If the Rose Bowl was the first time you've seen Illinois play this season, you're probably under the impression that the Illini suck, and that Rashard Mendenhall is the only reason they got as far as they did this season.You'd be half right.
Illinois doesn't suck, they just ran into an opponent that is probably the best team in the country right now(no offense to LSU and Ohio State), and is just far more talented than the Illini. You're correct in assuming though that Rashard Mendenhall is the main reason the Illini were so successful this season.
Which makes it that much more painful that Rashard Mendenhall won't be coming back for his senior season, and is going to enter the NFL draft. Mendenhall hasn't made an official announcement about his future, but if anybody thinks he's going to come back after yesterday's performance, they're deep in a state of denial.
Mendenhall was already considered one of the best running backs in the country before Tuesday's Rose Bowl, and after scouts saw him play against USC, he could only have climbed higher up team's draft boards.
Anytime you can break free for a 79-yard touchdown run against the Trojans, and do so while running away from their entire defense, NFL scouts take notice of that.
Rashard's absence next season is going to create a pretty large void in Illinois' offense. One that will not be easily filled.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-02-2008 @ 2:42PM
Dawn Redfearn said...
Am I the only one in the country that sees USC for what they are? When you let taunting get out of hand and the coach does nothing and the refs do nothing(oh wow a penalty big deal, take the touchdown away and see if that stops the taunting) The airwaves were full of stories of how great and perfect coach Carroll is/was but If he doesn't sit players or at least reprimand players who are out of control , it hurts the game and you have people like Michael Vick in the headlines.
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1-03-2008 @ 5:16PM
litetek26 said...
It's soooo funny how UGA gets absolutely NO credit from the media for smoking the Rainbow Warriors. We Dawg fans were right all along... The Sugar Bowl was a no-win situation for the program. Win the game and you were supposed to win; lose the game and you were over-rated. What a crock of shit! The BCS is a sham, set up to put teams like Hawaii, Illinois and, yes, OHIO STATE into games they didn't deserve. Shame on the BCS for bumping UGA from the #4 spot. Shame on the Rose Bowl for taking Illinois to "preserve the tradition" (a stupid-ass tradition), and, finally, shame on the media for letting it all go down!
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