Boiled Sports

You know how it is in November...Survive and advance.

2009-11-20T23:37:00.005-05:00

Purdue fans soak up the pre-game atmosphere in St. Thomas

If I would have seen this, tonight's game might have reminded me of a few last season- Hummel got in early foul trouble and played less than 10 total minutes in the first half...and Purdue rebounded poorly. But, last season, Smooge didn't play this too often.

I'd give you a link for EsPN's box score...but that doesn't exist. Sure, the BC and Tennessee games both received such a luxury...but they're both ranked higher than Purdue. Oh wait, they're not.

Then again, as a fan, what do we really need? TV- nah. Internet media coverage- nope. I can't wait until they put the muzzle on Cliz...it'll complete the media trifecta.

Smooge drives on a player from the sitcom University "State"

Moore finished with 22 points, 5 assists and 2 steals. Hummel and Johnson had 14 and 13 pts. respectively. Kramer had 5 assists while running the point...Smith hit a few shots off of the bench and Byrd had 6 rebounds...and Barlow played significant minutes. But, he made some Freshman mistakes in the closing minutes- silly foul, a turnover...he'll learn.

Purdue will play the upset-minded St. Joe's Hawks who beat BC by 4. On the other side of the bracket, Tennessee whipped ECU by 39 and scored 105.

After the game, Painter assured everyone that if Purdue played like they did tonight against St. Joe's, they'd lose.

This game seemed to be the type that I can remember Purdue teams losing in the past- poor free throw shooting, poor performances by multiple starters...overall sluggishness. But they didn't- that's good.

They played down to their competition- that's bad.
The really good news is they get to play in two days...this time hundreds will be able to watch as the game is on Fox College Sports in super-low definition. I actually have that because I pay an extra $7/mo, mainly for the NFL network through Comcast.

Have I told you how happy I am with the TV coverage Purdue's gotten this season?

Thanks again to all media outlets involved who have made all of this possible.

Bucket Predicto

2009-11-20T16:14:00.005-05:00

J says:
As we discussed on the Handsome Hour, Tiller was good at dominating the MAC, Minny, NW and IU but pooped the bed on the road, against ranked teams and esp against UM @ Ann Arbor. Hope, however, beat OSU when they were #7, won @ UM and competed well @ Oregon and vs. UND. Ah, but they lost spectacularly to Minn, NW...and a MAC team. Uh-oh.

Still, I think this team remembers how to dominate IU. And the last two senior Purdue QBs finished their Boilermaker careers by hanging 60 on the Hoosiers. Wouldn't it be great to see Joey (the Duke) do that?

He won't be quite that good, but he'll win.

Purdue 42
Indiana 35

Tim says:
I hate to say it, but the Hoosiers scare me more than I'm comfortable admitting. They've hung tough with some good teams, and they nearly beat a team (Wisconsin) that completely dominated Purdue. What does all that really mean in the end though? They're on a 4 game skid,
that should extend to 5. Purdue lost it's bowl chances last week, and I'm wondering if they'll have lost some of their fight as well.

As has been well documented this week, I doubt that the hate is really there for IU like it used to be. They've been so soft and cuddly the past few years that it's just hard to hate them.

All things considered, Purdue needs this game more than IU (even though they both have no bowling to do), so I think the Boilermakers will get it done. It will be close though.

Purdue 33
Indiana 28

Boilerdowd says:
Plain and simple: If Purdue can tackle consistently, they will win. But, if they come into the game like they did v. MSU and refuse to wrap-up, and are forced into a shootout, I think IU will finally finish-out a team. IU has big, strong receivers that can cause trouble in the open field...and their returners can cause even more havoc. On defense, IU has great DEs, a couple good linebackers and a some talent in the backfield. This is not the same IU team from '08...even if the record tells you otherwise.

I look for IU to get out in front early, possibly on the back of a special teams return for TD...but I also think Purdue will settle down, IU will shoot themselves in the foot, and "The Duke" will end up bringing the bucket back home...rather, Jaycen Taylor will bust a run or two and take advantage of IU speed upfield.

Purdue 30
Indiana 24

To your call once more we rally, Alma Mater, hear our praise;
Where the Wabash spreads its valley, Filled with joy our voices raise.
From the skies in swelling echoes Come the cheers that tell the tale,
Of your vict'ries and your heroes, Hail Purdue! We sing all hail!

Hail, hail to old Purdue! All hail to our old gold and black!
Hail, hail to old Purdue! Our friendship may she never lack,
Ever grateful ever true, Thus we raise our song anew,
Of the days we've spent with you, All hail our own Purdue.

TV update

2009-11-20T11:03:00.007-05:00

Lots of Clapping, not lots of winning
IU got dump-trucked down in Puerto Rico yesterday by 18. Everytime the scrappy Hoosiers would make a run, Ole Miss would slam the door shut.

IU fans were enjoying their third game on TV...first on a national stage. IU is not ranked.

National Champs Fall
To *everyone's surprise, the reigning National Champ, Penn State Nittany Lions fell Thursday to the always gritty UNC Wilmington Seahawks. PSU looks to rebound today v. Tulane.

At least they get to lose on TV. Penn State is not ranked.

More of the Same
There's no shame in losing to UNC (on a neutral court, no less). But, aOSU's all-around badass, Evan Turner, had double-digit turnovers in Thursday's loss at MSG. The Bucknuts boast of four former 4-star recruits and a 5-star on their roster...and most are very experienced. But it looks like the inherent problem with Thad Matta-led teams is going to haunt this season yet again...there's no order on the team and when all-else fails, they tend to underperform.

Buckeye fans were enjoying their third game this season on TV...their second national TV game. aOSU is 18th in the nation.

Like a Virgin
Purdue plays SDSU tonight at 8:30 in the Paradise Jam Tourney (that was clearly planned by my son's pre-school class)...gather 'round your radios and enjoy all the action. In a collective effort by EsPN, BTN and the Purdue athletic department, Purdue's basketball team continues its all blacked-out season for '09...and is still 7th in the nation.

Come on, yo!
Just got an e-mail from the PAA that was selling the Wooden Tradition...of course, they had two of Purdue's current players on the promotional photo in the current uniforms:
It's a shame there's no one on the current roster to go along with Smooge that anyone in the Purdue family would know. Dammit this stuff drives me crazy. I guess cutting and pasting last-year's ads gets the job done nicely. The really awful thing, is it appears to be a photo of 33 from '07.

*everyone in this case is defined as people who think the NIT is important

BSad: Handsome Hour - November 18, 2009

2009-11-19T10:20:00.003-05:00

The Handsome Hour expands to over 1-and-one-half hours, yet again...

Your co-hosts talk about football...

Lewis Jackson's injury...

T-Mill stops by to explain how close Purdue was to putting their hands on the national championship trophy...

and buckets.

Thanks, Joe.

All This Hate Isn't Good For Your Bowels

2009-11-18T16:58:00.004-05:00

I look around and see this week being called "hate week" in a lot of places. You've got PSU trying admirably to make their manufactured rivalry with MSU mean something. You've got Minnesota supporters resorting to rankings I've never heard of to bash Iowa, while Iowa slaps right back with some admittedly funny shots at the Minny football program. And, of course, you've got the slack-jaws from Columbus and Ann Arbor doing their typical strutting around, pretending anyone outside of Columbus or Ann Arbor really cares about their game (and, of course, throwing infantile tantrums when anyone has the temerity to report anything or opine on their program).

It's funny. It's been an exciting season and we've got a fiery coach who likes to rub people's noses in their own crap, and yet, I can't seem to summon the hate and fire I'm supposed to be able to summon. Here we are, us, H&R and Crimson Quarry, politely going along as if we don't despise one another. You'd expect this out of T-Mill at H&R, of course, as he's rarely one to tweak people, choosing instead to represent Purdue as Switzerland (don't ask me what Switzerland borders).

Us, on the other hand... well, we're jerks. You know this, of course, which is why you read this site. And we've taken our shots at Indiana before, but in recent years it has had a whole lot more to do with their embarrassing basketball program travails and, despite being eminently mockable, we've been sort of easy on their football program. Why? I don't know. Maybe we don't like seeing them fail as miserably as they've failed at times -- our joy in seeing others fail is more reserved for the wretched arrogance that emanates from South Bend. (Who, by the way, really doesn't have a rival to play during rivalry week. How sad.) Our hate tends to come out more for programs with poor leaders who refuse to focus on issues they should be focusing on (like, say, Michigan or, again, Notre Dame).

To me, the Bucket rivalry would be much more fun if both programs were "up," and thus the games meant more. We're at a point with IU where losing to them would be awful -- like losing to a MAC school. So if that's the most hateful thing we can say, so be it.

So what say you? Do you hate IU? Do you truly love seeing them scorched by 40-50 points?

Flowing Streams of Crap

2009-11-18T13:38:00.001-05:00

We've been relegated, yet again to watching the game on the computer. Yay.

Fox's Masterplan with The Paradise Jam

Handsome Goodness On The Airwaves Tonight

2009-11-18T10:34:00.003-05:00

Tune in tonight at 10 PM Eastern for your weekly dose of nonsense.

It's the Boiled Sports Handsome Hour. And it's on your radio dial tonight. Okay, maybe not your radio dial. But it's more fun to say that then on your computer speaker.

Will we have callers? Will we have guests? Or will it just be me and Boilerdowd talking about the unprecedented disasters befalling some of the biggest geniuses in football? You'll have to listen to find out.

Also, a programming note -- we'll be taking next Wednesday night off and hosting the next show on the following Wednesday, December 2. So if you wanted to call to talk about Thanksgiving, tonight's the night to do so.

Paradise Jam TV Info Remains Vague at Best

2009-11-17T15:08:00.004-05:00

Purdue plays in the Paradise Jam this weekend, and you'd think the P-Jam people would want to showcase their growing event. And maybe they do, but figuring out what games will be on TV and what channels will carry the games is an exercise in frustration.

According to the Purdue athletic site, the games will be carried by Fox College Sports -- well, Sunday's semi-finals and Mondays finals games will be anyway. As for Friday's tilt against South Dakota State? Good luck with that. It's not like Purdue is the 7th-ranked team in the country or anything... oh wait, no, they are.

After Friday night's game, Purdue will have played two exhibition contests and two regular season games and exactly zero out of four will have televised.

Well-done. Well-done, indeed.

LewJack Out Indefinitely

2009-11-17T14:50:00.005-05:00

I really hope this isn't a sign of another injury-filled season for Purdue basketball because if this team is healthy, they could do some things.

Lewis Jackson will be sidelined "indefinitely" after undergoing surgery today on his foot for last week's injury that kept him out of the opener against Cal State Northridge.

Foot problems are never good for basketball players. Say goodbye to Lewis for at least a month, but probably longer.

Addendum:
LewJack out until after February...at least.

Hey, It's Bucket Week!

2009-11-17T10:34:00.002-05:00

While other rivalries mark this week as "hate week" (and Notre Dame plays Connecticut because the team they pretend is their rival refuses to come to Indiana in November), Purdue and Indiana will square off for the Old Oaken Bucket for the 85th time. Purdue leads the Bucket series 55-26-3 and the overall Purdue-IU football rivalry 69-36-6.

When last we left the Bucket game, Purdue was steamrolling Indiana in a way that hadn't been seen before and which was called by one writer, "the worst loss in the history of Indiana University football." And Indiana has had some bad teams.

The nice thing about the Bucket game is that it allows Purdue players whose seasons have been a bit below-average to make up three months' worth of yardage, touchdowns, etc., in one afternoon. It's a nice service IU provides.

I kid, of course, but only slightly. The Bucket rivalry has never been what you might call even, but it's been particularly lopsided over the past decade-plus. Since 1996, Purdue has only lost to IU twice -- in 2001 and 2007. The 2001 game was a rain-soaked 13-7 loss, where a bowl-bound 6-3 Purdue squad inexplicably could not move the ball against the then 3-6 Hoosiers. The game may have been more pivotal than anyone thought as IU then beat Kentucky to finish up 5-6 and the Boilermakers lost to Notre Dame and Washington State in the Sun Bowl to finish 6-6.

In 2007, IU was playing with tremendous heart after the tragic loss of Coach Hoeppner and held on for dear life against a furious second-half comeback by the Boilermakers. That loss capped a winless November for Purdue and a team that began the year 5-0 and 7-2, would wind up 8-5 with a win in the Motor City Bowl.

Since 1996, when the rivalry seemed to turn decided in Purdue's favor, Purdue has won by such scores as 56-7, 52-7, 41-13, 34-10, 63-24, 41-14, and, of course, last year's 62-10 annihilation.

You can thank the 2004 Boilermakers for Gerry DiNardo's ugly mug being on your Big Ten Network screen so often these days -- the 63-24 destruction in Kyle Orton's last game caused DiNardo to be fired the following week. If Bill Lynch, nice guy though he may be, loses to Purdue in embarrassing fashion in consecutive seasons (seasons in which Purdue is a sub-par team), I would have to think the door may be opened for him.

As Crimson Quarry puts it: "I would hope that Bill Lynch has the telecast of last year's game on continuous loop in the weight room, conference room, training room, dorm rooms, and so on. To say the Hoosiers will be playing with pride may be a bit presumptuous. All too often in the last 15 years the Hoosiers have failed to show much pride or intensity in the Bucket game."

I would have to believe that the Hoosiers will remember last year's dismantling. How could they not? The questions become whether the talent has changed significantly from last year's game and whether or not playing in Bloomington instead of West Lafayette matters. Do those factors make for a 53 point swing? I guess we'll find out.

More to come this week.

The BS Blogpoll Ballot

2009-11-16T11:36:00.003-05:00

Aside from the top teams, everybody's moving all over the place.

Rank	Team	Delta

1	Texas
2	Florida
3	Alabama
4	TCU
5	Cincinnati
6	Boise State
7	Pittsburgh
8	Georgia Tech
9	Ohio State	3
10	Stanford	13
11	LSU	3
12	Oklahoma State	4
13	Oregon	5
14	Penn State	5
15	Oregon State	5
16	Wisconsin	8
17	Iowa	4
18	Miami (Florida)	9
19	Southern Cal	9
20	Houston	9
21	Utah	6
22	Rutgers
23	Arizona	6
24	Navy	1
25	West Virginia	3
Last week's ballot

Dropped Out: South Florida (#21).

Questions/thoughts:

Should Cal be in place of West Virginia? Somebody else? I left WVU in because they lost a tough game to a great team and they have a chance to prove they belong this weekend.
I almost want to put TCU above Alabama because of how impressive they won over Utah.
Speaking of which, does Utah even deserve to be ranked at this point? I would drop them out but whenever a team loses to a top 5 team, people seem to think that's like a "quality loss."
Is USC okay at 19? I want to drop them out, too, but that seems harsh. They're still good.
However, Stanford demolished them and will do the same to Notre Dame in two weeks. The Cardinal have the biggest rise but they earned it, I think.
Texas remains at the top. Oooh, Florida beat a marginal South Carolina squad on the road. Whoop-dee-doo. The SEC is more overrated every week I watch them.
Rutgers appears for the first time in a couple months, after their thorough dismantling of a woefully unprepared South Florida.

Lemme know what's up, yo.

Can't You Hug A Mascot in America?

2009-11-16T11:00:00.004-05:00

Danny Hope thought we were living in America, but apparently not. Because when Ralph Bolden hugged Purdue Pete, Purdue -- and America! -- got slapped in the face with a 15 yard penalty.

Hope's quote is great:

"They said it was excessive celebration,” coach Danny Hope said before practice Sunday. “I tried to keep my cool. I thought this was America. I don’t get it. There wasn’t anything too graphic or out of line. I’ll have to look it up in the rulebook because that caught me off guard. I said, ‘What did that do that for?’ and they told me he was hugging Purdue Pete. I thought, ‘You got to be kidding me. This is America.’ Who knows? Nothing surprises me anymore. It seems like a bit much. It’s not like there was groping or anything. It’s unbelievable."

Indeed, coach. What did that do that for? Wait, what?

Anyway, as mentioned, Purdue AND America have been penalized 15 yards and as a result, Canada will now begin 15 yards into ~~Wisconsin~~ Minnesota. Sorry, ~~cheeseheads~~ blonde fat people.

Monday Morning Gumbo

2009-11-16T08:14:00.006-05:00

Perfect
Mr. Handsome and his team squeaked by to improve to 9-0. Much like the Colts, the Saints aren't really in much of an offensive rhythm just past the midway point of the season. But, like the Colts, you know it won't take much for them to get back into one.

This is what they do right
Once or twice a year, EsPN flexes its programming muscle and strong arms a bunch of little schools into playing at weird times of the late night/early morning. Tonight, tomorrow morning is that day for '09. The games start at Midnight tonight and end at around 11:45 tomorrow night. Sure, it's not a full 24 hours of basketball, but it's pretty awesome. Kansas, UCLA, Michigan and Clemson are all involved (in relatively-normal schedule games)...but why would Clemson agree to go TO Liberty to play??? Horrible scheduling.

So we in the Midwest get to experience what our friends on the West Coast and even our pal Gregg, in Germany get to do so often- watch sporting events at extremely-odd times of the day. Enjoy your Corn Flakes and Monmouth as you get ready for work, tomorrow.

Big Play Ray
If you haven't yet seen it, try to catch the Vikings highlight of Ray Edwards' sack. Sure, it was an illegal hit, but it was pretty-awesome. I'm not going to give too much away other than saying think Lavar Arrington.

Woods-y
My brother-in-law spent some time Down Under last year and he told me everyone adds "ee" to the end of things in Australia. So, I thought it fitting to name this blurb likewise above.

Tiger Woods was asked to play in the Australian Masters, and he obliged just because he's a really nice guy. OK, maybe not...maybe a $3 million appearance prize got it done, but it's still worth talking about. Woods also walked away with around $200,000 for winning the tournament.

How do you think it makes the other players feel- Woods makes more than the combined field, just for appearing...and of course, wins the tourney too.

Unbelievable
If you decided to go to sleep when the Pats were up 31-14 in the fourth, you chose poorly.
I know, I know, Belichick is a genius...But it's not hard to understand where another genius got off the tracks, is it?

Old Demons Haunt Again

2009-11-14T15:37:00.008-05:00

Purdue's offense hummed, at times today...but lapses by the defense, a very-early key turnover scoop & score and, get this, Special Teams problems doomed our Boilers bowl chances in RA today, with a 40-37 loss to MSU.

The Old Oaken Bucket becomes the Old Oaken Bowl for both IU and Purdue as, for the second season straight, this rivalry will end both teams' seasons.

Elliott managed the game very well all day, and followed his BT offensive POW with another great game- 39/55 373yds, 2TDs, 0Ints. Smith had 152yds receiving, and C. Smith caught everything thrown his way...Bolden, Taylor and Elliott combined for a solid 150yds rushing...but, the dreaded two-minute offense, or lack there of struck again as an obvious Achilles heel left Purdue looking like it had no idea how to handle a small clock and a small deficit.

Wiggs (uncharacteristically) pulled and missed a field goal and had a long one blocked...and the kick coverage was as bad as we've seen all season. Purdue's lanes were non-existent and the speedy Spartan returners shredded Purdue time and time and time again. Is anyone else sick of this crap? I hope Coach Hope is. This poor coverage is really the difference in the game- note that MSU's offensive output (362 yards) doesn't typically merit 40 points...but when you combine it with 229 return yards, it seems about right.

Purdue's defense, that came up with plays to stop MSU early in the game, couldn't seem to counter the adjustments made by Dantonio and company in the second half. In spite of big plays by Brandon King and David Pender in pass defense, Purdue's lack of aptitude covering the TE & RB was glaring.

So here we are- The Bucket-Bowl is horribly reminiscent of my time on campus...The lousy mid-late 90s when two 4 win teams would battle for state supremacy and no one cared outside of Indiana. Maybe that's not-exactly correct as a few recruits down in Florida might be watching...but, for the most part, you get the gist. I'm positive a 5-win season wasn't what Hope had in mind as he spoke about the 'special season' this year. But let's be honest- This was a pretty fitting end to the quest of a bowl game for '09.

A Good Start

2009-11-13T21:41:00.006-05:00

This one kinda seemed like a video game...one in which you're playing someone who never played before

It was 22-3 with nine-tenths of the game still remaining...It was over before it started.

The Ostrich and JJ shot well, Purdue hit free throws and CSN was icy after their long trip to God's country...the Matadors really didn't even get a chance to get warmed-up and the contest was out of reach.

The squad that visited Mackey earlier tonight didn't resemble the team that gave Memphis all it could handle last March...CSN graduated six of its top-seven scorers last spring and EsPN's pre-game "star" watch focused on a player who averaged 8.9/gm...They were simply overmatched.

J had an interesting observation about Cal St. Northridge- in spite of heavy attrition, they have zero Freshman on the roster. The odd recruiting strategy of going solely after JuCo players looks like it might not have worked, if this evening is any gauge.

In spite of being up by 33 points at the half, I don't think Purdue played all that well. The early deficit, while it allowed the Freshman to play, didn't give the core players a chance to get into rhythm with one-another. All the starters saw a decent amount of minutes, but not too many together. Guys like Byrd, Barlow, Smith & Bade were given the chance to play significant minutes with the help of one or two of the starters at a time.

DJ Byrd scored 13, but really took the game over effectively at one point. Kelsey Barlow was also impressive...but most-noteworthy was a flush he had over two CSN defenders in the second half after a drive that started on the other side of the timeline. Bade looked uncomfortable at times missing a few layups, but he did have 9 rebounds. And speaking of rebounding, I liked the way Ryne Smith rebounded- he has clearly matured mentally in the off-season.

Not a whole lot to talk about other than the Paint Crew was in mid-season form and seems to be trying some new things- good to hear. Keep in mind that tonight's contest was without two guys who were lost due to injury- one would have started, the other would have at least seen 5-7 minutes...Things look solid for the 7th-ranked team in the land.

Purdue has a week off before playing in the US Virgin Islands v. South Dakota State.

LewJack Injured

2009-11-13T16:25:00.003-05:00

A couple of sources are saying Lewis Jackson is out for a few weeks...Already, Painter's move of not redshirting Barlow might be paying off. Granted, Jackson was still suspended for tonight's contest, but it sounds like he'll be out until December, to me.

CSNorthridge and Purdue tip off at 7:00...it'll be broadcast in lousy super-low definition via ESPN360. Thanks to all parties responsible who joined forces to screw Purdue for the third time this season.

MSU Predicto

2009-11-13T15:23:00.005-05:00

Tim says:
What the heck? I'm all in. Let's go bowling.

Michigan State's defense can't stop the Purdue offense. Only the Purdue offense can do that. If the defense can contain the Spartan running game (and that's a big if), then there's a good chance for a victory. If Bolden can carry the day and the offense can control the clock with long drives, as we saw last week, then Purdue wins the game.

Wisconsin and Michigan running backs tore through the line like J Money tears through a big bowl of whole grain toasted fiber flakes. Or is it the fiber flakes that tear through J Money? Regardless, the defense MUST do a better job of slowing, if not stopping, the running game.

I expect a pretty high scoring affair tomorrow.

I'm repeating myself time and time again, but if Purdue can play up to their potential then they will win the game. I believe we'll see that this week.

Purdue 33
MSU 28

J says:
Big weekend for Purdue athletics. Basketball starts tonight and then tomorrow our boys take on MSU at Ross-Ade on senior day. Purdue needs this win in as desperate a way as you can need a win. Lose and the season is effectively over and, while it wouldn't be a complete disappointment of a year, we would all be sad for a while because they're now one win away from playing IU for not only the bucket, but for a bowl game. And making a bowl after a 1-5 start would be yoooge for the program.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Michigan State is going to be one of the toughest games they've had yet this year. MSU has some big uglies, they've got a potent offense and they play SOME defense. This isn't Michigan's secondary the Duke will be throwing against. Nor will it be Illinois' offense the Boilers are trying to stop. No, MSU is probably the best 5-5 team you're going to come across. They were my sleeper pick at the start of the season and, while a lot of people have been looking at this home game as a win for a few weeks (simply because it looked "easier" than trips to Madison and Ann Arbor), it most certainly is not.

How big a factor is playing at home? Well, it looked like no factor at all against NIU and NU. It looked like something of a factor against OSU. So we're back to the same spot we've been in all season, which is that it's nearly impossible to make a pick you feel confident about when it comes to the 2009 Purdue football team.

This is an emotional squad playing in an emotional game. Senior day for a lot of guys and we all have seen how much Coach Hope cares about these guys. They will be fired up and, hopefully, that correlates into being ready to play. One thing we've seen in pretty much every game outside of Wisconsin -- this team never looks afraid of anybody. Elliott is playing some confident football right now, Bolden seems to be getting right, Valentin and Smith have developed into the guys we knew they could be, and even the coaching decisions are looked less and less often boneheaded. It feels like things are smoother than they've been in a while and, of course, the team has won 3 of 4 and in that time has broken some major negative strings (losses to ranked opponents, losses on the road, losses at Michigan, etc.).

So how much of a factor is confidence? Senior day? Emotion? Aren't these things that bored sportswriters tend to make more out of than they're worth?

This game is critical to MSU as well, as they need a win to become bowl eligible. But so did Michigan. Gah!

In the end, you have to look at talent. Michigan State, in my opinion, is more talented than Purdue. And most of the time, talent wins out. Yes, Purdue took down an immensely talented OSU team. So maybe we've already had our one anomaly for this season. It kills me to say this, but given the up and down nature of this team, I think they're due to break hearts again.

MSU 33
Purdue 29

boilerdowd says:
J has been secretly dating Mark Dantonio since August. I'm sorry, but I couldn't hold it in any longer. His long sighs and uncomfortable innuendo have finally led me to reveal the truth...I just can't stay silent anymore.

Alright, that was all a lie, but unlike J, I am not in love with the Spartans. I do like Dantonio and think, like Hope, he's got some mean in him, which is entertaining, he can recruit and his teams generally look well-prepared.

They're in the top-three of scoring offense...and the top-4 of the conference in scoring defense...solid, if not good. But their offensive numbers have gotten fat off of the likes of Montana State and Western Michigan. But their defense is legit and that's worrisome. They've held opponents under 21 points six times this season. But games aren't played on paper.

They're a good team...and, like Purdue, I think they see this game as a make or break game for their season. Teams that rely heavily on the run succeed versus this Purdue team...teams that rely on a pass-first offense don't fair as well. That's my key to the game.

Defensively, I think the turnover battle will swing in Purdue's favor on the shoulders of a few interceptions. I look for Bolden to have success catching the ball, but not much on the ground and Smith to go for more than 100...second shoot-out in two weeks.

Purdue 38
MSU 33

How Bad Do They Want It?

2009-11-13T10:09:00.002-05:00

Purdue's 2009-2010 basketball season launches this evening. This season marks thirty years since the last time Purdue was in the Final Four, something many IU fans would throw in our faces if they could count to thirty.

There's not much else to say. You've seen previews everywhere. We've linked to many of them. We've contributed to some of them. And at this point, like in any highly anticipated season, it's all talked out. It's time to hit the floor and see how badly they want it. Tonight's opponent, Cal State Northridge, is kind of immaterial. Not that we shouldn't respect them, but the season is about so much more than that.

It's no longer a hope to get through the non-conference with a respectable record. It's no longer hoping for an above-.500 record in the Big Ten. It's no longer about hoping to make the NCAA tourney. Or about hoping for better than a middling seed. No, ladies and gents, this year it's about so much more.

We often try to keep our expectations tempered around here. We try to be realistic, which is just another way to say we try not to get our hopes and dreams crushed. Maybe it was Kyle Orton's fumble or Duke not letting Gene Keady get to the Final Four. I don't know. But somewhere along the way, talking about the Final Four became something off in dreamland... far away, and viewed as unreachable.

That is no longer the case. Sure, there are many teams that could take Purdue down. But these are the guys we're heading into the battle with and I know that I am pretty happy with the heart of this crew and their leader.

Last year, we thought right away that the preseason top ten talk was a bit premature. This team was a year away, we thought. Well, that "year away" is here now. And it's impossible not to be amped.

The future is bright, as we've discussed. Matt Painter is building a program and has the potential to build it higher in his first ten years on the job that the godfather, Coach Keady, did in nearly three times that. And so one of the best parts of this season coming up is that it's not an all-or-nothing kind of year. Yes, we want big things. No, the program doesn't take a step back if those big things aren't accomplished. That's good news. That's progress. That's how you build a perennial powerhouse.

So get ready for a fun ride. We're going to be freaked at times, when they suffer one of their weird, stinker losses. And we're going to be flying high at times, when they make us proud. Overall, though, this season has the potential to be one of the best experiences many of us have had as Boilermakers. Enjoy every minute of it.

Choo-choo!

Purdue Not Big Enough "Brand" For Notre Dame

2009-11-12T13:44:00.003-05:00

According to our pal Seth Davis, one of the primary reasons Notre Dame and Purdue have not scheduled a hoops matchup in more than 40 years is because Purdue isn't as much of a "national brand" as Notre Dame.

Yes, he's talking about Notre Dame basketball.

You know Notre Dame basketball. All those Final Four appearances, national championships, NBA players, Big East titles, etc. Oh, and don't forget their 11,000 person capacity arena. Big time.

Some tidbits from the story:

Nobody seems to know exactly why the series stopped, but it never resumed in the 1970's because Notre Dame, which did not belong to any conference, was intent on playing more of a national schedule under Digger Phelps. In declining to play Purdue, Phelps further salted the wounds of Boilermaker fans by cracking that "there is no road from South Bend to West Lafayette."

Yes, we knew Digger was a douche and was simply afraid to play Purdue. Noted. "More of a national schedule..." Give me a break.

"I'd love for that to happen," Purdue coach Matt Painter told me. "I think it would be great for the fans, it would be great for the state of Indiana. We've tried to get it going here in the last five years, but they've been full with their schedule."

"I'd love to play against them. I think it would be fun to have maybe a neutral site game in Lucas Oil [Stadium]," Rob Hummel said. "You always love to play against competitive teams, and obviously Notre Dame is a great program."

Also, they didn't add, "We'd love to rub Scott Martin's nose in it."

I found Notre Dame coach Mike Brey to be far more lukewarm to the notion. "I think my mind is more open to it than any of the previous coaches who have been here," Brey said. "But you know what? Everybody in the Big Ten wants to play us. I get asked about it by the media every year because one of their coaches says they want to play Notre Dame. My answer to them is, we're in the Big East. When we get in the Big Ten, we'll take care of all you guys."

Imagine that. A Notre Dame coach with his nose in the air. Shocking, I tell you! But after all, we're not really rivals, right coach?

Also, everyone in the Big Ten wants to play you? Really? I find that hard to believe.

From Notre Dame's standpoint, there are three barriers to resuming a series with Purdue. First, the Irish now play in the Big East, which requires them to play 18 conference games. That eats up a huge chunk of the schedule, and since it's such a tough league it would be foolish to add too many difficult games outside the conference.

Ah, finally some truth. Nobody wants tough games outside of a tough conference like the world-renowned Big East! You know, like Purdue in the Big Ten. The Big Ten is so soft, Purdue has no problem scheduling games against Wake Forest from the ACC, Alabama on the road, and -- oh, lookey here! -- West Virginia from the Big East!

Second, Notre Dame still has a strong national brand. Unlike Painter, who gets most of his players from in-state, Brey needs to recruit players from other parts of the country.

Well, let's step back a second. Brey doesn't do this because his team's "brand" is so "national." He does this because he couldn't possibly recruit in-state the way Purdue or Indiana do. It's simply not possible, so let's not even PRETEND he could.

So he fills his nonconference schedule with teams like UCLA, Maryland and Alabama to increase his program's footprint nationwide.

And also because any chance at recruiting kids would take a serious hit if you got pistol-whipped on a regular basis by a bigger, better, more successful program just two hours away. Just saying.

So, anyway, the point is, those of you who were hoping -- like we have for years -- that Purdue and Notre Dame might play on the hardwood someday soon will probably continue to be disappointed.

Because, you know, Mike Brey is more big time than that.

11 November 2009: The Handsome 1.5

2009-11-12T11:15:00.000-05:00

In an extended dance mix of the big show, the Handsome Duo splits time between basketball and football...

They talk about poor gametime decisions...

This guy?

The possibilities of a great Purdue basketball team...

and high school boys.

The Right Call

2009-11-11T12:14:00.003-05:00

Coach Painter made a very good decision, in my opinion, regarding this year's Freshman class:
Everybody's playing.

I think this jives with his and the team's goal of making it to Indianapolis and winning a BT title. Both will take depth...and as we saw last year, anything can happen. Keep in mind, the Swine Flu is still spreading on college campuses like the popularity of Boiled Sports (that means it's moving quickly and is widespread). And a week of the flu ravaging a team could mean the difference between Barlow and Marcius not playing at all and having to play 10 minutes in a game.

Signing Day: Baby Boilers 2?

2009-11-11T11:16:00.002-05:00

The last two years' signing classes didn't get a ton of publicity...both had one player who received national publicity...but the class of '10 is different.

Purdue signs four guys, three have received heavy attention by the recruiting mags during their high school careers. It's a well-rounded class with two bigs, two guards...and my steal of the class might surprise you.

Tune into the Handsome Hour tonight for our analysis of Purdue's basketball future.

Following the money

2009-11-11T09:50:00.005-05:00

Thanks to a discussion over at KHC, I found this link.
So, who is stealing money?

(all numbers are prior to bonuses)

Rip Off
-Bob Stoops $4.8 million
Stoops teams win a lot of games (usually), but struggle mightily in BCS bowls. Methinks that paying a coach one of the top salaries in the nation should yield a national title contender every third year...and no, a contender is not just based on a top-3 pre-season ranking.

-Charlie Weis $3.5 million (est.)
Domers make me chuckle. A pal of mine who roots for UND for no apparent reason tells me that it's too hard to win at UND because the cold weather and academic standards don't allow for real BCS championship-caliber talent to land in South Bend. Ignore the fact that there are 50 NFL players from UND, I guess...Regardless, Notre Dame Broadcastion dollars are being wasted with this handsome coach.

-Kirk Ferentz $3 million
The Hawkeyes have had a very good season, but has any coach ever been helped more by the national media than Ferentz? 6-win seasons are more-normal than double-digit wins...and Iowa's head man is still one of the best-paid coaches in college football.

-Bobby Petrino $3 million
The Razorbacks are a pretty mediocre squad...but their coach's salary isn't. This deal with the devil isn't paying off.

-Rich Rodriguez $2.5 million
RichRod coaches a program that gets bluechip recruits just because of the paintjob on their helmets...and is said to be an offensive genius. But, many UM fans and alums don't think this square peg will ever fit in the round hole.

-Bobby Bowden $2.3 million
In spite of a cupboard full of talent and a weak conference, Bowden's averaging around 7-wins/season the last five years

-Steve Spurrier $2 million
Sure, the Ole Ballcoach is competing in a tough conference, but, I bet the SC boosters didn't think they'd be getting a middling program with their coach's large price tag.

-Ralph Friedgen $1.9 million
The Terps are on a collision course with a 3-or-4 win season...And while Friedgen's gotten fat off of the soft ACC a few times in the last five seasons, mediocrity reigns supreme in Maryland.

-Ron Zook $1.5 million
Zook's squad should clinch its third non-bowl season in four years in the next two weeks. Does anybody in the nation do less with more than Zook? OK, other than RichRod...

-Dennis Erickson $1.5 million
After a 10-win first season, Erickson is staring a second-straight season where the Sun Devils are home for the holidays

-Rick Neuheisel $1.3 million
In a hotbed of talent, the weasel seems to be a ton of sizzle and little steak.

Values
-Ken Niumatalolo $.5 million (+)
The Middies are on their way to their second-straight bowl and Coach Niumatalolo has followed-up his predecessor by continuing the successful formula.

-Kevin Sumlin $.8 million
One of Purdue's favorite sons is following an 8-win bowl-win season with a quiet 1-loss season...if Hope wasn't at Purdue, Sumlin would be my pick to coach in West Lafayette.

-Danny Hope $.8 million
It's too early to give a verdict on Purdue's HC yet...but I wanted to include him in the discussion. Let's Hope Purdue doesn't get what it pays for the next few seasons...but Hope could turn out to be the best bargain in the nation.

-Bill Stewart $.9 million
With less than a million-dollar base salary, Stewart has been able to keep Rodriguez's old program going inspite of the one-year media circus that surrounded the transition.

-Pat Hill $1 million
Hill is pretty-much an icon in the valley...and his teams go bowling every season.

-Skip Holtz $1.1 million
Holtz has built a solid program and his teams win about 8 games/year.

-Chris Petersen $1.3 million
The Smurf turfers have a loyal fanbase, but not a huge one...and their locale is far from ideal. That doesn't stop the Broncos from winning year-in-year-out.

-Brian Kelly $1.5 million
Undefeated following a BCS bowl appearance, Kelly is most subway alums' dream coach.

-Mike Gundy $1.8million
Gundy gave us all a gift in the form of one of the best rants ever back in '07. But since then, his teams have been pretty great. OKSt. should win at least 9 games, for the second-straight season, in '09.

A Veritable Cornucopia of Purdue Talk

2009-11-11T08:50:00.000-05:00

Remember how NBC used to rule Thursday nights with their "Must See TV" lineup? Well, Purdue talk will rule the...uh...Internet radio dial... um, oh well.

Anyway, Wednesday night -- TONIGHT -- you can get doubled up by the Purdue guys. Oh yeaaaah.... what young lady, or college-age male, could possibly resist that?

First off, at 8 PM, Eastern, tune in to the Hammer and Rails podcast, with a special guest from The Only Colors.

Then call in and tell T-Mill he's a stud.

When you're done with that, it's Boiled Sports After Dark, with the Boiled Sports Handsome Hour, airing at 10 PM, Eastern. We'll talk about the Michigan win, the upcoming MSU game, the state of things in general, and the hoops season that's about to launch. Heady times to be a Boilermaker.

UM Blogger Gives Pointers on Class; Rest of Conference Laughs

2009-11-10T10:12:00.007-05:00

So Maize N Brew decided to attack us for having an opinion when their coach took ours to task in his press conference when nothing he was asked had anything to do with the game he had just lost. MNB also advised us to "stick to topics [we] actually know something about."

Gotta tell you, junior, as tempting as it is to ask you for permission on the topics we write about, I don't think it will happen.

And let's also say this up front -- we don't mind being taken to task. It's fine. But to imply we're dumb or short-sighted or ignorant or "uninsightful," well.... okay, maybe those things are accurate. But to be called out by a MaizeNBrew for such things is sort of like Rosie O'Donnell giving us tips on being trim. Doesn't make much sense.

Let's deconstruct the MaizeNBrew hissy fit. It is fun to see that, just like their coach, they look for things that aren't really relevant to focus on. Fitting.

Boiled Sports had a few things to say about Rodriguez's post-game comments regarding Hope's low-class move after the game. Quite frankly, who the hell cares?

Evidently, you do. Enough to attack us.

Nobody, that's who.

Besides you.

Hope apparently didn't like Rodriguez calling out a blatant cheap shot several weeks ago that just so happened to be by a Purdue player.

Which, when I wrote the post, I specifically said up front that I didn't like the Reckman hit at the time OR the way Hope handled things with your hypersensitive coach. How about YOU try reading for content? Or was English an elective at Michigan?

Of course Rodriguez's singling out of this play has nothing to do with the fact that it was Purdue and Hope but EVERYTHING to do with the fact that the Big 10 conference set itself up as judge and jury of such actions earlier in the season. Hope naturally is too uncouth to understand this

Wow, speaking of sticking to topics you know something about and showing some class... way to call a coach you know nothing about "uncouth." What do you call a coach who violates rules by overworking his players and whose players then agree to snitch on him?

and so instead of focusing on his team's great win, Hope figured he'd really stick it to Rodriguez. What a class act.

We already acknowledged we didn't love it, as did Hammer and Rails. What more do you want? For better or worse, Hope's a loyal coach and loves his guys. This is how you build loyalty and keep guys from transferring away. You know, if you're into that sort of thing.

BS continues on to make a rather insight-less rant about Rodriguez's future and generally looks foolish doing so, which is pretty apropos actually.

Wow, that's quite a shot across the bow of the SS Boiled Sports. We're "insight-less"? How so? And we look "foolish" calling out a guy who we are coming to believe is imbalanced, given how he veers off-topic all the time, continues to tell your fan base they shouldn't expect things to improve soon, and cries at the drop of a hat? I'm not sure your anger is really with us, laddie, but maybe it's with Rich. Daddy issues are complicated, we understand. But this is what we call "projection." Show us on the doll where Michigan football hurt you.

And why are you defending RichRod like this? Is Rich's wife aware that you two are dating?

How about you lads stick to topics you actually know something about and celebrate your once in a generation win with some class? Too much to ask?

Again, thanks very much for offering your mad editorial skillz and suggestions. We did celebrate the win and we didn't call you out for having a problem with Hope, so why get personal with us? I only ask because you're clearly an expert on "class." Because nothing says class like a coach trying to avoid hard questions by calling out another coach.

Have fun getting curb-stomped by Wisconsin and Ohio State, and congratulations on being the fourth-best Michigan blog out there.