Ep. 285: Illinois preview, and what factors are most responsible for an Ohio State upset loss?

Our preview of Ohio State's 2020 schedule continues with a breakdown of Illinois with Bob Asmussen of the Champaign News-Gazette. But this Buckeye Tall Big Wednesday pod goes in-depth to explore big upsets. iI's a phenomenon Ohio State football rarely experiences, but when those days come around, they tend to linger in the memories of players, coaches and fans for years after. When we say upsets, we don't mean losing as a betting line favorite. We mean a ranked Ohio State team losing to an unranked team in a completely unexpected fashion. Aided by our Buckeye Talk Subtext subscribers, Doug Lesmerises, Nathan Baird and Stephen Means look at the various elements that set the stage for upsets and look for common denominators. Also, each of us picks which opponent on OSU's known schedule is the biggest threat to spring an upset in 2020. Baird and Asmussen, a Big Ten beat writer since 1996, discuss the uncertain future ahead due to COVID-19 and what the Big Ten might be able to do to salvage a season. They also delve into the continuing Lovie Smith rebuild -- what last season's turnaround to bowl eligibility meant, and where the Illini still must improve to make a jump. Thanks as always for listening to Buckeye Talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.