Payback on two levels

The Ohio State Buckeyes stormed into Illinois bent on payback for last years loss to the Illini and left with a 30-20 win that really was not that close.
Both Chris Wells and Terrelle Pryor rushed over 100 yards in the win as Ohio State improved to 9-2 before the hated michigan gang limps into Columbus for the season finale' next week.

Buckeye Leaves

1) Ohio State used the formula that they should have used all season-Wells on the ground with just enough Pryor to keep defenses honest....
Not much else I can say other than wish they would have tried this tack earlier.

2) The blocked punt by Malcolm Jenkins (2nd of the year for Jenkins) for a first half safety was a nice touch.
With a heavy wind in Illinois' face,the punt team seemed to be more concerned with covering a short punt than blocking a punt rush.
It cost them....

3) Pryor's 10 attempts through the air do not seem like many,but they were downfield attempts,not the five yard variety.
That is the type they need to continue doing....

4) Juice Williams numbers look OK,but he was rarely given the time to romp and roam as he did in last years game.
Blitzes kept Williams off balance all day...

5) The D-Line played very well yesterday especially Nader Abdullah and Cameron Heyward.
Abdullah has played well for the last month and Heyward improves by the week...

Bonus Rounds

11 tackles for safety Kurt Coleman.
A good game,but when your safety makes that many tackles,an alarm goes off for me.
That means too many plays are going downfield...

I am an unabashed OSU supporter and if the Buckeyes make the BCS,I will be thrilled.
However,you will hear no complaints from me if both Utah and Boise State make the BCS over Ohio State,as long as both stay undefeated.
It would be hypocritical of me to criticize the BCS system as being unfair to undefeated smaller conference schools and then bypass complaint because it would be my team to profit from it...

michigan week starts now and no,I could care less that they are 3-8 either!!!

The New Jersey Devils rebounded the day after I wrote that they had no offense with a 6-5 shootout win over Washington at the Rock.
Zach Parise beat Jose Theodore with a beautiful set of dekes and fakes that gave Theodore no chance to stop the biscuit for the shootouts only goal...

Hell Raisers

1) Great games for Patrik Elias (2 goals 6 & 7 and an assist) and Travis Zajac (3 assists).
Elias must have read Larry Brooks column on his underachieving!

2) Brooks is not all wrong on this,Elias has not been as productive as his contract suggests he should be,lets wait until the team is closer to full strength to talk about dealing Elias....

3) Nice to see Brent Sutter listened to me about Bergfors and Vrana's playing time or lack thereof.
Vrana was a healthy scratch so Sheldon Brookbank could play wing???
I like Brookbank,but if that does not signal disenchantment with Vrana nothing does...

4) The Devils lack of a spacing clearing defenseman killed them again as Washington tied the game with 1 second to go in the contest because no one wiped any Capitals away from Scott Clemensen.
I know we all want more scoring,but this is getting ridiculous.
Hit somebody!!!

5) The other Devils goals went to David Clarkson (4),Jamie Langenbrunner (4) and Brian Gionta (3) and they came by rushing the net and making things happen.
John Madden's feed to Clarkson for the games first lamplighter was especially pretty...

Bonus Round
Special fireballs to two defenders that I thought played well-Johnny Oduya and Annsi Salmela.
Oduya has never been a favorite,but he played well last night and Salmela (or Salmonella as Craig Laughlin kept calling him) seems to improve with each game.....


The Seattle Seahawks return Matt Hasselbeck and Deion Branch to the lineup for today's home game against the visiting Arizona Cardinals.
Assuming both are reasonably healthy,the offense should look much improved than the pop gun attack that has been seen over the last month.
The Cardinals score tons of points,but they allow bunches as well....
Everything except the home field says pick the Cardinals,but I have a hunch.

My Prediction:
Seahawks 31-29

Photo Credits
Pryor:Chris Russell-Columbus Dispatch
Parise:AP Photo
Helmets:Helmet Project