The Illinois Fighting Illini knocked off their third ranked opponent of the season Saturday. And this time, it wasn't just any old top-25 team - it was the No. 1, undefeated, and seemingly championship-bound Ohio State Buckeyes.
Things didn't look promising for the Illini after the Buckeyes scored a touchdown on just the second play of the game from scrimmage. But an 80-yard rush from running back Daniel Dufrane put the Illini at the Buckeyes' 3-yard line, and a quick pass out to receiver Michael Hoomanawanui tied up the score at 7-7. The Buckeyes' second possession also resulted in a touchdown, but again the Illini mustered a quick response and kept the game tied at 14-14 at the end of the first quarter.
After the back-and-forth first quarter, the key to the Illinois victory was the defense. The Illini kept the Buckeyes scoreless in both the second and fourth quarters. While the Buckeyes picked up 180 yards on the ground, they were held to just 156 in the air. And most importantly, the Buckeye offense was only able to convert on five of 13 third-down attempts. A pair of sacks from defensive linemen Jerry Brown and Will Davis and three interceptions rounded out the slew of defensive firepower the Illini brought to Columbus on Saturday.
Illini quarterback Juice Williams was not spectacular, completing 12 of 22 pass attempts for 140 yards, but he was turnover-free. The sophomore threw for four touchdowns and no interceptions, while Buckeye quarterback Todd Boeckman threw three picks, with the first two leading to Illini touchdowns and the third sealing the Buckeyes' loss in the fourth quarter.
Though the Buckeyes still stand atop the Big Ten standings with a 6-1 conference record and 10-1 overall, the loss will likely end their hopes of a return to the National Championship Game. Compared to other one-loss title contenders such as the No. 1 LSU Tigers, No. 2 Oregon Ducks and No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners, Ohio State's schedule is significantly less difficult. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, strength of schedule is a large determinant in the BCS ranking system.
Nine hundred miles southwest of Columbus, the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks remained one of only two undefeated teams in Div. I - the other being the No. 16 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, who improved to 9-0 with a 43-28 victory over the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
The Jayhawks' unbeaten status is largely thanks to wide receiver Marcus Henry. In Saturday's game, Henry reeled in a career-high eight catches for 199 yards - that's nearly 25 yards per catch - as well as three touchdowns. In fact, the Jayhawks' entire receiving corps was outstanding against the Cowboys' secondary, catching 28 passes for 352 yards.
Henry has 885 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 10 games this season. In five of these 10 games, Henry has surpassed the century mark in receiving yards,and he's had a reception of at least 40 yards in six of the 10. The 6'4", 210-pound senior has established himself as one of the best receivers in college football.
The Jayhawks won't face much of a challenge next weekend in the 3-8 Iowa State Cyclones, but will have to bring everything they have into their Nov. 24 clash with the No. 5 Missouri Tigers if they want to finish undefeated and have a chance at a title game berth.
Even with a win over the Tigers though, the Jayhawks will have a tough time making it to the championship game. Despite the Jayhawks' unblemished record, the BCS system ranks them well behind LSU, whose schedule is dramatically tougher, playing six top-25 ranked teams compared to the Jayhawks' two.
Furthermore, the Tigers have outscored their ranked opponents by a combined 212 points to 148, including a 48-7 drubbing of the then No. 9 Virginia Tech Hokies. The Tigers' only loss came at the hands of the-then No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats in a 43-37 triple-overtime thriller in Week 7.
As it stands, the Tigers and the Ducks are the frontrunners for the two title game berths. LSU will finish the season against the Mississippi Rebels and the Arkansas Razorbacks, both unranked, while the Ducks will close with three unranked teams: the Arizona Wildcats, UCLA Bruins, and the Oregon State Beavers. Assuming no upsets, the Tigers and Ducks are almost certain to battle it out on Jan. 7 in the New Orleans Superdome for the national title.
But in what's become a season of upsets, that could all change next weekend.
