The Scale: Little Caesars Bowl

"The Scale" is an easily-digested, overly-simplified post-game synopsis from Boiled Sports.

Winning Winning: Boilers Finish '11 over .500

Today's bowl game seemed to be more important in the broader sense for the program than just what happened on the field.  As we've said for  a long time and as readers reiterated via Twitter and here, a .500 team from the B1G should beat a MAC team. Period.  And while the game leaves us with a slightly-sweet taste in our mouths to savor until Spring football, it had some putrid flavors as well.

I worried about Purdue's DBs and DEs struggling against WMU's pass-happy offense...they did; to the tune of allowing WMU's Carder to pass for 439 yards and three TDs.  I was concerned about stupid penalties and generally-stupid play killing my Boilers...it did.  But, I was wrong about the outcome; thankfully.  Purdue had a double-digit lead at the half and kept the Broncos down for most of the half by a similar margin, but after a few great plays followed by bone-headed situational awareness, Purdue put WMU in a position to win in the closing half.

First, in the third quarter, as Purdue held a commanding lead of 34-18, Gerald Gooden intercepted a WMU pass and headed up the sideline while palming the ball with his left hand like a mini basketball.  Instead of putting WMU away, Gooden's lack of situational awareness gave the ball back and WMU scored minutes later making the game 34-25.

In the fourth quarter, it was de ja vu all over again as Ryan Russell picked up a fumble and ran about 30 yards before losing a fumble at around midfield.  The result was WMU scored a few minutes later and made the game a 37-32 game; Purdue held onto that five point for the victory.

Predicto - Bowl Edition; Broncos of Western Michigan

Delicious Side Caesar

It's been a while folks, but we've got one more predicto in the chamber for a Tuesday night game that isn't basketball. The Good Guys take on Western Michigan at 4:30PM EST Tuesday, 12/27 in the Little Caesar's bowl. For one final time this season, we break it down for you all - predicto starts now.

Oh, and he broke some silly record.

Brother Boilers and Pizza Prep

Woody and Chad Austin, Greg and Gary McQuay all have done what Terone and Ronnie Johnson chose to do- play basketball at Purdue. But the Johnsons are the only pair of Boiler brothers in the last 20 years that have the ability to be on the court at the same time. And with Ryne Smith and LewJack both graduating at the end of this year, they will probably both be starting very early next season.

We received an e-mail from Indiana Recruiting Guide telling us they were about to post a look at the younger Johnson, so we wanted to pass it on to you.

Johnson's court vision, quickness, ability to find the open man and keep the defense honest with his three-point shot all make him a player that will be tough to keep off the court next season.  The void LewJack will leave will be sizable and tough to fill...but Johnson like Jackson seems to have the tools that will allow his game to translate to the next level in spite of being shorter than many high recruits at the PG position.

Click HERE for videos and info about Ronnie Johnson.

All News is Bad News
As Purdue gets ready for the bowl game on the 27th more bad news than good seems to be coming out of West La La.  First we heard about OJ Ross being suspended for academic concerns...two days ago, we heard what we thought we'd be hearing- Ross will not be playing in the bowl due to missing too much practice.

Gary Bush will be picking up the slack that Ross' suspension leaves.  I've been a fan of Bush all season as he's been very consistent, runs crisp routes and doesn't take plays off.  There's no doubt that Ross is a gifted guy, but talent alone only takes you so far...and Bush's ability to do the little things made the offense better when he played this season.

Atop of Ross' academic woes, starting linebacker and leading tackler Dwayne Beckford was arrested for DWI this weekend.  Purdue had kept it pretty quiet, but Beckford had been arrested back in July for possession of drug paraphernalia...and in June was arrested for leaving the scene in which he had hit a parked car.

The most-recent charge is made more serious because Beckford was already on probation due to the previous arrests.

One of the aspects of Hope's time at Purdue has been this type of stuff has been less prevalent than it was in the latter seasons of Tiller's tenure at Purdue. I didn't have any time for repeat offenders then, and really don't now.  Making one mistake isn't the same as getting arrested three times in a six month period...And while I really like Hope's focus on academics, there is no comparison to the severity of not going to class or doing poorly on tests and drinking while driving.

Seems to me that Beckford should be suspended right away- not because he's automatically guilty, but because he's already had a history of poor behavior...so I'd think he'd not only be on probation with the police, but also with the coaches.

Prior to Beckford's arrest, the coaches had already announced they'd be playing more nickel defense to counter Western Michigan's pass-happy offense...so Beckford not playing shouldn't be the end of the world.  Harris was going to see the field more and on running downs, I'd think Carlino will play. Carlino of course has been a starter and plays with a ton of intensity, which is never bad for a defense.

Losing a RB like Ralph Bolden with only weeks to prepare a back-up would have been catastrophic in previous seasons...but as we've talked about ad nauseaum, this year's Purdue backfield is just different. Shavers was Bolden's 1A when healthy, and the guys behind him proved themselves to be talented time and again.

The other Akeem that'll be getting more carries, Hunt, gives up about 25 pounds in the stead of Bolden/Shavers...but is a shiftier runner and has better break-away speed.

All this said, the way Nord called the offense this season, the loss of an RB really doesn't affect Purdue's game plan at all. Edison, Pegram, Crank and even Mostert will probably all get chances to carry the ball in Detroit.

Hope says there are a few guys that are still not out of the woods academically and there might be more that can't play in Detroit. The coaches will know in the next week.

Regardless of academic attrition, injuries or problems with the law, I don't think these issues should matter.  Heck, even if Purdue were to lose a QB, would we really see a quantitative difference in offensive output?

Purdue would be hurt with the loss of Allen and/or Johnson...or if Short and/or Gaston couldn't play v. WMU.  And if Kelly couldn't play, that'd be costly...and obviously, there's a tipping point when you lose 3, 4, 5...starters, but I've heard nothing to make me think any of these guys are in danger.

So let's just enjoy the 10th-best B1G bowl for 2011/12, regardless of which Boilers can suit up, shall we?

Finishing Strong: Handsome Hour Season Finale

After a few weeks off, the guys get the band back together for one more classic to end 2011.

They talk about the outlook for the season that's ahead...

They look into the reasons for optimism on the gridiron...

and teach you what real gangstas do when they're disrespected.

Get your holiday handsome cheer here...NOW!

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Yet Another Playoff/BCS Post

One of b-dowd's comments in his excellent earlier post about the bowl situation struck me and I wanted to comment on it. He said that this is one of the least-anticipated bowl seasons he can remember, and then he speculated on whether or not that was just something he was feeling. And I think the answer is that it's not and that is what makes this as good of a year as ever for a playoff.

In some years, there are three teams with a legit claim to the national title game (think the 13-0 2004 Auburn team that got shut out). In those years, a "plus 1" feels like a great solution. Let the best sort it out at the top, and let all the mediocre teams have their little, meaningless bowls. But then there are years like this one, when there's an argument among flawed teams for even the number 2 slot in the country.

One of my dingbat SEC friends said, matter-of-factly, that "LSU and Alabama are the two best teams in the country." Of course, we also hear all the time about how the reason college football doesn't need a playoff is because "the whole season is a playoff" and blah blah blah. I guess that only applies for everybody outside of the SEC. What a complete sham. Alabama had their chance, just like Houston "had their chance" and Boise "had their chance." They've all lost once. Oh, but since Alabama lost to LSU, they.....get another chance? Gee, I wonder if Boise would love another shot at TCU, who they lost two by one point, or if Houston would love another crack at Southern Miss. But I digress.

In college basketball, some years there are a handful of absolutely dominant teams and then the "rest," right? In those years, you wind up seeing everyone pick the same Final Four, or something very close. Lots of 1 and 2 seeds making it. But then there are those years -- like 2011 -- when there is maybe one or two dominant teams (or no dominant teams) and nobody has any idea who will win the championship. And aren't those the most exciting tournaments to watch? This year could be that in college football.

Sure, we know that LSU is #1 and they absolutely deserve it. For all the bashing we do on the SEC mouth-breathers, let's make no mistake here: LSU has earned every bit of the respect they have. But after that? There can definitely be arguments made, as I quickly did above, that a number of teams should get a look. There is no 100%, clear cut, #2 or #3 team. Everybody could make a claim and so just imagine an 8-team playoff or even a 16-team playoff. Here's what the top 8 in the BCS would include:

LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma State, Stanford, Oregon, Arkansas, Boise State, Kansas State.

And if we added the next 8, too?

South Carolina, Wisconsin, Va Tech, Baylor, Michigan, Oklahoma, Clemson, Georgia.

Look at that mix. You've got teams that get a "shot" that didn't have a chance previously. You've got the chance to see what Boise State could do against these big shots (if their previous BCS appearances haven't been enough). You've got teams in (like Michigan) who are hitting their stride and have been better and better as the season has worn on. And you've got the requisite number of SEC teams in there, with their chance to prove how dominant they all are, ya'll.

I'm not going to go into all the reasons (money) and points (money) about why the bowl system (money) still exists, but it's got a lot to do with money. And only for the bowl operators themselves. Even Oregon and Auburn lost money (well into the six figures) in the national title game last year. How ridiculous is that?

My point here is that this bowl season is completely boring, and that's because there aren't engaging storylines. We aren't even getting to see a great national title matchup -- we're seeing a rematch of a game that anyone with two eyes and a rudimentary knowledge of football knows sucked. And then we have the rest, none of which matters at all.

Whee! Exciting!

Boilers/Hope Get What They Deserve: Trip to Detroit (and B1G Bowl notes)

Last night when Purdue was given the news that they'd be making the short trip to Detroit to play Western Michigan, many players weren't celebrating, but instead were complaining about the draw.  Hours, if not minutes later, the tune changed...and this morning that continued.

Hope and some of the Seniors weighed in on GBI saying they were grateful for getting the invite...and honestly, they all should be.  Two teams eligible for bowls, Ball State (6-6) and Western Kentucky (7-5), didn't receive bowl bids...but everyone who was eligible to go from the B1G got an invite.  That's right TEN of the 12 teams in the conference are going bowling.  That's the most ever invited from one conference.  But is it something to brag about when four of those teams are .500? I think not.

When You Win, People Notice...

When teams win a lotta games, the media, other coaches and fans all notice.  When you lose a lot, you also get noticed, but for different reasons.  But when you're mediocre, not many people see much of anything.  And that might be the case for the Purdue football players named to All-B1G teams.

Coming into the season, Coach Hope told us that his team had the nation's most-exciting kicker, one of the best cornerbacks in the country, a defensive end that was going to be healthy and one of the best at his position in the nation, a pair of defensive tackles that were two of the best in the league, a possession receiver that would rival the best in the conference and we heard about a quarterback that the coaching staff and teammates alike say has one of the best arms they've ever witnessed.

Sounds like a pretty good place to start on the road toward success. But, in spite of spinning a positive story, not many individual players received post-season accolades.

Beast.

KK Short was a difference maker all season.  He was fourth in the league in TFLs (13 solo), third in the league in solo sacks (6), and was perpetually double and triple teamed due to not having much help on the outside.  It seemed that almost every time something good happened to Purdue on Special Teams or defense, Short was in the mix on that play. He was correctly-named as an All-B1G player.

Ricardo Allen, Cody Webster and Carson Wiggs were all named to the second team.

A lot of people on the message boards took umbrage with Allen being left off of the first team.  His stats were pretty solid- 71 tackles and 3 interceptions...one returned for a touchdown.  But, he was picked on from time-to-time during the season when matched up with experienced and physically-gifted receivers.  I think one could fairly argue that it's pretty tough to shut anybody down when there's little-to-no pass rush (an epidemic that plagued Purdue's defense for large chunks of the season) and safety help was inconsistent at best.  BUT, in spite of being a very good corner, he's not a shut-down corner...yet.  He's got two more years in gold and black...so I think he'll become what many thought he'd be this season...but it didn't happen in '11.

Wiggs leg strength and natural ability is undebatable.  But, his lack of concentration this season probably kept him off of the first team this year.  Webster crushed the ball, but didn't get as many chances to punt since Wiggs punted the most he had since a few seasons ago.

Dennis Kelly, Joe Holland and Dwayne Beckford all were on the Honorable Mention teams.  I think Kelly and Holland could both get paid to play next year.  Kelly is big, athletic, smart and nasty on the field...but a shuffled OL due to Plue's late pre-season scratch strained the experienced line.  Holland and Beckford were both sure tacklers (they were second and first on the team in tackles, respectively) and hard-hitters. But, for the first third of the season, they were burnt like poptarts while in pass coverage...something I really blame on Emanuel more than these two LBs.

Other guys that weren't noticed by enough people outside of the Purdue family were Ralph Bolden (4.5 yds/carry, over 1000yds of offense, 6 TDs...no fumbles lost), Antavian Edison (10yds/touch, 700 yards of offense, 5 TDs...and he did everything he was asked to do) Josh Johnson (2 INT, 8 broken up & 61 tackles), Raheem Mostert (713 return yards, 31yds/return) and Albert Evans (1 INT & 68 tackles...after a really lousy start to the season).  The good news is that all of these guys have a chance to get noticed next year...except Evans who graduates...and we're still awaiting word on Bolden's status.

The Scale: IU

"The Scale" is an easily-digested, overly-simplified post-game synopsis from Boiled Sports.

Boilers Rescue Bucket, 33-25

For those rooting for Danny Hope to be fired, today went about as poorly as you could have wanted. Not only did the Boilers win (and if you were cheering against your Boilers, shame on you), but they looked shaky along the way... probably further cementing the feelings of those who doubt where this program is heading.

But let's make no mistake here. No matter how rocky things have been this season, the year has ended with a victory, the Boilers have the Bucket back, they beat a ranked team this season, and they're likely headed to a bowl game. As we've said, if at the beginning of the season someone offered you 6-6, you'd have said "Hell, yeah." Well, you should have anyway.

6-6 is nothing spectacular -- we understand that. But it is a step in the right direction and it's the team's best record in four years. It's progress, no matter how small it may feel. Is it the kind of progress we want, expect and deserve? Well, that can be debated.

As for this game, it was a little unnerving, to say the least. Indiana seemed to have no trouble running their elaborate* (*Not elaborate at all) running plays, gashing the Boilers for over 200 yards on the ground. The Hoosiers held leads of 7-0, 14-7 and 17-10 before Purdue finally was able to begin putting some space between them, and the space was provided by Carson Wiggs. We've been looking for Carson to lead this team to victory all season and he has officially delivered. Four FGs, two of which were over 40 yards, made a huge difference as the Boilers worked their way to a 23-17 halftime lead. After Carson's 48 yarder just before half, he celebrated with the donkey balls gesture, which Coach Hope appeared to love -- or at least the camera cuts suggested as much. But knowing what we know about Coach Hope, I'm sure he did indeed love it.

After a back and forth first half, things calmed considerably in the second half. Perhaps fatigue was a factor -- a sign of two bad teams? Regardless, the Boilers did manage to continue to roll up yards and wound up with more than 500, including almost 300 on the ground.

Speaking of the ground game, Ralph Bolden went down with what appeared to be a knee injury in the third quarter and as of this writing, I haven't seen any updates. Not a good thing to have happen to a guy who missed all of last year with an ACL injury. The bright side of things was that Akeem Hunt came in and averaged a tidy ten yards a carry in rushing for a cool Benjamin (100) in relief.

Purdue continued with the two-QB "system," as Caleb TerBush again started but was relieved by Robert Marve once the Boilermakers were behind in the game. Marve's play was fairly nondescript before he took himself out of the game late in the second quarter. I have not yet seen an update on the reasoning for this, but one wonders if it has anything to do with lingering effects from the shots he took last week at home against Iowa.

Caleb played a solid, if unspectacular, game, going 16/25 for 192 and a TD. He didn't hurt the Boilers with any picks or fumbles and that's worth noting. In fact, the only turnover of the game was an INT hauled in by Josh Johnson with just over four minutes left, the Hoosiers down eight and driving. Thank you for that, Josh Johnson.

The team did not look particularly sharp in this one, but I do attribute some of that to IU just simply being amped to play. When I saw the footage of all the seniors coming onto the field and carrying the Bucket, I did get a little nervous -- especially when I saw how hyped they all were when the game began. This game was all they had left, it was their bowl game and they were ready to play. All these young players getting minutes should bode well for Coach Wilson in the future. This team will improve, there is no doubt. Look no further than sophomore Stephen Houston, ran seven times for 129 yards -- a nifty 18.4 yard average.

But on this day, the forces of good were simply too much for the crimson and cream fellows, and the Bucket has been rescued and now is back home, comfy and warm in its bed in West Lafayette.

It matters.

-------------------------------

Separately, the Boilers now get to speculate on what bowl they will be invited to. One assumes they will know shortly where they're invited to go. A representative was on hand from the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl and he seemed very excited about the prospect of getting the Boilers to Detroit.

"You want teams that are bowl hungry and Purdue is excited about being in a bowl again," he said. "It's only a gas tank away to go to a bowl for anybody in the Mid-American Conference or the Big Ten, so the proximity is really important."

Indeed, airplanes are hard to find.

If anyone of the Big Ten's ten bowl-eligible teams is going to get left out in the cold, I would have to think it's Illinois, who started the year 6-0 and has not won since. Purdue alumni travel fairly well and Purdue fans really appreciate bowls, so I think they'll get snatched up somewhere, especially with the Big Ten expected to send two teams to BCS bowls. The extra month of practice should help the team, but as I said at the beginning, for those hoping for the demise of Danny Hope, it's looking like you should get used to him in West Lafayette.

Pre-Turkey Handsomeness: 11/23/11

Rain or shine, listeners or not...the Handsome Duo brings you Boiler deliciousness by the bucket load.

Listen...NOW!!

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The Bucket

In honor of hate week, I wanted to make sure you all know every single thing about the Old Oaken Bucket - because it's only courteous to know a little about your house guests before they come stay for a year. 

Danny Hope is 1-0 on the road against IU

Purdue University first played Indiana University in a little game called Football in 1891. Purdue began the domination of the series with 6 straight victories. The two teams didn't play in 1895 or 96 because Purdue President James Smart had begun a campaign to organize what would become the Big Ten and after leaving the Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Indiana was no longer a required option. Indiana University fans should be thankful for this delay in the whoopin' considering IU didn't score until 1897 and they were outscored 160  to 6 in the first 6 meetings.

After IU had began to make a move on the series in 1899 (6-3), Purdue won again in 1902. In 1903, the rivalry had gained enough notoriety that the two teams agreed to play at Washington Park in Indianapolis. The game would be played on October 31st, John Purdue's Birthday - who had just died a few years prior. Because of this and the nature of the times, Purdue chartered two trains to travel down to Indy. The team, some boosters and staff rode in the first train and the second was filled with supporters and additional fans.

Because of the busy day around the rail offices, a message to switch tracks never got to the right people and the head train collided with numerous parked coal cars. 13 football players were killed on site and a 14th passed away within a month. President Stone was actually on the train as well, but he survived without injury; Stone began to organize an effort to find and console survivors while others ran back to stop the second train. The incident was later known as the Purdue Wreck.

Because of this the 1903 game was left blank in the record books and our Arch-Rivals Notre Dame and Indiana University played a charity event to help fund Memorial Hall - the original on site home of Purdue Basketball.

In 1925, Purdue lead the series 14-10-2, yet the two schools held a joint meeting to discuss the possibility of working together on academic ventures. The two schools formed two committees of individuals from both schools to determine the trophy and then to track it down. The decision of the determination committee was:

'The Bucket of P's just didn't
test well in focus groups'

"an old oaken bucket as the most typical Hoosier form of trophy, that the bucket should be taken from some well in Indiana, and that a chain to be made of bronze block "I" and "P" letters should be provided for the bucket. The school winning the traditional football game each year should have possession of the "Old Oaken Bucket" until the next game and should attach the block letter representing the winning school to the bail with the score engraved on the latter link."

The tracking team discovered a bucket on The Bruner Farm. The family believes it possibly comes from the Civil War, but this hasn't been proven.

Bucket Fact Fondue:

• 0-0: the score of the first meeting in 1925 - the teams met in Bloomington
• IP - The first link on the trophy
• 6 - The number of ties in the series
• 70-37 Purdue's record overall
• 56-27 during the trophy era
• 33-19 Purdue's road record
• 932 - Purdue has scored 932 more points than IU
• Purdue has won by 1 5 times
• 64 - most points scored by a Purdue team
• Tied for the 9th longest running rivalry

Ugly Play Yields Yet Another Ugly Loss on Senior Day

Seven days ago, an inspired Purdue team played a physical and talented aOSU team even before putting the 'Nuts away in overtime.  After a week of (presumed) smiles, praise, sunshine, lollipops, flowers, fresh-baked cookies and sunshine being blown up their collective backsides, Bad Purdue showed up to lay an egg this week.

Iowa was already bowl eligible (somehow), but my eyes told me that this Hawkeye team wasn't very good. They made stupid plays like fumbling the ball inside the Purdue 10 after receiving a gift from the Boilers, giving Purdue a cheap TD, dropping interceptions that were in their chests, dropping open passes and were generally as sloppy as the weather around the game.

It was a chilly day in the high-40s/low-50s with intermittent spits of rain and gusty wind.  The wind affected the play on the field pushing Purdue to not kick or pass when going into the wind and forcing an attempted pooch by Wiggs to net 7 yards.  Wiggs also had an ill-advised near-fake in which he kicked the ball right into an Iowa defender. On top of that, Purdue had a botched fair catch kickoff that gave Iowa the ball.  So what had been rock solid for a few weeks, special teams, simply was awful...but they weren't the only ones.

If McNutt was Superman yesterday, Purdue left the kryptonite back in Mollenkopf

Last week, Purdue was sure-tackling and did a good job pressuring aOSU's mediocre Frosh QB.  This week, they gave Vanderberg weeks (it seemed) to sit back and find McNutt as he tormented Purdue's highly-touted, but seldom-productive corners.  But in their defense, how can you hold coverage for 5, 6, 7 seconds as one of the nation's best receivers just runs around the defensive backfield as if playing in the backyard.  But when they did pressure him, get this, it worked.

One of the few plays in which the front got to Iowa's QB, he kind of wet himself, fumbled the ball and Purdue got a gift of a TD as he was standing in his own endzone.  At the end of the half, it was 21-14, and it felt and looked like it should have been 28-7.

After watching Marve on this day in the first half, it was clear he was the better quarterback.  He was quicker on his feet, both literally and figuratively, he was shooting darts and playing with a chip on his shoulder.  Make no mistake about this- I like TerBus as a kid, but just don't think of him as a very capable quarterback...and I don't blame him for being what he is.  He's been out of high school for four years and has only shown he can manage a game an not screw up too badly...that's not a bad thing if the defense looks like aOSU's or Penn States...but this defense doesn't.  Thus you need a gun slinger.

But Hope came into the game with the idea that he hadn't seen anything in the previous contest that would make him switch starters.  Hmmm...guess I saw a different game last week.

No matter, even with the wind at their back, Nord was baking up a blend of screen passes, poorly-timed quarterback draws and ill-advised runs inside the tackle when Bolden was very effective on the outside, yet again.  Purdue didn't use any of its advantages of quickness by putting Bolden, Edison and Bush in one-on-one situations, but instead seemed stubborn and bull-headed to the point of never checking out of obvious bad play calls OR making any adjustments at half time that might have yielded results.

At the end of the day, Purdue had lost a 31-21. Furthermore, Purdue was not bowl eligible as they squandered the opportunity that was presented to them on a gleaming silver platter. So now, they're facing an unenviable situation of heading South to their rival who will be playing in their bowl game next week as they have only one win.  Sounds like an easy thing to do, right? Just beat one of the worst teams in the nation, and they'll put a choke hold on their only bowl bid in the last four years.  But, a home game versus a mediocre opponent after coming off of a big win would seem like a pretty good situation to be in too, right??

Purdue will play the depleted Hoosiers in Bloomington at 3:30 on BTN.  I can guarantee that Wilson will have a Santa-sized satchel full of tricks, treats and toys for the Purdue defense. And on the other side, who the hell knows what Hope, Nord and Emanuel will have prepared for the only team in the FBS without a win versus another FBS foe. But, after watching this week's game, I feel this coaching staff might be fighting to keep its job...actually, I hope so.  If not, Burke can put himself on the list, along with Hope, of employees on the athletic department's payroll who simply are not doing what they were hired to do.

Although I thought Purdue would lose this game, I was still in a foul mood afterwards, in spite of my BS counterpart being in town for his only game of the season.  Thanks Coach Hope for ruining my pal J's visit back to his alma mater.

Iowa Predicto - OMHR

Teddy Sez:
Teddy's dad suffered a health ailment this week so he's in our thoughts. As such, Teddy for now is only submitting his prediction and no analysis. Get well, Mr. Huff.

Boilers by 7. 

Tim sez:

Who knows what's going to happen this game? There are four realistic outcomes. First, Iowa 42 - Purdue 17. Second, Iowa 5 - Purdue 3. Third, Purdue 59 - Iowa 4. Fourth, Purdue 11 - Iowa 10.

Which defense will show up? Which offense will show up? How many fans will show up? Will Iowa get lost and even make it to the game? We'll just have to wait and see.

What I've taken away from the team lately is if they can start fast on both sides of the ball then they stay engaged the entire game and can win. If they start slowly on either side then it's going to be a long day. Iowa is nearly as bi-polar as Purdue. They lost to a dreadful Minnesota team but beat a pretty good Michigan team. They're good at home and winless on the road.

The Hawkeyes have some undeniable talent. Marvin McNutt is a stud and Ricardo Allen will definitely have his hands full. There's no stopping McNutt, the only way to have any measure of success against him is to jam him and limit his touches. Hopefully, their terrible play on the road continues.

Interesting factoid (courtesy of EsPN): Purdue has seen 17 different players rush with the ball this season and not a single runner has lost a fumble on 388 carries. Two of the Boilers' three lost fumbles this season have come after receptions; the other was on a punt return.


Purdue 24
THE University of Iowa 21

J sez:

I remember thinking (and saying to B-dowd on the side) that if Purdue did pull off the win over OSU that they would almost certainly lose to Iowa the following week, mainly because that's what this team seems to do, right? Purdue has yet to win two games in a row but here we are, all hoping/expecting Purdue to win back to back games against OSU and Iowa.

Of these last three games, this one is actually the one that concerns me the most because I think Iowa presents a balanced offense and Purdue struggles with balanced offenses when they can't focus on one feature of an offense. Sad to write that, but it's true.

Amazingly, Purdue has a legitimate shot at winning eight games this year if they can close things out the way we hope they will. Regardless, though, we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. We do not want Purdue going to Bloomington needing to win that game to be bowl-eligible, so this one becomes very important.

Despite some of the concerns I outlined above, I think Purdue comes out ready on senior day and plays one of their best games of the season.

Iowa 20
Purdue 34


Boilerdowd says:
The emotion of Senior Day isn't really needed as Danny Hope is pretty good at having his team emotionally charged...so I don't really think it's helpful this week. Remember last Senior Day?  On his show this week, he spoke about how he did not like the pre-game Senior festivities...but the Seniors voted to keep it as is, so he kept it.

But more than what happens right before the game, I'm concerned about what's been happening in practice in the days before the game.  I get the impression that Hope loved the game last week to the point that he felt like a proud papa afterward...and there's the rub.  When Purdue's coaches light a fire under the players, they have looked motivated (Illinois & aOSU specifically).  And when the staff is enjoying the afterglow of a victory, motivation has been lacking (Purdue hasn't won two-straight all season).

On top of that, the Purdue defense has struggled against balanced offenses...and Iowa is very balanced.

Purdue is 5-1 at home...Iowa is 0-3 on the road.  Is Iowa just due to win or are they just lousy on the road? Can Purdue finish with one of the best home records in the last decade? We'll see.

Iowa 27
Purdue 23

The Scale: aOSU

I nearly let this series die, unintentionally, but just because the games this season have either been overwhelmingly-good or bad...but after a reminder from J I thought I'd give it another run...we'll see if it returns next week.

"The Scale" is an easily-digested, overly-simplified, post-game synopsis from Boiled Sports.

Handsome Win=Extra Handsome Hour 11/16/11

We've missed...come inside and get comfortable.

Our smoldering hate for Iowa is always bubbling just below the surface...just waiting to erupt. That passion makes us see red on a typical evening if we see the maize other gold and black combo...But tonight, we had to put the disdain aside for a bit to learn about our enemy from one of the jerks asshats hilljacks few good people associated with the University of Iowa; Patrick from BHGP.

After his visit, a member of the real media, virtual pal nemesis and IU grad, Derek Schultz,  weighs in about IU's meteoric rise to championship-level play on the hardwood...and we talk a bit about Purdue basketball as well.

On top of these two, a couple more of our pals stop in, and finally re-direct us toward our Boilers.

We talk about the big win over aOSU, what might happen the next two weeks, the low point versus High Point, hugging, the intricacies of humor and the OWS movement.

We bring it all to you because we want you to look as handsome to your friends as we do to you each week.

Get juiced...get amped...get Handsome...NOW!

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The Tampa Kid Finishes Strong: Another Look at Yesterday's Win

I promised J that I'd post last night, but after heading straight out of West LaFiesta after the most-recent shocker of aOSU, I had plans back in the Indy area.  At the end of the night, I was exhausted. So if you got a few minutes and are still jonesin' for some flavor from yesterday's game, this piece is for you.

This morning, my throat hurts and my voice is still gone as a physical reminder of yesterday's OT victory. Ohio State fans called the '09 game "Purdue Harbor" as the Buckeyes were physically superior, highly-ranked and fully expecting an easy win in Ross Ade...but there's the rub, right? Purdue has taken Bucknut teams to the brink before- easy wins are the exception, not the norm in this series over the past few decades...and I have no idea why.  Both Joe Tiller and Danny Hope had and have no fear of the scarlet and gray.  (Kinda wish we could say the same for some other color combos.)

My older brother and I got to go to the game...and BS's good pal Ed down in Texas provided the club level seats.

I had never sat in that section...I had toured the facility, but and marveled how this didn't look like Purdue football years ago, but yesterday I got to watch from it.  It's a bit cloistered, but not as much as the super-high-end Buchannan Club.  You've heard me complain about Purdue fans not being enthusiastic enough...and I'll still do that because as a group, we're not vociferous-enough on gameday, in my opinion.  But the people around me in Section C-2 were pretty great...with one exception.

There was a young kid down to my right who kind of was the section leader- probably 12 years old, this kid was more situationally-aware than any Purdue coach on the sideline or QB on the roster...and along with the young guy, there were old wealthy alums and families around our seats.  And the best part- not one of them told me to sit down all day (that's all but guaranteed to happen usually, sadly).

A Jerk Guest on the Purdue Tailgate Show

I had the chance to stop by the Purdue Tailgate Show prior to the game...and neither of the hosts, nor myself felt good about this one. If you came by this site on Friday, you heard the same thing at that time...and not just from me.  But as I said following the Illinois game, I love being wrong in the way I was this week.

Let's be honest for a moment though- this year's Purdue team is enigmatic.  As aOSU comes off of three straight victories (two v. ranked opponents) and Buckeye fans were predicting a run at the B1G championship, Purdue was coming off of two of the ugliest losses in recent memory. Purdue had no offensive rhythm the past two weeks...couldn't run the ball...couldn't stop the run...and looked like a gradeschool team in really nice uniforms at times versus a bunch of grown-arsed men.

Sexy Beast
KK Short played large v. Bucknuts

But from the kickoff under a beautiful sky in God's country, yesterday's game was different. Purdue's front played resolute on defense getting into the backfield and hitting Boom Herron immediately after he got the ball. And on the other side, the offensive line was giving TerBush time and Bolden space to do what they needed to do.  And at the end of the first quarter, the good guys were up 10-0 and the RA faithful let the team know how much they appreciated the effort.

But as it's been in many games this season, the second quarter was different...at least it felt that way.  aOSU now had the stiff wind at their backs and Purdue was heading directly into it...and the Bucks could at least move the ball. They put points on the board as the TerBush-led offense struggled to get into rhythm.  Then late in the quarter, Marve came in and led Purdue on a drive that was mostly on the ground, but earned our Boilers 7...and the score was 17-7 at the half.

While the score didn't look like it, it kind of felt like aOSU had figured some things out...and the third quarter showed that.  Even with Herron unavailable after being dinged up by the stingy (at times) Purdue defense, the Buckeyes began to move the ball...and everyone was getting involved in it.  Miller looked tough creating time as Purdue would collapse his pocket, their wildcat offense was extremely-effective and they chewed up yards in the way I expected the Bucks to do coming into the contest.  In fact the only thing that wasn't working was vertical routes, but that didn't stop the coaches on the evil sideline from calling the plays nor did it deter Miller from overthrowing his receivers by 7-10 yards with regularity.  Watching Miller in person showed me a few things though. If he had a better system to play within, I think he'd be a pretty damned good QB.  He's no Pryor in the fact that he makes good fakes, actually reads the defenses, has a better throwing motion, keeps his eyes downfield and doesn't seem at all lazy. This makes him a potentially-great quarterback, in my opinion (eventually).

So while the Buckeyes weren't lighting up the scoreboard, they were definitely winning the field position battle...and at the end of three, they had drawn the game to just a three-point margin.  I think the whole stadium felt rightfully-antsy as the fourth quarter started and aOSU climbed back into the game.  And even with the wind at their back, Purdue couldn't get back into the rhythm we had seen in the first quarter.  Other than Ralph Bolden's shiftily chewing up the Buckeye defense, Crank being efficient when given limited opportunities and Siller playing a very solid game, there wasn't a whole bunch of production out of the good guys.

So after a decent drive stalled in aOSU territory, Wiggs put the final Purdue points on the board in regulation in the fourth quarter and the good guys were up by six points.

Herron came back in the game and made a difference earning tough yards.  aOSU's wildcat was effective again and each time Purdue's defense needed a stop on 3rd and long, Purdue's defense couldn't come up with it.  Ohio State got down deep into Purdue territory as the clock ticked down to inside 2:00 and aOSU decided to try to put the game in Miller's hands.  Purdue's front collapsed the pocket and Miller narrowly escaped a costly sack as he rolled right and threw off of his back foot across his body.  The pass fluttered over Johnson and into the hands of a Buckeye receiver tying the game and seemingly-sealing Purdue's fate.  All it would take was a simple point after to put the nail in Purdue's coffin.

I actually had given up, as a fan.  I saw this movie a few years ago in the Holy Buckeye game.  Sure, that Tressel-coached team had firepower for days, and the Tiller-coached squad had a ton of pros on defense, but this one felt pretty heartbreaking too...even though the game wasn't yet over.

It's easy to avoid the view on the field when you're 5'4" and everyone's standing around you.  So I didn't watch, but I heard the kick get blocked and felt my brother grab and yank me to the side as Purdue still had a pulse.  One of Purdue's never-say-die DTs, this time it was Gaston, squirted through the OSU line to get his big paw on the kick...and with the unexpected block, the good guys were alive!

After a decent Mostert return (he didn't get many chances to get his hands on the ball due to deep, wind-aided kick offs...and bad offense) Purdue started the drive with Marve at the controls.  And they drove into OSU territory.  It looked like Purdue's mega-legged kicker would get a chance to set a record and win a game in the process.  Purdue had to avoid the sack or turnover though.  But Marve made yet another awful throw when he merely needed to manage the game.

At BS, we like Marve a lot.  But as his pass drifted into the hands of the Buckeye safety, I couldn't help but think of a pal of mine's words that said, "Nothing good happens when Marve's in the game".  It looked like that might be true yesterday.

But as the Fightin' Fickells decided to run out the regulation clock, we knew that Purdue would at least have a shot at winning in front of the small, but passionate home crowd.

aOSU got the ball first and chose to have the wind at their backs and the Purdue students in their ears.  The Boiler defense got tough yet again and forced the 'Nuts into a fieldgoal.  So Purdue would take over.

And here's where it gets weird- Robert Marve would get the call, again.  I think many Danny Hope detractors were pissed at this point (I could hear a few of them).  Purdue struggled against the statistically-stingy Buckeye defense for a few plays.  And on third and short, needed to grind out a few yards.  And in his first success of the abbreviated drive, Robert Marve finished a run like a halfback a while grinding out a first down...and Purdue again had a pulse.

Again, Purdue was shut down up front and faced a third and long, this time from around OSU's 13.  Marve rolled right and found a streaking Gary Bush coming from the left side of the field and put the ball in the right place.  Bush controlled the ball and went out of bounds on the one...but the officials wanted to review it.

As Purdue fans, we thought the worst- Bush had bobbled it and there would be no completion...but as they showed the replay on the board, we saw Bush not only control the ball, but extend it toward the pylon and perhaps break the goal line? Hell, we didn't know, the RA video people didn't give us too much to look at...but we all raised both hands to inform the officials that the game should be over.  It wasn't...and my favorite football team would have the ball inside the 1 with 4 cracks at earning an improbable victory.

Marve broke huddle in the gun, with Bolden to his side.  After some hand signal theatrics, Bolden split wide, the bunch goal line formation flexed out to a spread and Marve got under center.

Number one!!
(At least it felt like it...for a few minutes)

I began yelling, "Run this damned thing in, Robert...Put 'em away!!" I could see what was coming...but it seemed the Buckeyes didn't know...and they didn't.  Gary Nord's not-so-sneaky attack playcall was about to seal the victory.

Marve kept the snap, pushed to the left and broke the imaginary plain with the Nike pigskin...and something very good had happened with Marve under center- The good guys had beaten the unlikable Buckeyes in overtime...and if for just one afternoon, Robert Marve's transfer to Purdue had paid off.

The place erupted, my usually- not-too-emotional brother ran up and down the aisle high fiving...as was everybody...except one guy who had disappeared.  The one unpleasant person in our section- a foul-mouthed Buckeye had evaporated.  His game-long antagonism had earned Purdue fans the right to put him in his place...but he wasn't there (predictably)...so we enjoyed the victory ourselves.

Walk of Shame
(I'm sure the Buckeye near me wasn't the only one in the stadium who was running his mouth during the contest)

Up Next
J will be attending a BS summit in God's country next Saturday.  So we'll have the chance to meet a couple of you guys (as promised).  And once again, we'll be sitting in the higher-brow section of RA thanks to our friend Ed.  So you'll get an eye-witness account of Purdue either getting into a bowl game for the first time in four years or forcing a one-game self-imposed playoff v. the lowly Hoosiers in Bloomington.

Marve-lous Ending

But, I can assure you one thing- I'll be wearing my Marve-lous T-shirt and lobbying for the Tampa Kid to be starting the game at QB.  If nothing else, he's earned the chance to potentially end his career as the starter on Senior Day. (While we hope Marve will get the one-year of additional eligibility, we're not taking anything for granted)

Nice job Boilers......and congrats to the beleaguered Robert Marve and Danny Hope...But don't savor this victory too long- you guys now have a couple of important football games in front of you...The type of games that could change the trajectory of your Purdue careers.

Ho Hum: Danny Hope Continues Domination of OSU, 26-23

Well, now, that would have been an awesome game in the SEC....amirite?? ESPN would have talked about it for two weeks.

Our Boilers did exactly what we asked of them in our predicto -- they proved us wrong. And we're giddy about it. No matter how you feel about things, it's a hell of a lot more fun to watch wins than losses and beating good teams is also something that gives you, as a fan, a measure of satisfaction. And yes, make no mistake, OSU is a good team. No, they're not field-rush-worthy, but hey, who is anyone to tell the Purdue fans who actually showed up what they should be allowed to do after beating Ohio State...again?

Danny Hope is now 2-0 officially against Ohio State with last year's games being vacated by OSU in the wake of the Tressel/Pryor tattoo nonsense. And he's legitimately undefeated against them at home. What is it about Ohio State that this program game-plans well for? Because over the past six years, Purdue is now 3-3 against the Bucknuts. Not many programs can say that.

The defense did what T-Mill (and all of us, honestly) asked them to do -- they stacked the box and dared OSU to throw. And Braxton Miller tried to oblige. Despite throwing for well under 50% completion percentage, he did manage two TDs through the air and nearly led the Bucks to a last-minute victory. But Bruce Gaston blocked yet another kick for the Boilers to keep the game tied at 20-20.

The Boilers then moved to midfield and I'm sure I wasn't the only one thinking this might finally be the logical time to have Carson Wiggs try a 60+ yard field goal -- and then Robert Marve threw a terrible INT to close regulation. But Robert stood tall and the coaching staff, to their credit, stuck with him. He rewarded their faith by leading the Boilers in for the winning score in OT. I don't care how you feel about the QB situation or who should or should not be starting, but I think you have to feel good for Robert Marve. This guy finally gets his chance to shine and lead these guys and he pulled it off. Good for him.

To that point, we don't see how Marve can't start the next two games -- or at least the Iowa game.  He's earned that much and has looked better leading this team in crunch time, in our opinion.

B-dowd will be along later to provide his on-the-scene report as we were fortunate to have tickets in the high rollers area thanks to generous BS benefactor Ed. But I spoke to him as he was driving down 65 getting back to Indy for a dinner he needs to get to (the BS boys are in high demand -- book early!) and he said on the post-game radio show, they were still looking for Danny Hope 30-45 minutes after the game. They kept saying he was still down on the field with the fans. Our observation there? Danny Hope loves being coach so much and loves this program so much that he wanted to personally thank every one of them that was there. Gotta love him for that.

On that subject, those of you pining for Coach Hope to be replaced, I think you're going to have to get used to him for at the very least another year. This team is now 5-5, with two very winnable games remaining and really now has little excuse not to get to a bowl game. And not to go all H&R on you, but is it so crazy to think that Purdue actually could beat Iowa at home, IU on the road...and the bowl opponent if they got a good draw? That would be eight wins, folks. I don't think it's going to happen, but it's suddenly not complete nonsense. Amazing.

We're done trying to figure out what's going to happen with this team. I said a couple weeks ago that if they beat OSU that they would find a way to lose to Iowa the following week. That wouldn't shock me one bit and Purdue did actually match up well with what OSU's offense does (or doesn't do). But now it at least makes next weekend a game against Our Most Hated Rival with a lot riding on it. This class of seniors could clinch their first bowl game on senior day.

Enjoy it, everyone. Choo choo, muthas.

THE Predicto - Bucknuts

Welcome back to West Lafayette OSU! Wait, who the hell is on that team that Purdue beat two years ago?

After the closets were cleaned and the rats jumped off the ship, OSU looks sluggish returning to Ross Ade, but Purdue hasn't really gotten any better since the last meeting, so....

They said Purdue couldn't do it before... what if they did it again?

One more time please

Predicto starts right now -- long before Terrelle Pryor gets his first NFL start.

Handsome Hour: 11/9/11

The boys talk Purdue basketball, Purdue football, recruiting and what's happening at Happy Valley.

Get involved...get handsome...Now!

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