The Illinois Fighting Illini managed to score a couple of touchdowns and put up a couple of 2-point conversions, but in the end came up (very) short, falling to the Ohio State Buckeyes by a score of 52-22. Illinois kept the score at an acceptable 7-6 in favor of Ohio State after the first quarter, but the Buckeyes had a huge second quarter to take a stranglehold on the game.
Illinois vs. Ohio State 2012 final score: Buckeyes dominant in win over Illini
The Ohio State Buckeyes prevailed over the Illinois Fighting Illini to move to 10-0 on Saturday.
Ohio State put up 24 points in the second quarter, scoring three touchdowns and a field goal. Carlos Hyde accounted for two of those touchdowns, from 5 and 3 yards out, respectively. Braxton Miller also hit Rod Smith for a 51-yard touchdown pass in the frame, while Drew Basil added a 31-yard field goal to cap off the decisive quarter.
The Buckeyes added a couple touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but the game was already well over at that point, despite the 2-point conversions and all of that from Illinois.
Box Score Hero: It would be easy to go with quarterback Braxton Miller here, but Carlos Hyde probably deserves the honors. He carried the ball 18 times for 137 yards, good for an average of 7.7 yards per carry. He also had three touchdowns on the day.
Rankings Ramifications: Illinois is a losing team and the Buckeyes aren’t ranked as such, given the NCAA sanctions. That being said, they’re 10-0 on the season following this win and would be a staple if given the chance.
But Did They Cover? The Buckeyes were favored to win this game by 25 points on most peoples’ books. As noted by the SB Nation NCAA football odds page, they did just fine. If you bet the over, you did well.
Next Week’s Schedule: Ohio State will next take on Wisconsin after a bye week. Illinois will have no such bye week, and they’ve got Minnesota next.
See More:
