COLUMBUS, Ohio — Top-ranked Ohio State’s national title hopes teetered on a timeout, the ball inches from a first down for Illinois.
Illini coach Ron Zook changed his mind, decided to go for it on fourth down and that was the beginning of the end for the Buckeyes’ hopes of redeeming themselves in this season’s national championship game.
Quarterback Juice Williams provided the big plays on the ground and through the air, spurring the Illini to a stunning 28-21 victory on Saturday and throwing open the national title race for a bunch of teams that needed the Buckeyes to lose.
“I know ‘shock the world’ is overused,” Illini linebacker Jeremy Leman said. “It is pretty shocking to most people, but not to the guys in the locker room.”
Marcus Thomas’ interception gave Illinois the ball with 8:09 to play at its own 24. And Ohio State never got it back.
The Illini lined up to punt on a fourth-and-inches at their own 34 with 6:53 remaining while grasping a 28-21 lead, but Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel called timeout and Zook reconsidered after being prodded by his quarterback.
“I said, ‘Coach, you don’t think we can get a half an inch?”’ Williams said amid the uproar of the postgame celebration. “He looked at me and got on the headset to (offensive coordinator Mike) Locksley. He (Zook) said, ‘If you don’t get it, I’ll hurt you.”
Williams sneaked for the first down and twice more he converted third-and-long on quarterback draws to burn the clock.
Tressel said of the timeout, “I’d like to have that one back.”
It was the first time Illinois (8-3, 5-2 Big Ten) had beaten a No. 1 since 1956, and the first time it had done it away from home. The defeat also ended a conference and school streak of 20 Big Ten wins in a row by Ohio State (10-1, 6-1).
Williams, criticized at times because of his errant passing, tossed four touchdown passes. He finished 12-for-22 passing for 140 yards and carried 16 times for 70 yards.
The Buckeyes, who were in first-place in the BCS standings and two victories away from a second consecutive trip to the national title game, became the second No. 1 to lose this season.
All those who doubted the Buckeyes because of what they called a weak schedule must feel vindicated.
Who will be No. 1 now? Maybe, LSU — again. The Tigers lost as the top-ranked team to Kentucky earlier in the season. Count Oregon, Oklahoma, Missouri and even West Virginia among the others happy to see the Buckeyes get beat. All now have a better chance at reaching the national title game, thanks to the Illini.
The Illini rushed for 260 yards against an Ohio State defense that came in allowing just 65 yards on the ground per game. Rashard Mendenhall set an Illinois season record (1,402 yards) while rushing for 88 yards on 26 carries.
The defeat not only crippled Ohio State’s dreams of a national championship, it knocked the Buckeyes into a tie for the top spot in the Big Ten because of Michigan’s earlier loss to Wisconsin.
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