Amy Sancetta / AP

Ohio State wide receiver Brian Robiskie, No. 80 and teammates walk off the field after losing to Illinois, 28-21.

After the game, Illinois players flooded the field to celebrate at midfield. The two teams got into a small skirmish with some shoving and a couple of punches thrown before order was restored.

Ohio State’s Todd Boeckman had his worst game in his first year as a starter. He completed 13 of 23 passes for 156 yards with three interceptions. Thomas had one pick and forced another in the Illinois end zone in the third quarter by tipping it to teammate Antonio Steele.

The Illini opened a 28-14 lead with a drive built on the running of Mendenhall and Williams. Mendenhall had 17 yards in the march, with Williams going for 16 and also hitting Brian Gamble on a 15-yard gainer. Williams, who has been replaced late in games, finished it off with a 31-yard scoring pass to a wide-open Marcus Wilkins at the goal line.

The Buckeyes came right back to cut the lead to 28-21 with a 76-yard drive of their own, with Boeckman — never known as a runner — picking up 35 yards on the first snap. The Buckeyes scored on Chris Wells’ 18-yard run to the right corner of the end zone.

After forcing an Illini punt, the Buckeyes were moving the ball again when Boeckman’s deep pass into double coverage was intercepted by Thomas, who leaped high to reach the ball ahead of Brian Robiskie.

“I knew right away I underthrew the ball,” said Boeckman, harassed all day and sacked twice.

Wells ran for 76 yards on 20 carries and scored on runs of 11 and 17 yards.

The Buckeyes had won their last 28 regular-season games and hadn’t lost at all since getting routed 41-14 by Florida in the BCS title game. Zook played a big part in building those Gators, before he was fired by Florida in 2004.

The Zooker got the Buckeyes again.

A year ago the Illini were 2-10, but they showed signs of improvement for the first time in years in a 17-10 loss to No. 1 Ohio State. The year before the Buckeyes beat Illinois 40-2.

“We said two years ago when we were here,” Zook said, “it would be a different story when we came back.”

Was it ever.

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