference title in 2009. Ohio State is always a favorite to do so. A daunting task awaits for Ron Zook’s squad, but they have played extremely well against Ohio State in his five year tenure. Having two weeks to prepare for Terrelle Pryor can only help the Illini’s situation.
Recommended Play: Illinois +14
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