Rose Bowl: Illinois vs. USC

[tornado]

I know there are a few here who are NOT Illinois fans, but seriously, is there anyone living in the state
who doesn't really want to see the young, surprising Illini upset the trash talking, cocky Trojans today?

I am not much of a college football fan, at least not since BU has gone undefeated in college football,
but I would thoroughly enjoy a good butt-kicking of the Trojans and their roster of paid/professional players
that the NCAA seems to always allow and look the other way.

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1198

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1389

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/2007-03-10-oj-mayo_N.htm

[MacabreMob]

I hope the Illini football team does well today.

(I am not the vacuous Illini football hater some would expect me to be)

[bert notorius]

I hope the Illini football team does well today.

(I am not the vacuous Illini football hater some would expect me to be)

Definitely not empty...you are full of sometihng. (I kid)

[Beninator]

I would like to see the Illini win today but I think USC wins by 20!imo

[SFP]

As I predicted when they were matched up that USC would blow them out. Zook has done a great job and with two more decent recruiting years he will be able to match up with the likes of USC. The depth that USC has at every position will wear out just about anyone. Their second string could be a top 20 team.

The Illini had an exceptional fun season. Congrats!

[IlliBraves]

Not a good day for Illini Nation. I wanted to make like Brian Randle and punch the wall out of frustration. This team had a chance in the third quarter. Down 18 at the half, Rashard Mendenhall ran off a 79 yard touchdown to bring the score to 21-10. Then, as the Illini appeared to be driving, Juice Williams hit his receiver inside the ten, but fumbled in the endzone. That's the beginning of the end. On that drive, SC appeared to be ready to punt again, but an incomplete pass ruled as a lateral sparked an easy SC scoring drive, which led to more Illini turnovers, and 28 straight USC points. Juice had a decent day throwing the ball, throwing for 246, but nobody could seem to hold onto it, and the defense understandably grew tired. And Pete Carroll, being the D*ck bag that he is, ran up the score. What a douche.

[BradleyBrave]

Despite the rough day, this has been a renaissance year for Illinois football. No one predicted them to win 9 games and go to the Rose Bowl, and with the youth and momentum of this season, Illinois should be seeing January bowl games annually.

[IlliBraves]

Despite the rough day, this has been a renaissance year for Illinois football. No one predicted them to win 9 games and go to the Rose Bowl, and with the youth and momentum of this season, Illinois should be seeing January bowl games annually.

Yeah, but this time, let's actually win one. Same old story for the Illini in the BCS. Now, I'm not taking away from a season where I didn't expect us to finish anywhere near this highly, but it would be nice to win a bowl game again.

[vbird]

How did USC run up the score? They scored their last td with over 5 and half minutes left in the game?

Nice season for the Illini, but this showed they didn't deserve to be in the BCS Rose Bowl. What a shame.

[BradleyBrave]

Yeah, but this time, let's actually win one. Same old story for the Illini in the BCS. Now, I'm not taking away from a season where I didn't expect us to finish anywhere near this highly, but it would be nice to win a bowl game again.

Did you really expect to beat USC? Illinois has overachieved all year. USC, when healthy, is the best team in America. Illinois is a good team, a team on the rise, but they aren't national title-caliber yet. USC is. The game went about how I expected it to. Illinois has nothing to be ashamed of. This year was a great building block to sustained national success IMO.

[tornado]

I guess if you buy the endless drivel from USC fans Brent Mushburger and friends, then maybe you would say that they don't belong in a BCS game.
It took 'til halftime before I was sure if I was watching the right game, since the west coast folks who broadcast the game seemed to only notice one team on the field.
I don't deny USC is the better team, but I think they'd have beaten most any team today, and just as easily. It's always nice when you can essentially play a game of this magnitude as basically a home game.
I disagree the Illini didn't belong, in fact I think they showed they did. USC is a very good football team, but a couple of unfortunate fumbles as Illini players were entering the end zone, and this game would have been a one-score game in the final 5 minutes.

Congrats to the Illini, better luck next year, this experience can't help but pay off.

[vbird]

There is no way anyone will ever convince me, that Illinois, who finished 3rd in the Big 10, deserved to get in the Rose Bowl over Missouri.

[houstontxbrave]

Illinois doesnt turn over the ball 4 times leading too 4 USC turnovers this is a different game. You make your own breaks/luck, but Illiniois got zero breaks/luck in this game. Lateral with a bounce up to a running back who goes 60 yards, a questionable fumble/receiver down, a ball that is knocked out of the receivers hands into mid air into another USC receivers hands.

Against USC, Illinois has zero margin for error, today there were plenty of errors. But this is a very young team with a ton of talent.

Illinois has to build on this, they should unlike 01 when it went straight down hill after the LSU pasting.

[BradleyBrave]

There is no way anyone will ever convince me, that Illinois, who finished 3rd in the Big 10, deserved to get in the Rose Bowl over Missouri.

You're probably right, but BCS rules prohibit a conference from sending more than 2 teams to BCS bowls. The real sham is Kansas getting the BCS call over Missouri.

[houstontxbrave]

The real sham is that the NCAA allows the BCS, TV, University presidents and money to control their Division 1 football and not to have a 16 team play off.