OK, you know the rules.  This is Northwestern week. Repeat after me: we are not looking ahead, we are taking them one game at a time.  The only game that matters is Northwestern.  Got it? 

In Champaign it was the worst of times - it was the best of times.  That sounds somehow familiar doesn’t it.? A dominating performance and a 17 point lead in the first half preceded an offensive melt down of major proportions in the second half.  From the time Beanie Wells regurgitated the football we saw the Buckeyes crawl into the shell of Tressel-ball.  The conservative play calling in the third quarter was understandable given the wind and an Illinois  offense which seemed about as likely to score as Dick Cheney at a Barbara Streisand concert.  The 4^th quarter is a different story. We had the wind, but not the momentum.  The seeming loss of faith in Troy Smith is not easily explained.  The coaches completely took the ball out of his hands.  All season this has been an offense which attacked.  Saturday for two quarters it retreated.  Mostly running  and passing in only the most obvious situations was a strange way to keep an offensive machine humming.  That strategy allowed the Illini to hang around into the 4^th quarter and finally seize the momentum.  If the onside kick had succeeded as it damn near did, we would have had a major fright fest.  With an ugly win, the Bucks are 10-0.

Next up are the Northwestern Wildcats. That is it.  No peaking, no looking at the schedule or the calendar, nothing.  This is Northwestern week.  Everyone better damn well remember what happened the last time we were in Evanston.  Trust me it was an ugly scene, losing in OT to the Mildcats.   Then we were forced to watch  as the brainiacs in purple tried to figure out how to celebrate a big win.  They were tripping over their pocket protectors, tossing calculators in the air, chants of SAT, SAT rang long into the night.   Despite some of the best minds in the nation they never did figure out how to get the goal posts they had torn down on the “L”. Three weeks ago the Cats looked as dead as Bob Hope.  Then they play the Weasels to a respectable 17-3 loss.  Next they go to Iowa City and completely dominate the Hawkeyes.  So it would seem that the Cats are finding themselves after a season loaded with injury and tragedy.  Now they get the Bucks in Evanston in what I’m sure they will consider their bowl game. Tyrell Sutton is healed and healthy and running like the best back in the Big Ten. Here we go again, catching another team on the rise.  Cue up Pat Benetar for a little “Hit me with Your Best Shot”.   Then we’ll close with “Another One Bites the Dust”. The Bucks will win, but not in pretty enough fashion to keep the fans from worrying themselves into a dither as focus turns to that  of which we are not allowed to speak.

Elsewhere last week…..Thank you Jamarcus Russell and the LSU Tigers for turning Rocky Top into Rocky Flop  with a late TD drive.  With their second loss theVols have politely removed themselves from the national championship race.  Louisville eliminated WVU in what amounted to a national semi-final.  Florida, Texas, Notre Dame, Auburn and USC remain one-loss contenders for the spot opposite the Buckeye-Weasel winner. 

 This week the Weasels visit the IU Hoosiers.  I thought the Hoosiers were coming on, but who can explain their disgusting performance against a terrible Minnesota team.  Hopefully IU will rally enough to at least batter and bruise the Weasels some.  Florida hosts South Carolina in Coach Superior’s homecoming.  Does the old ball coach have enough tricks to trap the Gators?  Why not.? Auburn hosts a disintegrating Georgia team.  Uga should never have had that surgery. USC hosts Oregon in what was once thought of as a big game. 

Look I know this wasn't a great column.  I tried to keep things too simple in the second half of the column..  I thought, after some great writing in the first half of the article, all I needed to do was to crank out some short sentences, monosyllabic words and avoid big spelling or grammatical mistakes and I would be OK.  I think my word selection was poor and too predictable. Then when I needed to really write I just couldn't recapture my momentum.  And yes I might have been looking ahead just a bit. Won’t happen again.  Bucks will win 35-10 and I’m going to write like my brain is on fire.