NOV. 1, 2006
BUCKEYES-ILLINI: POINT-COUNTERPOINT
The Illini are still bad, but they're dangerous because of freshman quarterback Juice Williams. Cal Remkey and Scott Clifton take turns answering five questions about OSU's trip to Champaign:
1. Will Illinois true freshman Isaiah “Juice” Williams be able to make any inroads against an Ohio State defense that has not allowed a touchdown for the past eight quarters?
>> SCOTT CLIFTON: I have to say that I was quite impressed watching Juice Williams lead the Illini to a road win over Sparty. Granted, it was Sparty, but the true freshman looked like he will be quite the player in a couple years. But for every good thing he does, he makes a mistake from what most would call inexperience. Williams has nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. And his completion percentage is an underwhelming 42.6 percent. What Williams lacks in passing consistency, he makes up for in escapability. He has rushed for over 350 yards this season. Not bad considering Troy Smith has only 169 yards this season. So look for OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock to devise a scheme that pressures Williams, but also keeps him from thinking he can create with his legs. Williams will make his share of plays, just not enough to keep Illinois within 21 points.
>> CAL REMKEY: Maybe at first but not all game. This is not OJ we’re talking about here. Just like last week against Wiscy, the Juice may come out squeezing at first but he’ll be drained by halftime. He alone cannot beat the mighty Buckeye front, who should have everyone healthy for the first time in four weeks. Williams simply does not have enough around him for Illinois to be a legitimate threat.
2. As a university and from an athletic standpoint, the Illini seem to have many assets. Why is it that this program struggles to succeed consistently?
>> CLIFTON: I'm not quite sure about this one. You'd think they could go into Chicago and St. Louis and recruit some serious talent. I will say that Champaign-Urbana could be a tough sell for some recruits, but if Boise State can get athletes, the Illini should be able to also. Hell, the Illinois basketball team seems to have no trouble getting athletes. I wasn't sold on Ron Zook when they hired him, but after two solid recruiting classes he may be heading this program in the right direction. The question remains: will Zook get the chance to take Illinois to the next level?
>> REMKEY: There really is no excuse. Some Illinois fans will claim that it is because the academic requirements are too great. But in the same area, Notre Dame, TSUN, and Wisconsin, all seem to be able work past that aspect. The basketball team is not full of Rhodes Scholars. They are large land grant university, with plenty of tradition in their football program. They have an historic stadium in which Red Grange and Dick Butkis brought the Illini to national prominence. What they need is someone who cannot only recruit, but also be an X’s & O’s guy. Zook can bring in the athletes but I have yet to see him out coach anyone (with the exception of John L. Smith, who has a total of three games left in his collegiate coaching career).
3. Troy Smith continues to lead the Heisman raise. Who is his primary competition at this point?
>> CLIFTON: NBC (i.e., the Notre Dame Broadcasting Company) feels like Irish quarterback Brady Quinn is close enough that they have started campaigning for him on NeckCAR broadcasts. But I don't think he has done anything to make up for his game against TSUN. The West Virginia boys RB, Steve Slaton and QB, Pat White will go a long way to convince me that they have a chance if Smith slips up this week. The Mountaineers finally play a good team in Louisville. Speaking of the Cardinals, QB Brian Brohm would have had a shot in my book if he didn't miss a couple games. The problem with Brohm is that Louisville didn't miss a beat without him or RB Michael Bush. That brings me to the only other logical player: Michael Hart. The TSUN running back should get a medal for taking a beating every year. Lloyd Cooper refuses to modernize his offense, so his tailback pays the price. If Hart stays
>> REMKEY: I think I’m going to go with Michael Hart. He is the only one who will be able to match Smith in terms of performance and hype. He will have a national stage to prove himself head to head against Smith. Domer fans will argue that Brady Quinn leads in total yards and in completions. But he has also thrown over 100 more passes than Smith and the only reason for that is because the Notre Domers need him to be passing deep into the 4th quarter. Smith is usually standing on the sidelines wearing a headset by midway through the 3rd.
4. Realistically, what are the chances that Jim Tressel leaves Columbus for the Browns job next season?
>> CLIFTON: I don't think The Vest is going anywhere. But that's just me. I've heard the argument that 'Well, if people say that he can't do something he may want to prove them wrong.' I know Tressel is competitive and would probably love the challenge, but I just think he's a smart enough guy to know that job security in the NFL is dicey at best. Plus, today's ego-maniacs, er, NFL players wouldn't do well with the Tressel way. I just don't think The Vest has a fast one -- like leaving OSU for the Browns gig -- up his sleeve.
>> REMKEY: Zip. Zero. Zilch. This question is being bantered around so much because there is virtually nothing else to talk about. There are no NCAA violations. There are no player arrests. There aren’t even any losses. Once I saw Bob Hunter weighing in on it, I knew there was no chance of it happening. I hear the same things that you do Scott, that he wants to prove people wrong, and that he never coached at the division 1 level so making the jump to the NFL would be no different. There are a couple of things wrong with that argument. One, Tressel did coach at the division 1 level for ten years as an assistant, including a stint at Ohio State. Secondly, he is dealing with the exact same people here as he was at Youngstown State. Yes they are better athletes, but they are still kids. The NFL is a completely different animal and when you’re weighing things like salary caps and so forth, Tressel would be out of his element. The only case that I feel holds a little water is that the Browns were his boyhood team. Everything else is pure speculation.
5. Now that USC drops into the pool of one-loss teams, what team has the best chance to get to the national championship game other than OSU or TSUN?
>> CLIFTON: As much as I don't think they will be the second-best team in the country, the winner of the Louisville-West Virginia game has to have the best shot. If that team wins out, they're in. The Mountaineers and Cardinals both have to play unbeaten Rutgers, but the Scarlet Knights are beatable. If UConn can get a back over 200 yards in a game against them, WVU and UL will rip them apart. And if one of those teams wins out, I seriously doubt that the computers will hurt an undefeated Big East champion enough to drop them below a one-loss SEC champion or, God forbid, the Domers.
>> REMKEY: The logical guess at this point would be the Mountaineers. I don’t think that Louisville will be able to hang with them without Michael Bush. WVU may struggle a little though after the UofL game because they actually have three potential letdown games (UC,Pitt, and the State University of New Jersey). After WVU, I would say Florida. This is the game that I am hoping for. I would love to see the Bucks smack an SEC team around and enact some revenge for the Cooper years. Everyone talks about how sweet the SEC is this year but I have yet to see that conference distinguish itself from the rest of the country. I think that the Domer’s only chance is if OSU loses to TSUN. There is no way anyone could justify elevating Notre Dame over TSUN when OSU rolls them on Nov. 18th.
Cal can be reached via email at calremkey@meanbrutus.com
Scott can be reached via email at scottclifton@meanbrutus.com
