Ohio State watched its national championship dreams take a hit when Illinois defeated the then-No. 1 Buckeyes, 28-21, on Nov. 10, 2007. Chicago Tribune reporter Shannon Ryan takes us back to when Ohio State got upset that day, and how many of the players who played on that team for Illinois, wants history to repeat itself. "It's one of the...
Illinois coach Ron Zook Ohio State watched its national championship dreams take a hit when Illinois defeated the then-No. 1 Buckeyes, 28-21, on Nov. 10, 2007.
Chicago Tribune reporter Shannon Ryan takes us back to when Ohio State got upset that day, and how many of the players who played on that team for Illinois, wants history to repeat itself.
"It's one of the best games in University of Illinois history," said linebacker Nate Bussey, who played on special teams in the 2007 game. "It will always be one of the best games. You can compare 2007 to now, but at the same time you're trying to live for the moment and not what happened before. "
Illinois has not done well since that day, writes Ryan, going going 11-18 since the victory in Columbus and losing to all seven ranked opponents in that span.
Last year, Illinois lost 30-0 in Columbus. In coach Ron Zook's tenure against the Buckeyes, the Illini are just 1-4.
"It is going to be a great challenge and our guys have the ultimate respect for Ohio State," Zook said. "I think that is why you want to play in the Big Ten. You want the opportunity to play against great football teams and obviously this is one of them."