We can blame anyone for this, really. Mike Holder, Brad Underwood, Travis Ford, whoever you want to blame probably deserves to shoulder a little responsibility for Underwood bailing on Stillwater after Year 1 for Champaign.
I think we can also all agree this was (mostly) a money issue. If Illinois is a better job than Oklahoma State (a big if), then it is marginal at best. Not even worth discussing the minutia that might make it so.
Illinois was willing to pay ~$20 million (including Underwood’s $3 million buyout) and OSU was not. Cut and dry.