It wasn't always pretty, but you're just a fickle person if you weren't  pleased with Ohio State's 30-0 win over the Illinois Fighting Illini today. In the pouring rain, Ohio State brutalized (sometimes literally) an Illini attack that was still lead by the guy who absolutely gashed the legendary '07 defense. The Buckeye ground attack finally came alive, with both Buckeye backs looking worlds better than they had in previous weeks, and that was really all that was necessary to turn this game into another laugher. Clearly, Ohio State still has things it needs to work on. The passing game has gotta start clicking soon. We still can't be sure how well Chekwa and Co. will hold up if Ohio State fails to pressure the QB. But let's not dwell on that for now. This is our second feel-good win a row, and our second shutout in a row. We haven't had two shutouts in a row since 1996, people, and I'll wager that both the Illini and the Toledo Rockets will finish the season as top-30 statistical offenses.  

The Good

- The offensive line, which was excellent - against a fairly stout Illini front - and answered most of the questions its play had engendered  from the first three games. Crushing play from the interior allowed Daniel Herron to get loose late, Brandon Saine to get loose early, and generally keep the entire offense in sync for most of the day. It had felt like ages since we'd seen a Buckeye line blow a team off the LOS, and we got that in bunches today.

- Not that it's news anymore, but this defensive line is nothing short of fucking spectacular. Ohio State played nine freaking guys in the first half and never lost a step after the first Illini drive (was I imagining things or were the Illini holding just a bit early?) Buckeye leaves for Thaddeus Gibson, Lawrence Wilson, Doug Worthington and even Rob Rose, who's excelling as just a reserve DT. Ed Cunningham said they were the country's best, and that's getting harder and harder to dispute. It may also be the deepest, which is a total 180 from just a couple years ago, where just one injury would have decimated the unit.

- Further mention of Gibby is warranted: the dude stopped Illinois' first second half drive by himself.

- The secondary, outside of a boneheaded Chekwa PI penalty and Coleman's senseless, brutal helmet-to-helmet hit (more on that later) in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter, was very good. When Williams actually had time, there just wasn't an open man to throw it to. Perhaps Benn isn't all the way back, but he isn't getting called the nation's best receiver without reason. That's twice in three weeks Ohio State has done a good job limiting a future first rounder - first Damian Williams, now Benn.

- Lawrence Wilson's fro-hawk. Somebody get that man a medal.

- Brian Rolle. Is it a stretch to say he's better than AJ Hawk was as a junior?

- Let's give credit where it is due with respect to play-calling. If the rumors are true, and Darrell Hazell is calling more than 50 percent of the plays, Jim Tressel deserves a pat on the back for acknowledging his faults and Hazell deserves a raise for the partial revitalization of the offense's game with read-option, misdirection and well-timed play-action.

- Posey and Sanzenbacher deserve some credit too for hauling in a few mystifying Pryorballs. The WRs in general caught most everything that came their way.

The Just Okay

- I'm creating this category just for Terrelle Pryor, who didn't have anything to do in the first half. He was better in the second half, but he still doesn't look very confident. One pass in particular, in which he rolled out to his right and attempted a pass all the way across his body to Ray Small breaking off a route, was just dumbfounding. That being said, he looked good running the ball, and his passing did improve - slightly - as the game wore on. That deft avoidance of an Illini blitz and subsequent run for a first down was positively Troy Smithian. Still needs work overall.

The Bad (aka, the nitpicking)

- Some of the defensive playcalling was worrisome. Why one would ever give a 5-yard cushion to Arrelious Benn is just beyond me. In the second half, the Illini began to find ways to circumvent OSU's contain schemes and we didn't appear to have an answer, until LW nullified it all with an awesome tip and pick.

- Tressel punting with the other team reeling in the first half. Again. He would, of course, make up for this later with the "eff you" touchdown of the year on OSU's final possession.

- Ron Franklin, who was positively Pam Wardian today. Todd "Durlinger"? Like five times? Seriously?

- Kurt Coleman  was fine, but that helmet-to-helmet hit on a defenseless Illini running back? Stupid, careless, and incredibly dangerous. Kurt: you're better than that. I hope. You could have seriously injured that guy, pointlessly, in the late stages of a total blowout nonetheless. I'm not holding it against the conference if they suspend him for Indiana. That was sheer idiocy and that sort of thuggishness has no place in Ohio State football.

The Downright Confusing

- Not that it didn't end up working out, but why was Saine replaced with Herron? Tressel always prides himself on things like rhythm and pace, and Saine had looked very good. I hope a similar move doesn't disrupt the offense at some point later this season.

- In a similar vein, are we ever going to see Saine, Boom and Pryor on the field at the same time again? Perhaps in the fabled two-back shotgun set?

- Jermale Hines is probably one of our top-5 tacklers, so him getting shrugged by Williams was a little shocking.

All in all, the "bad" and the "confusing" are mostly nitpicking. Units that had previously underperformed - the running backs, the offensive interior chief among them - brought their A-games today and we finally saw (against relatively legit opposition) what this team is capable of.

I still don't think we have seen this team at its best. Honestly, we haven't even seen this team as a fully functional, cohesive unit yet. But things are improving. The defensive line has gone from "here we go again..." against Navy to lights out against SC, Toledo and Illinois. The offensive line is finally starting to get some push, and they really put the Illini line - the supposed strength of their defense - on roller skates today. The receivers are no longer running around seemingly aimlessly, and drops post-Taurian Washington's benching are almost non-existent. Lastly, tthe secondary is either the Big Ten's best, or it just looks that way thanks to the play of the line.

Prior to the season, I stated that one thing I like about Tressel teams is that they always get better throughout the regular season, and I think this one is clearly doing it with each passing week. There is now only one thing that I can absolutely say still needs work, and it is, of course, the passing game. The numbers today were low with good reason - the terrible, cold, rainy weather - but Ohio State just won't beat Penn State if Terrelle Pryor isn't worlds better. He's staring down his guys, still forcing it far too often, and doesn't always see the wide-open running lanes.  I think the receivers are holding up their end of the bargain, and Dane Sanzenbacher might be the Big Ten's best wideout outside of Eric Decker. Right now, it's all on Terrelle to use these next five weeks to develop into merely a good, game-managing quarterback. Save the legendary VYesque highlights for next year; because this guy has gotta start taking baby steps.  His play the rest of the season will be the difference between just another January bowl and a return to the BCS.