Tuesday Post-Practice Player Interviews – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Following Tuesday’s practice, four players stopped and talked with members of the local media and OhioStateBuckeyes.com to share their thoughts on the win over Toledo and the Big Ten opener with Illinois Saturday at Ohio Stadium (3:30 p.m. ET/ABC).
Players included Chimdi Chekwa, DeVier Posey, Brandon Saine and Austin Spitler. In addition is a video interview with Bryant Browning from Tuesday’s media luncheon.
Saturday will be the 96th meeting between Ohio State and Illinois with the Buckeyes leading the series, 61-30-4. Ohio State has won four of the last five meetings, but Illinois was a 28-21 winner in the last game in Columbus (2007) and has won three of the last four matchups at Ohio Stadium. Since joining the Big Ten Conference in 1913, Ohio State is 69-23-4 in conference openers.
Saturday also will mark Coach Jim Tressel’s 300th career game as a head coach.
ILLINOIS AT A GLANCE
Illinois is 1-1 after opening the season with a 37-9 loss to Missouri before rebounding the next week to post a 45-17 win over Illinois State in Champaign. The Illini had a bye week Saturday. They are led on offense by senior quarterback Juice Williams and junior wide receiver Arrelious Benn, who has been out with an ankle injury suffered in the opener against Missouri. Backup QB Eddie McGee replaced an injured Williams two weeks ago against Illinois State and led the Illini to a 45-17 win over Illinois State Sept. 12, passing for 164 yards and picking up another 55 on the ground. Sophomore running back Jason Ford is Illinois’ top gainer on the ground. He posted 137 yards on 10 carries and one touchdown in the win over the Redbirds. As a team, Illinois is second in the Big Ten with 247.0 yards per game on the ground, an average of 6.1 yards per rush.
The Illini are led by fifth-year head coach Ron Zook (Miami Ohio, 1976), who was an assistant coach for the Buckeyes from 1988-90 under John Cooper.
ILLIBUCK TROPHY
Illibuck is a wooden replica of a turtle presented to the winner of the Ohio State-Illinois football game. The tradition began with a live turtle in 1925. Illibuck is the second oldest trophy exchanged in the Big Ten, behind the Little Brown Jug between Minnesota and Michigan.
