Sunday, November 06, 2011

Boilers Bloodied by Badgers: 62-17

I tried to post earlier, but Blogger didn't want me posting angry, I guess. So after some time to take a deep breath and reflect, I can honestly say, things aren't as bad as I thought...they're worse.

After my alma mater gets crushed in football in basketball, the last thing I typically want to do is jump on the computermaphone and read about what transpired...yesterday was no different.  But this morning, I was ready to consume some knowledge, so I went to GBI's Brian Neubert for perspective.  Neubert is typically level-headed and can talk me off of the ledge when I'm feeling in the dumps.  He's kind of the anti-Boilerdowd in that way.  My excitability tends to push people more toward the brink (especially when I am being completely honest) as you might have heard on The Handsome Hour this week.  But Neubert was no help at all.

He told me that the 62 points allowed by Purdue in Madison last night was the most EVER by a Purdue team.  I found that hard to believe...I mean I remember the horrible teams (and defenses specifically) that Akers and Colletto put together.  I guess my memory of Ohio State and Notre Dame beating Purdue by 100 are childhood exaggerations.

But at 36, the hyperbole is no longer there.  I'll admit that I got more emotionally-invested in this game, at least early on.  As Raheem Mostert did everything possible to keep Purdue in the game and Purdue hung around for an entire quarter, I got angry at typically-awful B1G officials missing blatant pass interference calls.  But after I found my Om and found a trance-like state of malaise, I could say with confidence that this Purdue team wasn't ready to compete with 11 lifesized Wisconsin players sculpted out of cheddar, let alone a bunch of really fast, really strong, really motivated Badgers fed by the bloodlust being spewed by their faithful at Camp Randall.

I've heard people having the gall to blame the players, and that flat-out pisses me off.  As Wisconsin's coaches made adjustments, Purdue's coaches did too.  Wisconsin's coaches had their kicker blast the ball into the corner or completely avoid the hot-handed Mostert.  Purdue coaches ran vertical routes on 3rd and 4th and one. Wisconsin coaches dared Purdue to stop their powerful running attack by running up the middle, time and time and time again...Purdue coaches refused to load the box with every beefy Purdue player in the line-up and instead kept the contain halo around the Wisconsin pocket.

But then again, would it have mattered? It seemed that Russell Wilson would have completed as many passes as he wanted to...and if he wanted to scramble, he was going to get 15 easy yards as he stepped out of bounds untouched.  On the other side of the ball, the guy who has a big arm was directed to stay within the system and run screen passes, while the guy who's been accurate and effective in the short stuff was throwing 15 & 20 outs.

For once, the special teams really did nothing poorly on this day and Gibboney is off the hook.  But EVERY other coach is stuck on that hook.  And Purdue fans who once were yelling to be patient with Hope and company are abandoning that ship.  The record says Purdue is a near-.500 team, my eyes tell me that they just got beaten like a rented mule by the 20th best team in the nation...and get this part- it could have been much worse.  Bret Beilema was merciful...and still managed to beat my favorite group of  football players by 45 frickin' points.

I haven't checked the stats yet, might not do it for a day or so.  And I won't be watching a DVR'd version of this game because I destroyed that in the second quarter...but there's no need to watch film of this one, right? Remember last season when Purdue got hammered two weeks in a row by Ohio State and Michigan and everyone, myself included, gave this coaching staff a pass because of the tough situation injuries left them in? It's not happening this time.

I watched an undermanned, and flat-out lousy Northwestern team beat Nebraska on the arms and legs of a quarterback who not only is a back-up, but probably would never see the field at QB if he came to Purdue...that's coaching.

I watched a motivated Minnesota squad take MSU the distance on the back of smart play calling...and the arm of an inaccurate quarterback who would be a safety or slot receiver at Purdue (his final two were Purdue and Minny, by the way).

I watched a Freshman quarterback (who Purdue tried to snag, but couldn't) lead IU into Columbus and play toe-to-toe with Brutus for three quarters in only his second start.

And I watched a beleaguered Iowa squad kill the momentum that UM had created beating a patsy last week as they became bowl eligible by just gutting out a hard-fought game.

But Purdue kept to script and didn't compete to the big, mean Badgers...at least one thing in the unexpected world of college football can still be counted upon.

Even 18 hours later, I probably still shouldn't be posting simply because I can't be level-headed in my assessment...or maybe, my assessment is precisely the medicine we all as Purdue fans need to be taking right now. We're back in the bad ole days.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kevin Sumlin and Houston put up 56 this week after 73 last week. Just sayin'...

azboiler said...

Working in the er at the time of the game, there was a guy vomiting very loudly. This was a perfect soundtrack to game tracker.

CalTravelGuy said...

You are entitled to your rant... let it all out. I think the most poignant thing you said is that even MN went up to Sparty and competed. And Northwestern... winning in Lincoln? Pat Fitzgerald is a winner and he's winning at NU.

Purdue has the wrong coach, people. The pride that we all felt during the Tiller years is melting away as analysts on TV mock Purdue or totally dismiss us as having no chance against quality opponents. Purdue Football have officially become a punch line.

Congratulations, Morgan Burke. You can be pissed at us for being "emotional & cynical alumni" but every non biased college football expert thinks Purdue is a joke and it's becoming more and more ok to say it on air. We won't get good recruits that way.

The train has derailed... it's time to clean up the mess.

BoilerBloodline said...

Did anyone else happen to watch Coach Hope shake Brett Bielema's hand after the game? Hope acted like a teen age school girl in love. He said something like "just awesome" about the Badgers to Bielema. This is just PATHETIC from a head coach who just got his rear end handed to him. Shake the hand, say good game and move on. I don't know why this frustrates me so much. It just looked and sounded as if he had just watched the game as a spectator....oh yeah, well, I guess he kind of was.

THuff said...

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Hope needs to be calling games for Radio, not on the sidelines.

He absolutely loves the game, our boys, and he really does appreciate the fans that stand behind the team, but he doesn't have the talent or the staff to win consistently.

Dowd, you definitely weren't alone with your emotional connection. I watched all the games and scores before us and it seemed like there was just something in the midwest air that favored the underdog. I remember screaming and controlling myself from running up and down the hallways after our first drive. By half time, I was already eating a block of cheese like it was a candy bar - thankfully none of my friends wanted to mention 'That's probably from Wisconsin..'

CaryNW87 said...

Underprepared. Outcoached. Lost the game.

I could've posted this recap on Friday.

I'll go ahead and call next week's game now:

Paperbag: 1
Hope: 0

Aquidneck Island Boilermaker said...

Even watching Indiana hang with Ohio State gave me hope Purdue would be competitive yesterday. Oh well.... Kevin Sumlin looks good. The Big Ten could use its first black head coach. Alas, he makes more now than Purdue pays Hope.

Unknown said...

There will be a FIRESTORM if we lose to Indiana - something that never even entered my fevered little brain until a few weeks ago. I very well could happen. I can NOT root for Purdue to lose, but maybe a loss like that would be like lancing a nasty boil - hurt like hell, but it's the only way for the healing to begin. A big humiliation this fall beats another several seasons of future humiliation.
Question: When's the last time Purdue lost to Indiana twice in a row?

BoilerWhat said...

At least we aren't Penn State fans. Wow.

The Accidental Expat said...

This game was a travesty and an embarrassment to the proud tradition of Purdue athletics. Adjustments? Why would we need adjustments? I guess the coaches figured Wisky would just get tired from all that constant uninterrupted running and take a nap. Just think how bad it would have been if Mostert hadn't gotten the kickoffs.

Just to stir the pot here, I have 2 observations:

-Sumlin already makes more at Houston, and UH is being considered for AQ membership to both the Big 12 and Big East. Why would he want to come to Purdue where he would have to start from scratch when he can show his bona fides (and strike out for an even higher profile job) as early as next year?

Ruh Roh. Former Purdue DC Brock Spack's Illinois State team was ranked #24 in the 1-AA poll last week and look likely to move up this week after an easy win. I've ragged on Brock before (owner of an underwhelming lifetime .594 winning percentage), but there was a reason Burke passed on him for Hope 3 years ago. Given Burke's tightwad ways and Spack's open desire for the Purdue job, he'd take it for a couple hundred thousand and a book of McDonald's gift certificates.

BoilerBloodline said...

I know it sounds somewhat arrogant to say this, BUT Kevin Sumlin is a former football player and graduate of Purdue. I believe he would certainly entertain a "lateral" move in pay to coach his alma mater...in B10. Hopefully we'll all get to see at least an offer from Purdue. Wow, just dreaming of a new head coach makes me smile. What a travesty to watch a program climb so close to the top, just to take a huge fall because of a gamble by the AD.

Boilergal said...

We were in the middle of intense house-prep for the newest brain-washed Boiler that will be blessing us in the next 18 days (give or take). Therefore, we DVR'd the game. Thankfully, I overheard a half-time score and we never watched a second of the game. Looking back over the weekend, I have very little emotion about the loss. I figured it would be a blowout and glad I didn't invest any time or emotion getting my hopes up as Purdue, predictably (from what I read), hung around just long enough to raise and then crush a Purdue fan's hope.

Hope needs to go... he won't... next season will be more of the same. Guess we will need to work on baby #2 quickly to avoid more football games next season.

Thank goodness for the start of basketball season. Can't wait for the Mackey dedication on Friday. Hopefully, our little bundle holds off long enough for us to attend!

CaryNW87 said...

Last two weeks:

Opponents: 98
Purdue: 31

Boiler up.

CaryNW87 said...

@boxercr

and they are averaging 56 points per game for the season.