Did Glen Mason look a little surly as he almost shook hands with Tress after the game last week? Took a page right out of the LLLLoyd Carr School of The Social Graces. I guess he might have been a bit embarrassed or maybe he was just in a hurry for his date with Munch.  We knew the Gophers were having a down year and that they were beat up, but somehow a better effort was expected.  44-0 despite three Buckeye turnovers.

            The Fighting Illini are next on the chopping block as the Bucks begin a two week swing through the state of Illinois..  Can we still call them the Illini?  Are they still fighting?  With a 2-7 record it would seem to be a valid question.  While their win over Michigan State now may be viewed as no big deal, their game last week with Wisconsin might be.  Illinois had the Badgers down 21-3 in Madison before collapsing in a 30-24 loss.  Lest we forget, there is a large wooden turtle, the

 vaunted Illi-Buck trophy  at stake this week.  Ron Zook sends a young team to slaughter this week led by a true freshman QB Juice Newton, I mean Williams.  Excuse my flashback to the 80’s there for a second.  Williams will be an excellent QB…. eventually and is damn entertaining right now.  He was recruited by everybody is very mobile and has a big arm.  He is, however, a freshman playing with a young, bad team against the best team in the country.   Might be a great day for Juice to tweak a hammy in  pre-game warm ups.  Illinois is improving and will play hard.  It won’t matter. 

            Things are getting interesting in the process of selecting the opponent for the Buckeyes in Glendale.  USC took themselves out of the sweepstakes last week with a loss to Oregon State..  Now we will have to watch the winner of the WV-Louisville game try to make it past Pitt and Rutgers.  Then we will get to listen to the SEC apologists whine that a 1 loss SEC team is more deserving than anyone.  Texas has only one loss and only A&M between them and a berth in the Big XII championship game.  Our Irish friends still have a shot, but now won’t gain as much with an upset over a once-beaten USC.  Tennessee may be playing the best of anybody south of the Ohio River.  The Vols path to Glendale is a tough one though, especially when they host LSU this weekend.  They need somebody to beat Florida, while they stay the course.  The real national championship game will be played in Columbus Ohio on November 18.