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Time will tell whether the Great Experiment of Champaign works or not, but one big piece of the puzzle seems to fit.

First-year coordinator Vic Koenning is having a positive effect on the Illinois defense.

Yes, it's still very early, but the Fighting Illini defense is showing promising signs after two games. Illinois limited Missouri to 23 points in the opener -- the Tigers' had averaged 43 points in its previous three games with the Illini -- and kept Southern Illinois out of the end zone last Saturday in Champaign. Despite losing three projected starters in recent weeks -- defensive backs Supo Sanni and Terry Hawthorne to injury, defensive end/linebacker Michael Buchanan to suspension -- the Illini are receiving production from a variety of sources.

Again, there's long way to go, but so far, so good.

"We're playing so much harder, we're tackling better, we're chasing the football better and we're not giving up the big plays," coach Ron Zook said. "That was the biggest problem we were having last year, the big plays. They're playing as a group, they're playing as a unit, they're flying around.

"It's hard to find a play where there's not at least eight guys around the football. It's team defense."

Zook's last phrase is the important one. Illinois never has lacked individual talent during Zook's tenure on both sides of the ball.

The two-deep on defense features heralded recruits like Martez Wilson, Corey Liuget and Whitney Mercilus. But since the Rose Bowl run in 2007, Illinois hadn't played well as a defensive unit, slipping to 67th in points allowed in 2008 and 96th last fall.

Although much of the criticism in 2009 was directed toward Mike Schultz and an offense that took eight weeks to get on track despite a fourth-year starter at quarterback (Juice Williams) and an All-America candidate at receiver (Arrelious Benn), the defense didn't hold up, either. Illinois allowed 102 points in its final two games, losses to Cincinnati and Fresno State.

As part of a major staff overhaul in December, Zook demoted co-defensive coordinators Dan Disch and Curt Mallory and brought in Koenning (Mallory left for Akron, while Disch remains on staff as linebackers coach). Illinois beat out Georgia for Koenning's services, and the move seems to be paying off.

Here's what cornerback Tavon Wilson told the (Decatur) Herald & Review this week.

"Coach Vic is more of an enforcer. If the [team] leaders are not taking charge, he will. He won't sit around and let practice go mediocre. He will make sure everyone is running to the football on every play. He'll run to the football with you if he has to. That's probably the biggest difference from coaches in the past. Past coaches wouldn't let it slide, but they weren't enforcing it as much as coach Vic would. He doesn't take a play off just like he expects you not to take a play off."

The Illini are receiving strong performances so far from safety Travon Bellamy (19 tackles, 3 tackles for loss), linebacker Ian Thomas (17 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery) and Martez Wilson (14 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble.

Five players already have recorded multiple tackles for loss in the first two contests.

"Everyone's involved," Zook said. "It's not just one player that's playing hard. They're all playing hard."

My colleague Heather Dinich had a great idea to examine offenses and defenses in the ACC that need repair and see which ones are on the fastest road to recovery. I'm totally stealing this concept for the Big Ten.

Let's start on the offensive side:

IN NEED OF REPAIR

1. Minnesota: The Gophers not only made a dramatic switch in style from the spread to the pro set last fall, but they incorporated a complex, and some would say convoluted, system of calls. The results weren't pretty, as Minnesota ranked last in the Big Ten in scoring (20.9 ppg), rushing (99.5 ypg) and total offense (306.5 ypg). Minnesota twice was shut out in league play.

2. Illinois: Despite having loads of experience at both quarterback and wide receiver, Illinois floundered on offense for more than half a season. The Illini struggled under new coordinator Mike Schultz, finishing 10th in the league in pass offense after leading the Big Ten in 2008. Quarterback Juice Williams, a four-year starter, was briefly replaced during Big Ten play as the Illini scored 17 points or fewer in six conference games.

3. Ohio State: Another Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl championship make it easy to forget how much Ohio State struggled on offense for most of 2009. Ohio State finished last in the Big Ten in passing (173.6 ypg) and seemed to be operating in no-mistakes mode for much of the fall. Terrelle Pryor and his teammates got it together in Pasadena, but Ohio State finished a middling 68th nationally in total offense for the season.

FASTEST ROAD TO RECOVERY

1. Ohio State: The Rose Bowl showed the Buckeyes' offense what it could be, and the unit took some steps forward this spring. Pryor looked a lot more comfortable both in practice and at the spring game, and while his mechanics might never be perfect, his footwork is much better. A veteran offensive line played well down the stretch last fall and should be even better in 2010, especially if Mike Adams locks down the left tackle spot.

2. Minnesota: The Gophers should be a better offense this fall for several reasons. They have experience at quarterback and a guy in Adam Weber who has succeeded earlier in his career. New coordinator Jeff Horton has simplified the system, a welcome change for players who went through information overload last fall. While the run game is a big question mark, the offensive line returns in full and drew favorable reviews from Weber and the coaches in spring ball.

3. Illinois: Talent isn't the problem at Illinois, but players still have to learn a new system under coordinator Paul Petrino and fill some big production holes at quarterback, receiver and offensive line. I really like the run game potential with Mikel LeShoure and Jason Ford, and if Illinois can solidify its offensive line, the backs should take a lot of pressure off of a young quarterback like Nathan Scheelhaase. Illinois can certainly get it done on offense this fall, but there's work left to do.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Paul Petrino wasn't present for the disastrous 2009 season at Illinois, but he knew things had changed with the Fighting Illini very early this spring.

Petrino, the team's new offensive coordinator, needed only one practice to see a difference. Actually, half a practice.

"You could see it as they hit the wall in the middle of practice," he said. "Just the speed and the intensity that we went about practice with, it shocked their system."

The wall got pushed back throughout the spring, to the point where players could complete a workout without falling flat. But the demands that Petrino, new defensive coordinator Vic Koenning and four other new assistants brought to spring practice never let up.

Last Tuesday, in practice No. 12 of 15 this spring, Illinois ran 93 plays during team drills. Koenning determined that the defense's performance in those 93 plays was unacceptable, so he made the entire unit do 93 up-downs.

"I've never done 93 up-downs after practice [before]," senior linebacker Martez Wilson said. "And the only reason we're doing it is because we aren't doing what we need to do."

After a poor defensive effort in one of the scrimmages this spring, Koenning had players do a pursuit drill until he "got tired of blowing the whistle."

"I wanted to see who was going to tap out," Koenning added. "We had a couple guys try to tap out and that exposed 'em."

Illinois has been exposed the last two seasons as one of the nation's biggest underachievers.

The program appeared to have turned the corner in 2007. Illinois made a surprise run to the Rose Bowl, and head coach Ron Zook continued to sign nationally ranked recruiting classes, bringing in the No. 12-rated class in 2007 and the No. 16-rated class in 2008. The talent was in place to take another step, but Illinois, as has been the case too often in the last quarter-century, backslid and went 8-16 the next two years.

"We didn't reach our potential, and there are a lot of reasons for that," Zook said. "That's the thing that we have to do this year."

Many thought a 3-9 season would signal the end for Zook, whose struggles to convert heralded recruits into consistent winners also cropped up at Florida. Ultimately, athletic director Ron Guenther not only stuck by his head man but gave Zook the resources, specifically two-year contracts with competitive salaries, to revamp his staff and attract top candidates. Zook fired four coaches, including offensive coordinator Mike Schultz, demoted both of his defensive coordinators and hired six new assistants.

The new coaches boasted impressive credentials, none more so than Koenning, who had rebuilt or enhanced defenses at Kansas State, Clemson, Troy, Wyoming and Memphis. Petrino had coached some of the nation's most dynamic offenses at Arkansas and Louisville, and was looking to branch out from older brother Bobby and take total control of a unit.

This spring, Koenning and Petrino began installing their schemes and terminology, which will take time to sink in. But their instant impact on the team went beyond X's and O's.

"We've turned the wick up," Zook said. "When we say something, this is what we want, this is what we're going to get. There's pretty much a line drawn in the sand now."

After last Monday's practice, Zook went into the locker room and started talking with the wide receivers, the group that Petrino directly oversees.

"Coach Petrino, he coaches hard now, and it's great, and they love it," Zook said. "And [the receivers] said, 'Man, where'd you get that guy?' Because the time they walk out that door until the time they walk in the door, they're held accountable for every single thing."

It's a welcome change for the players after two disappointing years.

"A lot of times, you see guys in the pros and they go to another team and people say, 'Oh, their career is revitalized,'" defensive end Clay Nurse said. "It's the same thing here. You've got a new coach coming in here, he's snapping that whip, he's not taking any nonsense from us.

"And that's good for us. It's something we need."

To call this season pivotal would be an understatement for Illinois, and there are plenty of question marks. The Illini lose quarterback Juice Williams, a four-year starter, and have virtually no experience back at the position. They also must find answers along both lines, in the secondary and with the kicking game.

Some talent remains, but talent has never been the problem at Illinois. Coaching must be a bigger factor for the Illini, and the process has started this spring.

"The thing I like is seeing us come together as a team," Zook said. "That all comes from the coaches. We're all saying the same things, we're all about the same things, and the players are buying in. They're realizing, too, that the best chance of them reaching their goals is everyone having the same goal."

I'm not kidding, that boy's head is like Sputnik; spherical but quite pointy at parts. Now that was offside, wasn't it? He'll be crying himself to sleep tonight, on his huge pillow.

• Rich Rodriguez and Ron Zook will step into the fire in 2010, while Tim Brewster and Bill Lynch also will feel the heat, Rivals.com's Tom Dienhart writes.
• Penn State's football program generates unprecedented profits, and Joe Paterno is the biggest reason why, Ron Musselman writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• Football drives the bus at Iowa, and the school's struggling basketball program might be paying a price, Scott Dochterman writes in The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette. Like several other Big Ten programs, Iowa is raising football season-ticket prices for 2010, Ryan Suchomel writes in the Iowa City Press-Citizen.
• After a one-year stint at Illinois, Mike Schultz lands on his feet as Middle Tennessee's new offensive coordinator.
• The Big Ten expansion push seems to be moving at a quick pace, CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd writes.
• Northwestern's Mark Ison has been named one of two recipients of the 2010 Wayne Duke Postgraduate Award from the Big Ten.

The Big Ten was the only major conference to avoid head-coaching changes this offseason, but the league certainly had its share of staff shuffling with assistants coming and going. Indiana's hiring of Mo Moriarity as offensive line coach on Monday marked one of the last turns on this year's Big Ten coaching carousel. Wisconsin still needs to hire a defensive assistant, but things are just about wrapped up.

Barring any late coaching changes, here's a look at who's gone, who's back and who's in new roles.

ILLINOIS

Offensive coordinator

• Who's out: Mike Schultz (fired)
• Who's in: Paul Petrino (previously offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach at Arkansas)

Defensive coordinator

• Who's out: Dan Disch and Curt Mallory both were demoted to position coaches. Disch is staying on staff as linebackers coach.
• Who's in: Vic Koenning (previously co-defensive coordinator at Kansas State)

Quarterbacks coach

• Who's out: Kurt Beathard (fired)
• Who's in: Jeff Brohm (previously quarterbacks coach at Florida Atlantic)

Tight ends coach

• Who's out: Jim Pry (fired)
• Who's in: Greg Nord (previously running backs coach/recruiting coordinator at Louisville)

Running backs coach

• Who's out: Reggie Mitchell (left to become running backs coach/recruiting coordinator at Kansas)
• Who's in: DeAndre Smith (previously running backs coach at UNLV)

Other moves

• Mallory left his position as secondary coach to become defensive coordinator at Akron.
• Special-teams coordinator Mike Woodford was fired along with Schultz, Beathard and Pry.
• Ron West was hired as a defensive assistant. His official responsibilities have not been announced.

INDIANA

Offensive line coach

• Who's out: Bobby Johnson (left to become assistant offensive line coach with the Buffalo Bills)
• Who's in: Myron "Mo" Moriarity (previously served as head coach at Carmel (Ind.) High School

IOWA

No staff changes, but recruiting coordinator Eric Johnson was named tight ends coach. Wide receivers coach Erik Campbell previously had worked with the tight ends, while Johnson had helped Darrell Wilson with the linebackers.

MICHIGAN

Linebackers coach

• Who's out: Jay Hopson (left to become defensive coordinator at Memphis)
• Who's in: Quality control assistant Adam Braithwaite was promoted to outside linebackers/strong safeties coach. Defensive coordinator Greg Robinson will take a more active role with the linebackers in 2010.

Other moves

• Secondary coach Tony Gibson will continue to work with cornerbacks and free safeties, and also serve as special-teams coordinator.

MICHIGAN STATE

Running backs coach

• Who's out: Dan Enos (left to become head coach at Central Michigan)
• Who's in: Brad Salem (previously served as head coach at Augustana College)

MINNESOTA

Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach

• Who's out: Jedd Fisch (left to become quarterbacks coach with the Seattle Seahawks)
• Who's in: Jeff Horton (previously served as quarterbacks coach with the Detroit Lions)

Wide receivers coach

• Who's out: Richard Hightower (left to become assistant special-teams coach for the Washington Redskins)
• Who's in: Steve Watson (previously served as associate head coach with the Denver Broncos in 2008)

Other moves

• Running backs coach Thomas Hammock was named co-offensive coordinator

NORTHWESTERN

No coaching changes

OHIO STATE

No coaching changes

PENN STATE

No coaching changes

PURDUE

Defensive line coach

• Who's out: Terrell Williams (left to become defensive line coach at Texas A&M)
• Who's in: Gary Emanuel (previously served as defensive line coach at Rutgers). Emanuel also was named co-defensive coordinator with a focus on run defense.

WISCONSIN

Defensive backs coach

• Who's out: Kerry Cooks (left to become outside linebackers coach at Notre Dame)
• Who's in: Chris Ash (previously served as defensive backs coach/recruiting coordinator at Iowa State)

Other moves

• Randall McCray, who served as Wisconsin's recruiting coordinator and assistant secondary coach, left to become defensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee. Wisconsin has yet to fill the vacancy.

Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg analyzes the recent coaching developments at Illinois.

Remember the dynamic Louisville offense from the middle part of the decade?

Illinois head coach Ron Zook hopes to recreate it.

Zook is hiring three former Louisville assistants to handle Illinois' offense in a make-or-break 2010 season.

Paul Petrino, most recently the offensive coordinator at Arkansas, takes the same job in Champaign. Petrino served as offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Louisville from 2003-06 before following his older brother Bobby to the Atlanta Falcons and then to Arkansas. Though the move from Arkansas to Illinois might seem a bit odd, Paul Petrino now will get to call his own plays (Bobby handled the Razorbacks' play-calling duties).

Greg Nord, who spent the past 15 years on Louisville's coaching staff, heads to Illinois to coach tight ends. And Jeff Brohm, the former Louisville offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach who most recently held the same titles at Florida Atlantic, will coach QBs for Illinois, according to colleague Bruce Feldman.

Zook has acted extremely quickly since Friday, when he dismissed four assistants, including offensive coordinator Mike Schultz, and demoted co-defensive coordinators Dan Disch and Curt Mallory. The embattled coach clearly had a replacement plan before announcing the changes. He still has to find a defensive coordinator, with former Kansas assistant Bill Miller a possible candidate.

All three incoming assistants -- Petrino, Nord and Brohm -- were part of Louisville's heyday.

In case you've forgotten -- it feels like eons ago for U of L fans -- the Cardinals lit up the sky and the scoreboard from 2003-07. Louisville's offense ranked in the top 10 nationally in all five seasons, leading the nation in 2004 (539 ypg) and ranking second in 2006 (475.3 ypg).

Ron Zook didn't waste much time in finding one of Illinois' new coordinators.

Illinois is expected to name Arkansas offensive coordinator Paul Petrino to the same position early this week, sources tell ESPN Scouts Inc.'s JC Shurburtt and The (Champaign) News-Gazette. Petrino, the brother of Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino, will replace Mike Schultz, one of four Illinois assistants fired Friday following a 3-9 season.

Zook also might find a defensive coordinator after demoting Dan Disch and Curt Mallory. Former Kansas defensive coordinator Bill Miller, who served under Zook at Florida, is a possibility.

An Illinois official couldn't confirm Petrino's hiring Sunday night.

Petrino, who was in the mix for Western Kentucky's head-coaching vacancy, guided a Razorbacks offense that leads the SEC and ranks eighth nationally in scoring (37.3 ppg). Arkansas ranks 10th nationally in passing and 14th in total offense, and quarterback Ryan Mallett, a transfer from Michigan, has developed into a superstar under the Petrino brothers.

This is an interesting move for Petrino, who has a much more stable situation at Arkansas but likely will be making much more at Illinois. He would join a coaching staff in Champaign that likely needs to reach a bowl in 2010 to keep their jobs.

Petrino's power spread offense is much more pass oriented than the system both Schultz and Mike Lockley ran at Illinois. The Illini lose several receivers but could get Arrelious Benn back next year.

Ron Zook will return for his sixth season as Illinois head coach, but he'll be working with a very different staff of assistants.

As ESPN.com reported earlier today, Illinois has announced the departures of four assistant coaches: offensive coordinator Mike Schultz, quarterbacks coach Kurt Beathard, receivers coach Jim Pry and special teams coordinator Mike Woodford.

In addition, Zook announced that co-defensive coordinators Dan Disch and Curt Mallory both will be demoted to position-coach roles next fall.

So Illinois will be replacing coordinators on both sides of the ball.

"These are some major coaching staff changes," Zook said in a statement. "Obviously we are not happy with the way the past two seasons have gone, but we believe in this program and its ability to rebound with the necessary decisions. I can't thank these coaches and their families enough for how hard they worked, for the heart and soul they poured into Illinois football. These are good, good people. These are the most difficult days in our business. I really wish all of them the very best in any future endeavors. I truly mean that."

Illinois has no news conference scheduled regarding the staff changes.

Athletic director Ron Guenther said Oct. 24 that changes would be coming, though Zook would be back in 2010. Guenther since has made no public comments about Zook or the program.

After a miserable 3-9 season, the coordinators figured to be in trouble, but this is quite a dramatic shakeup.

You have to wonder if Illinois wouldn't be better served to bring in an entirely new regime, but Zook will have one more chance to turn it around in 2010. Few head coaches will have a hotter seat than Zook, who now must revive Illinois' recruiting efforts and hope more players don't hop on the transfer train out of Champaign. Boosters are unhappy with the program's direction, and attendance likely will drop next fall.

The offense was a disaster during the first half of the season but seemed to be making progress since a 38-13 win against Michigan on Halloween. Schultz spent just one season at Illinois after an 11-year run with TCU. Think he'd rather be preparing for the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl right now?

The defense was a disaster late in the season, as Illinois allowed 102 points in its final two games. It seemed likely that at least one of the coordinators would go, but instead they'll move into lesser roles. Zook tried to hire Penn State defensive line coach Larry Johnson as his defensive coordinator last year, and Disch turned down a coordinator job at South Florida to remain with Illinois.

Several of Zook's remaining assistants, namely Disch and running backs coach Reggie Mitchell, are also some of his top recruiters.

The coordinator hires will be absolutely critical for Zook, but he needs to find coaches willing to be part of a win-or-else season in 2010. Should be interesting to see where this goes.

This has turned into running back showcase in Champaign, as Illinois' Mikel Leshoure and Fresno State's Ryan Mathews own the stage. We're tied at 45-45. Wow.

Leshoure is making a strong case for Illinois' starting running back spot in 2010. He has 184 yards and two touchdown on only 11 carries. Jason Ford certainly will be in the mix as well, but Leshoure looks like the complete package to me.

Fresno State refuses to go away, though, as a Mathews run set up another touchdown burst, this time by quarterback Ryan Colburn. Illinois' defense isn't showing up at all right now.

Every list of college juniors who could jump to the NFL after this season includes Illinois wide receiver Arrelious Benn, who still projects well to the next level despite a disappointing 2009 campaign.

Benn hasn't talked much about the NFL, saying he's undecided on his future, yet his departure seems like a foregone conclusion to some. But if it were up to Benn's mother, Denise, her son would be back at Illinois for his senior season.

"I would love to see him stay," Denise Benn told The (Champaign) News-Gazette. "I've not been getting any bothersome calls from anyone, and I appreciate that. It all keeps me grounded to the very real possibility of him staying."

ESPN's Mel Kiper ranks Benn as the No. 2 junior prospect at wide receiver, behind Dez Bryant, even though Benn's numbers have declined this fall. Benn leads Illinois with 36 receptions, but he has only one receiving touchdown.

There are some important factors Benn must consider if he wants to return to Illinois. Quarterback Juice Williams, a four-year starter at quarterback, will be gone, and there will be a competition between Jacob Charest, Nathan Scheelhaase and possibly Eddie McGee for the top job.

Illinois also is expected to make some coaching changes after the season, and if offensive coordinator Mike Schultz goes, Benn will be playing in a new system.

My guess is Benn turns pro, but his mother's comments are interesting.

Illinois' offense showed up Friday at Nippert Stadium. Unfortunately for the Illini, so did some of the problems that have plagued them all season.

If Juice Williams and his wide receivers performed like this all year, Illinois wouldn't be sitting at 3-8. Though Williams had several costly incomplete passes, including a sure touchdown to Chris Duvalt early in the third quarter, he performed well overall against a vulnerable Cincinnati defense.

The missed pass to Duvalt was one of several plays that seemed to sum up Illinois' disappointing season in Friday's 49-36 loss to the fifth-ranked Bearcats. Linebacker Nate Bussey was flagged for an inexcusable unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that gave Cincinnati a fresh set of downs inside the Illinois 10-yard line (the Bearcats converted for a touchdown). Illinois drew eight penalties for 69 yards, as it remained the Big Ten's most penalized team.

Special teams also continued to hurt Illinois. While Derek Dimke went 3-for-3 on field goals, Cincinnati racked up 210 return yards, including a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Mardy Gilyard.

Illinois athletic director Ron Guenther said last month that changes would be coming in Champaign, although head coach Ron Zook was safe. First-year offensive coordinator Mike Schultz might be saving himself with the offense's progress down the stretch, but Zook might need to shuffle his defensive staff. Illinois had no answer for a one-dimensional Cincinnati offense, as Tony Pike shredded the Illini for 399 pass yards and six touchdowns. The back seven couldn't keep pace with tight end Ben Guidugli (149 receiving yards, 2 TDs) and Gilyard (102 receiving yards, 2 TDs).

It's nice to see a class act like Williams play well down the stretch, but the future of the Illinois program seems very shaky right now. The Illini finish up next week against Fresno State as they try to avoid going 3-9.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Well, it's safe to say Juice Williams wasn't the problem for Illinois.

Williams is on the bench today after losing his starting spot to Eddie McGee, but he's watching an offense that continues to sputter. The Illini generated no points, three first downs and just 60 total yards in the first half against Michigan State, which leads 17-0 at Memorial Stadium. McGee is just 2-of-6 passing on the day, but the problems on offense obviously go much deeper here. Illinois can't generate a run game, and coordinator Mike Schultz still hasn't found a way to exploit the team's wide receivers down the field.

Michigan State, meanwhile, appears to be turning its season around. Playing without starting quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has an ankle injury, the Spartans have stormed ahead behind young running backs Larry Caper and Glenn Winston. Both backs have 64 rush yards and a touchdown, while quarterback Keith Nichol overcame a bit of a slow start to complete 9 of 14 passes for 132 yards.

MSU has outgained Illinois 281-60 and held the ball for 21:28.

The Spartans could be ahead by much more right now. Illinois needs to wake up in the second half. Zook and the Illini can't afford another noncompetitive loss.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Thumbs up, Michigan State's defense -- All three areas of the defense contributed in a potential season-saving win against Michigan. The front seven held the Big Ten's top rushing attack to just 28 yards, while defensive backs Danny Fortener and Chris L. Rucker teamed up for an interception in overtime.

Thumbs down, Mike Schultz -- The first-year Illinois offensive coordinator is off to a very rough start. An offense that led the Big Ten passing and ranked third in scoring last season has put up just 26 points against three FBS defenses. Illinois' vertical passing attack is virtually nonexistent despite a deep group of wide receivers led by Arrelious Benn. The unit's struggles have cost quarterback Juice Williams his job.

Thumbs up, Anderson Russell -- After losing his starting job to Jermale Hines earlier this season, Russell stepped up big for the suspended Kurt Coleman against Indiana. The senior safety tied for the team lead in tackles with six and recorded an interception and a fumble recovery in the victory.

Thumbs down, Minnesota's team discipline -- The Gophers can only blame themselves for Saturday's loss to Wisconsin after being flagged nine times for 75 yards. Minnesota's offense consistently hurt itself with holding and false start penalties in the first half, preventing more scoring opportunities.

Thumbs up, Brad Phillips -- His missed tackle led to a 67-yard Aaron Valentin touchdown in the first quarter, but Phillips rebounded to have his best game of the season. The Northwestern senior safety recorded two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery as an opportunistic defense helped the Wildcats rally to a road win.

Thumbs down, Indiana's running backs -- Ohio State poses a challenge for any offense, but this group has been too inconsistent this season. Darius Willis, Trea Burgess, Bryan Payton and Demetrius McCray combined for only 40 rush yards on 18 carries.

Thumbs up, Marvin McNutt -- The converted quarterback is looking more and more like Iowa's top big-play threat at wide receiver. McNutt recorded his first two career touchdown catches against Arkansas State, making grabs of 41 and 43 yards. He finished with 121 receiving yards on four receptions.

Thumbs down, Purdue's ball-carriers -- It's no mystery why the Boilers can't win close games. They can't hold onto the football. Purdue committed six turnovers on its home field and squandered a ton of early momentum to fall against Northwestern.

Thumbs up, Daryll Clark -- The Penn State senior quarterback bounced back nicely from a rough night against Iowa, racking up 175 pass yards to go along with 83 rush yards and two touchdowns against Illinois. His 51-yard run on third-and-7 set up Penn State's first touchdown of the second half.

Thumbs down, Wisconsin's inability to finish -- The Badgers are one of the Big Ten's surprise teams this year, but they continue to struggle to close out games. Wisconsin has seen big fourth-quarter leads shrink against Northern Illinois, Michigan State and Minnesota. Before long, the trend could cost Bret Bielema's team a win.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Illinois faced fourth-and-inches from its own 33-yard line, clinging to a 28-21 lead over top-ranked Ohio State at Ohio Stadium.

	AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
	After 38 consecutive starts, Ilinois quarterback Juice Williams has been benched.

Juice Williams knew he could move the chains, so he made a convincing plea to Fighting Illini head coach Ron Zook, who put his faith in the sophomore quarterback. Williams lunged for the first down and drained the clock as Illinois stunned Ohio State. It would be the defining moment for both Williams and Zook at Illinois, as the team went onto the 2008 Rose Bowl.

Less than two years later, Williams can no longer convince Zook that he should remain on the field. After watching his quarterback struggle for three games, Zook announced Monday morning that junior Eddie McGee will replace Williams as the team's starter.

McGee will make his first career start Saturday against Michigan State (Big Ten Network, noon ET). Though he has made 19 career appearances, Williams has started the last 38 consecutive games for Illinois at quarterback.

“Believe me, this is not all on Juice,” Zook said Monday his radio show. "The poor guy has at times played extremely well, but the thing you try to do in athletics is you’re trying to get a spark.

"This is not a knee-jerk reaction. This is a lot of thought and what-if, what-if, what-if. But the bottom line is we're in a part of our schedule now where we’ve got to go play."

Zook said Sunday that changes were possible at every position, including quarterback, but the move to bench Williams is still somewhat surprising. It's not every day that you see a four-year starter and the Big Ten's most experienced quarterback get relegated to clipboard duty.

Williams has struggled mightily this season, ranking last in the Big Ten in pass efficiency and throwing four interceptions and only one touchdown, but he also boasts amazing career numbers. He was Zook's first major recruit at Illinois, and his close relationship with the head coach has been well documented. Plus, there's a lot of debate about whether the offensive scheme under new coordinator Mike Schultz is the bigger problem in Champaign.

Even as the pressure mounts on both Zook and Williams, it seemed like the coach and the quarterback would sink or swim together.

Zook's decision simply emphasizes the obvious, that these are desperate times for him and the Illini program. If things don't get turned around fast, Illinois is headed for its fourth losing season in Zook's five years as coach. The momentum from the Rose Bowl run in 2007 has all but vanished, and despite a one-year contract extension this summer, Zook finds himself very much on the hot seat.

He puts his faith in McGee, the Big Ten's most experienced backup. McGee led Illinois to its lone win this season Sept. 12 against Illinois State after Williams went down with a thigh injury. The junior from Washington D.C. has provided a spark in the past, most notably against Missouri in 2007, and Zook is looking for the same thing on Saturday.

If Williams remains on the bench, he'll end one of the more unusual careers in recent Big Ten history. Last week he became Illinois' record-holder in career total offense, and in 2008 he set total offense records in three separate stadiums, including Michigan Stadium.

But you know what they say about desperate times.

Zook made a move that might save the season or seal his fate.