Well, I said I wanted a fresh start for the season, and lo and behold we have a direct repeat of the first game against Missouri. A close first half with too many blown chances to score, and then the slow degradation of the entire game in the second half. Penalties killing drives, dropped passes killing drives, turnovers killing drives. It is so similar that I might as well reprint the Mizzou game's recap.

I don't know what is going on here. Unlike the Mizzou game this game was not the defense's fault. There wasn't even a completed pass of Ohio State in the first half. (Plenty of rush yards though.) At  the end of the first half though, the Illini had a perfect opportunity to score, and several penalties later, we were out of field goal range. What a terrible waste of an opportunity. Look, I wasn't looking for a huge day for the Illini, I just wanted them to be competitive. For fits and spurts they were. All too often they crapped away the chances they had to score.

Too many penalties, too many turnovers, too many missed opportunities. This season is only going to get tougher from here, and I do not like the direction in which the team is heading. I will have more tomorrow. Right now, I need to get drunk.