Coach Hope Not Connecting With In-State Prospects?

Michael Pointer of the Indy Star has probably earned himself a contract on his head from Morgan Burke by writing this article saying that Danny Hope has been unable to connect with in-state -- and specifically Indy-area -- recruits.

I'm not close enough follower of football recruiting to know how accurate any of this is, but it's hard to argue with the points that Pointer makes:

• Purdue has landed just seven of Indianapolis' three-star recruits, according to Rivals.com during Hope's tenure
• Purdue has brought in none of the 14 four-star players
• In the five classes prior to that, Purdue landed eight of the 17 three-stars and two of the five four-stars
• Defensive end Robert Maci (Cathedral) and linebacker Joe Gilliam (Southport) were the only Indianapolis area players listed on the two-deep depth chart entering preseason practice

Hope's comment on it all?

"If all of them good guys would have come to Purdue the first year I was here, we wouldn't have taken as many from Florida," said Hope, referring to the 2008 recruiting class in which Purdue missed out on some high-level Indianapolis targets.

I see. Hear that, Florida recruits?

To be fair, the story also features Ben Davis coach Mike Kirschner and Pike coach Derek Moyers commenting on how much they see and are in contact with Coach Hope and the recruiting staff of the football program, especially as compared to Joe Tiller, who Kirschner says he never spoke personally with.

It sounds like these guys are indeed hustling and are making the recruiting effort that we chided Tiller for not making in his later, more tired years. So what's going on?

It could be just a shift in the times. It could be bad luck. It could be coach Mark Hagen's defection from Purdue IU two years ago. Hagen was "the Boilermakers' primary recruiter in Indianapolis for nearly a decade." How big a deal is that? Hard to say. And it certainly didn't start this downward trend.

It's possible that the coaches, such as Landholm (who is largely responsible for the Indy area) and Hope, aren't having the impact on the recruits that they need to have. Or maybe it's the on-campus visits and seeing the second-smallest venue in the Big Ten not nearly filled to capacity, or seeing students nearly rioting when they "upset" a 6-6 team. Those things aren't lost on 4 star recruits, especially when they can do a nearly side-by-side comparison against another program with twice as many fans in the stands and more success on the field.

Whatever it is, it is just one more log on the metaphorical fire that is this season. The question now becomes, will it be a bonfire, with a joyful, partylike atmosphere? Or a dumpster fire, with messy results?

Friday Gumbo

Photo Credit: Chris Kramer
catches his pal Rob seconds
after getting picked

Neither J nor I are fans of the NBA...but that won't and doesn't stop us from rooting for ex-Boilers as they take the next step in their basketball career.  But the reasons we don't like the league reared their collective ugly head on Thursday night...before #4 swooped in and shed some light into the dark chasm of the world's most-watched professional basketball league.

Before you attempt to sell the league to us, let me urge you to save your breath.  Your energy might be better used performing a rain dance for the Indiana's BS headquarters in Fishers.

Unlikeable players, a ton of them, were picked time and again on Thursday night...then, a bunch of 6'10" Euros that will never make a dent for their team became the en vogue pick type.  Sure, there were a few players in the first 50-or-so picks that won't be hard to cheer for...but not many, at least for me.  Finally, much like Smooge's long draft night a year ago was mercifully ended late in the night, Hummel was picked just before the two-round draft ended.

Hummel landed in Minnesota after the 58th pick was announced.  The same state that hosted Hummel's first knee injury...and then a year later, Goldy was in town on a football roadie when Hummel hurt it, yet again...many, myself included, weren't so sure Hummel would play basketball at a high level again. But after a second half of a season of very good basketball, and NBA workouts and doctors' opinions that kept reaffirming that one of Valpo's favorite sons was indeed back, he'll play basketball professionally.

The biased Matt Painter told everyone that Rob's best ball was in front of him last week in meetings with the media...and it looks like he's got at least one team that believes it's true.  And really, that'll be all it takes. Hummel's work ethic, overall attitude and ability to make his teammates better should make him a guy that has a solid run in a league that needs players that I actually want to watch play a game that almost-resembles basketball.

As the night wore on, even Purdue fans questioned if Hummel truly deserved a spot on an NBA roster via Twitter. Sure, the guy was injured, but players that were drafted higher like Thomas Robinson and Draymond Green both know how much of a warrior Hummel is on the court...and how difficult he is to stop or when he's feelin' it.

I don't think the NBA deserves Hummel...but Rob thinks it does...so I'm glad he's playing in the league.  Congrats, #4. Regardless of what happens in your pro career, you'll be a legend in West La La.

Hope Focusing on Needs
A few seasons ago, Danny Hope had a hard time getting anyone to verbal during the summer months.  This year, Purdue's coach already has four verbal commitments.  He's got another DE, which is needed, with a last name that you might know from that God-forsaken school in the Southern-half of Indiana.  This Repogle chose Purdue over Air Force, Navy, Marshall and others.

Randy Gregory, another DE, comes to Purdue following some time in JuCo.  His commitment out of High School was merely delayed.

The final DE in this class (thus far), John Strauser, seems to be well-suited to play in the 3-4.  He chose Purdue over Pitt and others...but the really interesting part of that commitment is that he's the nephew of Pitt's new coach (and former Wisconsin OC), Paul Chryst.

David Yancey, an RB out of Saint John, Indiana, surely won't be the last RB in the incoming class of '13...and Danny Etling, the second Elite11 QB finalist in as many years to verbal to Coach Hope, completes the group...So far.

I know, I know, most of these verbals have been known to Purdue fans for a while.  But many Purdue fans, unlike me, don't read up on recruiting...and they do visit this site, so I thought, why not?

But even though I read about recruiting, I still don't trust it a whole bunch.  All it takes for me to be sobered up (when I'm stoked about a verbal commit) is a few minutes cruising around Twitter and reading just how fickle some recruits can be...then I'm reminded why I don't talk about these guys too much until their name is signed in the late winter.  But that doesn't change that it's better to have verbals than to have no one interested or talking about the program...even in June.

But June is almost over...and we're getting closer and closer to the first day of September.

My Gut Says...
J talked about how he wasn't a fan of the new 4-team playoff system earlier this week...and he and I seem to be in the minority when we talk about our hesitation to celebrate the new system.  But, am I the only one who remembers how EsPN college football TV analysts were diametrically-opposed to anything but the two-team BCS game as recently as months ago...but now, they're all smiles as they talk about this mini-playoff?

The whole thing stinks. Sure, it's good that two teams won't be just named to the championship, but a committee to decide such a small group is not comprable to a committee that decides a large field like we see in college basketball. They're still puppet masters.  AND, the presidents and conference heads all enabled UND to continue being a member of the NCAA in football, on their terms.  Any entity that does that is pretty tough to get behind, for me.  Jim Delany and other conference bosses held all the cards...and they gave the once-mighty (20 years ago, or so) Irish an ace or two...and I can't figure out why.

My brother assures me that this 4-team playoff is a step toward an 8-team playoff that will have ripple effects that will affect everybody...Call me skeptical, but until I actually see it, I won't believe it.  Playing a tournament to decide the championship seems to be a no-brainer...but this discussion has been going on for about 20 years, and has moved as slowly as J Money after he's enjoyed a delicious 32 oz. carbonated beverage (illegally) in NYC.

Let's hope it's not longer than just a few years before college football gets closer to truly deciding a champion on the field.

The Likability Factor

I spent a few hours watching videos from last spring to last week posted by the Purdue football team...and it was pretty fun.

Just as companies tend to reflect the boss' personality due to his example and hiring practices, this Purdue team reflects Danny Hope. They're loose, they seem to really genuinely like being around eachother and love the game of football.

What's not to like about self-deprecating guys like Carlino and Holland, hams like Wiggs and Lichtenberg, nice guys like Short, Rouse and Thomas, polite, soft-spoken players like Gaston, Robinson and Shavers, Amazing athletes like Bolden, Henry, Mostert, Marve and Ross, hard-workers like Allen, Sinz and Lucas, and physical freaks like Beckford, Kitchens and Plue?

There's a lot to like on this team...and these guys are easy to root for. And while on paper, and even on the field, we can see a ton of potential, it's still tough to know whether they can put it all together in reality.

There just always seem to be a ton of loose threads for Hope's teams- waiting for academic clearing, awaiting someone to get healthy, looking forward to see if a guy would see the field in his Frosh season or redshirt, and everyone on the field knowing their role and just executing.

A lack of cohesiveness and poor chemistry have not been problems for the teams over the past two years- something that Tiller teams struggled with from time-to-time...so there's definitely a good foundation to be built upon. But consistency has been something the last two Purdue teams simply haven't been able to find...and this team must change that trend in order to get Purdue's football team back to respectability and above .500.

At the mid-way point of the pre-season practice schedule, like every team in America, there are some good reports coming out of camp and some things that sound kinda lousy. Two-a-days have left a few players like Roberts and Johnson hurting to the point that they might not be back for more than a month. Other "little" injuries and ailments are keeping guys from practicing for days or weeks at a time- that's football.

But as this team heads down the final stretch of practice prior to playing MTSU, one thing I hope they're able to find is focus...because dropping an early game versus a team they should beat can't happen if they are to take the program forward this season. Likability is extremely important...but nothing excites a fanbase like a winner.

Quick glance back at the week

Media day for B1G football was this week...you all know that. Here are a few things that stood out to me:

Shavers in BG Game

-Hope and his teammates like Akeem Shavers a lot...I hope he's as good as they've observed. He need to be, in my opinion. Even if Bolden is healthy all year, he's not the biggest back and a change up who is a legitimate threat is imperative for moving the chains.

-Hope is fully expecting Robert Marve to be 100% when camp starts...that's very different from how things looked just a month ago. Kevin Pamphile is also seems to be finally improving after battling a nagging foot injury.

-Hope said about the QB situation, "For the first time since I've been the head coach at Purdue, we went into the spring game with a quarterback who had played in a college football game." That's simply not the case- Elliott played in three games as a Junior, four as a Soph and three as a Freshman. Granted, he didn't play a ton (if any) serious snaps...but he played. Plus, Marve started over half the season at Miami and threw for over 1,200 yards for the 'Canes.

-Purdue will use a two QB system as Hope sees both Marve and Henry as starter-caliber players. Plus, he likes TerBush's potential. Hopefully Robinson will be able to redshirt as it would help the depth chart quite a bit in coming seasons.

It was asked on Twitter if we could think of any teams that were good with two QBs that played regularly. I believe Carr, while at Michigan, used Drew Henson & Tom Brady, then Drew Henson & John Navarre and averaged around 9 wins/season during that period. Also, Texas used both Major Applewhite and Chris Simms under center during the same season. Sure, UM and UT had tremendous depth at nearly every position and was loaded to the gills with talent...so it's not exactly the same situation. But, it can and has worked.

At the same time, I can think of a ton of examples when it failed miserably...but it doesn't always.

-And speaking of quarterbacks who used to be part of a two-QB system, Kirk Cousins delivered a great speech at the luncheon. In it, he mentioned Purdue specifically as a place he would have liked to play...and after watching the speech (and of course watching him play), I can honestly say I wish he was wearing gold and black right now.

-IU HC, Wilson, says he hasn't watched one minute of tape from last season because he's only looking forward. On one hand, I appreciate the idea of looking to the future...probably a good idea for IU. But, as a guy who thinks attention to detail is important, watching a few hours of what happened last season might behoove the first year former OU OC.

-Joe Paterno isn't getting any younger...and while the man is simply a marvel simply because he's as active as he is at age 84, it's amazing to me how many laughs the man gets every time he speaks to the media. I guess to the 46 year veteran goes the spoils.

Quick Peek at Recruiting

-Austin Appleby still seems solid with Purdue after being named an Elite 11 QB. In spite of receiving high marks at the camp and outshining a lot of talented guys like Gunner Kiel, his rating remains at a respectable, but not noteworthy, three-stars. As he gets healthier during the season, I fully expect Appleby to do big things...and get run on by a few big programs. Danny Hope and the program really needs him to not pull a Bellomy before signing day.

-Verbals are slowly, but surely, rolling in for Hope's 3.5th recruiting class at Purdue. Along with Appleby, Hope's got a couple of solid players who have verballed, but not anybody that's highly-ranked. There is still a gaping hole the offensive line recruiting...and Hope needs to go get a few gigantic, ugly fellows in the very near future.

In the League

-Keith Smith is camping with the Lions, Kyle Adams & Dan Dierking with the Bears and Keith Carlos with the Eagles. Hopefully one or more make it to the regular season.

Of course, Kerrigan is signed with the Redskins. He got a bit dinged up yesterday, but should be healthy in the next week to ten days.

New Boilers Sign On

We all know that Purdue signed its smallest football recruiting class ever today, but here are some interesting notes:

-Purdue picked up a late commit from JuCo LB Kaulana Judd. I don't know much about this kid other than he's already 22, so he should be strong enough to play right away, I can't find any info on offers, he's from Hawaii and played his JuCo ball at Fullerton C.C.

-Danny Hope has been widely-vilified by media outlets ranging from EsPN's Urban Meyer to local Florida papers. All sources universally seem to think Hope lands some place between Hitler and Stalin following taking the scholarship offer to A.J. King off the table weeks ago.

The one thing that no one seems to be talking about is that, from what I understand, King was offered a Grayshirt from Purdue, which he rejected before the first of the new year. Let's keep in mind, Dwayne Beckford was once a grayshirt...so it's not a career killer.

Regardless of anything else, the pulling of King's scholarship for the '11-'12 season has turned out to be a bad PR move. I haven't yet heard where King will land.

-One of the guys that there's been a lot of talk about in this year's class is Fishers, Indiana product, Randy Gregory. He's a very good athlete. If you've gone to see Gary Harris play basketball this season, you've seen Randy Gregory play along side him. Gregory plays center currently. And by many accounts can be dominant on the hardwood when he sets his mind to it. While 6'6" is too small to play in the BT, his size and feet should make him a player that can do big things on the gridiron...if he gets the chance at Purdue. Regardless, his 210-pound frame needs a year or two to bulk up.

There are a few academic concerns swirling around Gregory...hopefully he makes it to campus.

An interesting sidebar about Gregory's signing is that it was late due to the fact that his school was closed today and administrators had to make a special trip in just so he could get his letter faxed to Purdue this morning.

-Even though Bellomy won't be at Purdue, Hope foresees using multiple quarterbacks on the field at the same time in the fall...let's hope some of the formations/plays are a bit better thought out than some of what we saw when Robinson was on the field.

You can check out this year's full class here.

Here are some guys that stand out to me:

-Brandon Cottom had a ton of solid offers. He hails from Pennsylvania, which is a good start, and has good size- 6'3" 235. I'm not sure where he'll be playing by the end of his career, but I think he might see the field next season on special teams because of his combination of solid speed and size. Hope says there's a possibility for him as a Fullback or H-Back.

-Akeem Hunt, Frankie Williams & Raheem Mostert are all very quick and have breakaway speed. Hunt & Willias were RBs in high school, Mostert a WR. On paper they're all very similar, but you don't know how that translates to a kid in uniform. I think they might all be able to be used on special teams, specifically returning kicks, right away. I really like Williams ability to break tackles and change direction in traffic. Mostert probably has the best break-away speed. Hunt can make people miss, but will either need to get bigger or change positions to see the field offensively next fall.

-Robert Kugler has decent size, good speed and good hands. And if Purdue plans on running two-tight end sets, he might be forced on the field right away. Remember, Purdue lost three tight ends last season including Adams and Lindsay.

-Shane Mikesky is a guy that I'm really excited to see play. Based on his highlight reels, he seems to be cut from the same mold as John Standeford- Deceptively-fast, long strides, good size and great body control. I honestly hope he doesn't have to play and can redshirt- that'd probably mean some of Purdue's young WRs have come along.

-Armstead Williams might end up being the jewel of the class by the time his time on campus is over. He had offeres from Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin and others and chose Purdue. After watching some of Williams film, I think he might be very-well suited as a DE eventually...kind of like Cliff Avril came in lean to Purdue and grew into the role, Williams has a frame that should be able to pack on good weight.

There's a lot of talk around about this class being the last-rated recruiting class in the B1G. Here are some other things to think about before ruling this group out:

-Purdue's recruiting class of 1997 was also last in the conference...they did OK.

-As Rivals ratings go, this class average rating places it in the top-3 for Purdue classes in the last decade. Not sure if that's an indictment of Purdue's recruiting or that builds up this year's class.

-Once again, there's a lot of speed in this class...not much bulk. I'm not sure if I like this year-in, year-out.

-The late losses of a couple players sting, but it happens. If you study this group as I have, you can see there are some gems that were pursued hard by some big time programs. I'd rather have a solid kid who can develop, who really wants to be a Boiler, than any player who really doesn't want to play for Purdue...that's just me.

Russell Bellomy: A Study in College Football Recruiting and Human Nature

Bellomy Picks Michigan

If you were raised like me, you heard phrases like, "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence."

If you've been to my house, it usually is, especially late in the summer. I take pretty good care of my lawn and my house. I put money into the upkeep, I put in time to work on things and keep them in good order. I even pay Terminix to keep bugs from getting too bad and a guy named Earl sprays my lawn so that weeds don't take it over.

But, I refuse to water the grass. Last August, we had a pretty horrible drought in Indiana...and my lawn was the color of Purdue's helmets...but without the sparkles and the shine. The grass was greener around me, and I think some of my neighbors were pretty pissed...but I didn't, and don't care. My lawn didn't die, it went dorment- that's A-OK with me.

It takes money to keep your lawn looking like a fairway. And if you don't have the money for a sprinkler system, the pain of moving a sprinkler around is infuriating, to me at least. I've got two little kids and a wife-they all need my time...and having a family costs money. So I decided my lawn isn't the utmost priority. I'm kinda pragmatic.

Like Russell Bellomy, I'd like to have a beautiful lawn. Unlike Bellomy, I've decided the costs to attain such a lawn aren't worth it for me.

The thing that's so tough about recruiting is that humans are generally fickle. Even more difficult, is generally, the younger the human, the more fickle. Bellomy had been a Purdue guy for months. On recruiting visits, much like Rob Henry a few years back, I heard he did some of the recruiting himself. But the lure of Michigan was too much for the young man out of Arlington, TX to turn down.

Make no mistake, this isn't another Roy Roundtree situation. Roundtree told Purdue coaches he was going to sign with Purdue the night before signing day. It sounds like Bellomy was honest with Purdue prior to his visit to AA (unlike Roundtree). But, like young love is fleeting, so are 'solid' verbal commitments. A prettier girl, a greener lawn, a better paying job (whatever analogy you'd like to use) has come along and Bellomy's going to pursue it.

Simply Irresistable

So you might now understand why we don't talk a ton about recruiting around here. We know it's happening, we're not ignoring it. We just don't want to get too emotionally tied to someone that might or might not ever get on campus...even then, you never know what's going to happen. Waaaaaaaaay back in November and December, Bellomy told Hope and Co. that he was solidly-committed to Purdue. He tweeted the same thing yesterday, this time to UM and Hoke. Good thing for UM that signing day is less than 7 days away, I guess.

Afterall, there's always a better lawn someplace in the neighborhood.

RPI Stupid-ness (and notes)

I've been trumpeting a composite computer ranking as a relatively-fair and level-headed way of looking at rankings. BUT, has anyone checked out the RPI recently? I know that it's unbiased, which is good, but in my opinion, the formula doesn't, nor has ever really matched reality. It's a good tool at the end of the year, along with other factors, to try to figure out if a team is a top-68 team, but, it shouldn't be given the stand-alone respect it receives.

For instance:

-Duke, which to me seems to be the best team in America, currently stands at 10th. aOSU, the clear second-best team in the land at this point, is 15th.

-4-loss G'Town is third, 3-loss Kentucky is eighth, 4-loss St. John's is 11th, 4-loss WVU is 13th and 3-loss Florida is 14th. My eyes simply don't agree with with the formula...but it should come out in the wash in the next few weeks.

-The Forces of Good dropped after their 23-point drubbing of Iowa, to 12th.

Purdue's current CCR is 7th.

Eerie Parallel?

As you all know, my first and foremost passion in football is our Boilers. Of course my alma mater is my priority, plus, I just like the college game more than the pro game. But, I root for the Colts, albeit more casually, but I like to see the team I grew up on win.

But, for many seasons my Boilers and the horse have had some pretty unusual similarities. Years ago, Manning and Painter (when he was a Boiler) were torching their competition, until they reached the elite...then they would kinda wet the bed. Both teams had prolific offenses and no defense to speak of. It's not a coincidence that they both lost big games, mind you.

Recently, I've watched the Colts flounder as injuries plagued them to the point that they were almost unrecognizable. Granted, Manning was still playing and Purdue no longer has a sure-fire signal caller, even before injuries, but stick with me.

Special teams were a problem for both teams all season, specifically kickoff returns. Also, both teams had big problems with stupid penalties at bad times. Atop that, Danny Hope was prone to calling asinine timeouts this season.

All three of the problems killed the Colts on Saturday. From a dumb running into the kicker penalty, to a massive 47-yard kickoff return at the end of the game by the Jets, to an unbelievable timeout called by Caldwell in the Jets final possession. It was probably a combination of these factors and the injuries that killed the Colts. And like the Boilers, the margin for error was just too slim for the Colts for them to overcome fundamental errors.

Like Hope, I think Caldwell deserves a season of healthy players before he can be evaluated. But both have a ton of self-induced scrutiny on them after this season.

Perhaps I'm being overly-analytical and the comparison between the black and gold and the Colts isn't warranted...but I'm already looking forward to Spring ball...especially with Brees no longer in the playoffs.

Good Get

Danny Hope looks like he's done it again. Purdue has gotten a solid verbal, late in the recruiting season from a defensive player that a ton of good programs really wanted. Just as Bruce Gaston was a highly-sought after player who decided to commit to playing to hope late last year, Armstead Williams chose Purdue over a lot of very good offers.

Williams, from Pennsylvania, had offers from Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin and others. He might see the field right away, especially on special teams, depending on what type of shape he's in when he arrives on campus...but at linebacker there will be competition as four former starters return and a ton of young talent is already on campus.

I like Hope's class quite a bit- a lot of solid players with good offers from other schools. With the defections of Reese and Melton after the first semester, Hope has one or two more spots available...so this class could be as big as 16 signees. I'd like to see a non-JuCo safety or a true offensive lineman, if I had a vote.

The jewels of this class (along with Williams of course), in my opinion are:

-RB Marcus Caffey (offers from Arkansas, Ole Miss, WVU, others)

-QB Russell Bellomy (offers from Boise State, Minnesota, South Florida, others)

-WR A.J. King (offers from Iowa, Ole Miss, WVU, others)

A few guys that are a bit off the beaten path that I like are:

-WR Shane Mikesky

-CB Taylor Richards

The biggest question mark is definitely DE Randy Gregory. With the off-the-field issue, academic concerns, he might not make it on campus...but, if you've seen him play football or basketball, you know he has a ton of athleticism...Hopefully he can get his head and heart into what he's doing.

We've been saying that Danny Hope deserves a season in which his team is mostly-healthy...I think he'll get that next year. And his team will be loaded with speed and depth almost everywhere.

Monday Bloodbath Gumbo

Knocking on the Door

Purdue's composite computer ranking (KenPom, Sagarin, RPI) now stands at 9 and they're currently 10th and 11th in this week's media and coaches polls. A couple of things are promising about what we've been witnessing:

-The offense has found an identity that includes a faster pace off of defensive stops and a lot of guys getting involved.

-The defense is getting better each game.

-And, maybe most-noteworthy, this team can get much better...as Hart returns (possibly this week), Smith continues to grown into his new role, TJohn continues to become a man (figuratively, of course) before our very eyes and Byrd becomes nastier on defense, the team will improve. I'm still hopeful for the bigs- But as the offensive pace increases, Marcius and Carroll's minutes might actually decrease.

Atop that, the two guys who were supposed to be great have been exactly that. This week, Moore was honored as BT player of the week. Both he and JJ are hovering around the 20/gm mark and seemingly pick eachother, and the team up during cold spells. My favorite thing about these guys is that they both scare the opposition defensively. They might be the two best recruiting tools Matty has after they graduate- Two guys who play in his defense-first system, yet both were among the nations elite offensively as well.

And speaking of recruiting...

Coach Hope got a good verbal this week from Atlanta RB, Marcus Caffey. Caffey had offers from a ton of good programs including Ole Miss, South Carolina, Arkansas and West Virginia. He's got solid size, solid speed and great vision. He could contend for playing time next season and allow ATM to be moved to the slot permanently.

Hope had the second defection from his coaching staff this off-season last week (Brian Rock), so he'll be busy interviewing replacements. He's already moved Landholm out of the co-DC position and made Emanuel the sole DC. He seems like a mean dude...I like that in a DC.

We're still awaiting word on Gibbony.

Bloody Awful

The Big Ten has no one to blame but itself. We've heard it in the past, and we will again in the future about how the BT is an inferior football conference. But until the conference consistently rises up and plays winning football in the post season, no one will give the oldest conference in America any respect...and rightfully so.

But lets be real honest for a second- the state of Michigan is really the problem this season. Northwestern was never as good this season as they were supposed to be. And with Persa out, no one expected them to beat TT...at least around the hallowed halls of the BS world headquarters. And really a similar excuse can be given for Penn State...especially in Meyer's last game. At least they had a little fight in them. But MSU's rolling over v. their old coach and Mississippi State's undressing of UM were noteworthy, laughable and sad all at the same time.

Rodriguez assured he won't be back in the fall with Michigan's performance...but that might have been a done deal going into last week. UM wisely crafted Rod's contract to read that if he was fired in '11 or after, his buyout would be $2.5 million...a few weeks ago, it was $4 million.

Hats off to Ferentz and company and our hated rivals for getting the bowl victory. That's a pretty phenomenal coaching job in the wake of all the Hawkeyes had to deal with since the season's end. And the Zooker reminded us never to bet against his Illini...or just never to bet on them. They're one of the most-confusing teams in the nation. They've got a ton of momentum and talent coming into next fall...they'll surely poop the bed.

Was I the only one happy to see Wisconsin lose to TCU? Bielema has a firm grasp on the prestigious award for coach in the conference that I like the least right now. Glad to see the meathead lose.

Everyone's a Winner!!

A month ago, I asked people to send in their ideas for a new BT logo and/or division names and I'd decide who was the winner. But, we didn't get enough entries to consider it much of a contest. So I'm declaring everyone a winner...and loser at the same time.

The biggest losers though are those who paid tens-to-hundreds of thousands of dollars to help re-define the new BT's marks and verbiage.

Back at Full Strength

Beginning early in December, we've been running the site with one hand behind our backs. First, I was out of the country, then J was on holiday in an exotic locale. But just as our Boilers are hitting their stride, so is the BS staff...expect more delicious content in the coming weeks/months.

Much Ado About Nothing: Tuesday Midsummer Gumbo

The summer is slow for our favorite sports topics. So we've allowed you to make your usual daily BS visit short and to the point and helped you focus on you job for just a bit...Things are going to change in the next few weeks. Football camp gets underway soon and the horrible, arid sports desert that we've been in will become a lush tropical rain forest of sports goodness.

Sure, J had a little love affair with the World Cup, and some of you may have as well...and some of you guys enjoy baseball as I watch a few IndyCar races...but none of it holds a candle to football season- pro, and definitely college, in particular, God's Country's team.

Danny Hope seems to be getting busier with the media too as his politician-like duties of being a BT football coach slowly ramp up as his squad approaches September.

But, behind the scenes, he's been busy and successful as he's recruited a smaller, but higher-octane class for 2011. The class will be around 18 players come February, but currently stands at five verbal commitments...and it just feels like we might get another one very soon. Two years ago, Hope lost a few to the likes of IU and simply couldn't muster up any commitments as a coach-in-waiting. Last year, he still couldn't get many early verbals, but started to beat out IU and other lower-major conference teams as the fall progressed. This season, it seems he's getting the guys he targets and is competing with larger programs in the process.

This is good progress, in my opinion. We're watching Hope and his staff organically grow their brand and convince 17 & 18 year old players that there's big potential in West Lafayette and a reason to be excited. The overall roster is getting faster and specific needs are being met.

I've been asked quite a bit recently about what we're going to see as fans this fall. I think we'll see what we've seen in recruiting- a step forward for the program, a visibly-quicker and faster team and a team that wins more than it loses...We'll get into more prognostications in the next month.

The Biggest Loser (you the viewer)

We intentionally stayed away from the made-for-TV free agency blitz in the NBA for lots of reasons. And there's not a lot to talk about here, especially for two guys that don't care much about the NBA and a third who watched his favorite team being dismantled by an egomaniac on national TV.

But, one thing that we were reminded about was how much of a joke EsPN is as a journalistic outlet. We've expressed our disgruntlement with the network since our site's inception, but Bron Bron's 1-plus hour shravesty of an announcement removed all doubts of what the network is about.

All hail Queen James!!!

It's about pop culture, hype and revenue. Perhaps they're following the business model of MTV as they slowly phase out one of the words that once defined the network. Perhaps soon, any real sports will be removed as they become simply a sports-culture network?

Just for J

Tomorrow, the IndyCar Series will announce the future of its chassis as they've accelerated the development and advancement of the current spec chassis/engine combo.

Things might get very interesting for the league as things return to closer to what they were in the 80s and before. Multiple engine manufacturers will most-definitely be involved as a more-open format allows for wiggle room with 4 and 6 cylinder engines, turbo chargers and other changes. Sadly, there will be no loud, hump-backed Buicks in the running...but maybe we'll see a similarly-revolutionary and fast engine on the track...hopefully this time it can stay together for longer than 25 laps before blowing up.

And that's the rub- Honda's powerplants have been amazingly-reliable and consistant. But, there's not much excitement in those words. The Dallara chassis has also been trusty, but hasn't changed much in the last decade.

I think we'll see Dallara and hopefully, Lola involved once again. Regardless of whom is chosen to go forward, this change is long overdue.

The Cradle's Overflowing

Sure, we have readers who think we're not paying attention to Purdue sports this summer. But, my pals at Comcast have been doing their best to derail the awesomeness that is BS. I haven't had a consistent internet OR phone, thanks to Comcrap in 10 days. So, between losing signal, I've been reading my sports updates on my iphone...and AT&T's fantastic service has allowed me to check the internet on my phone at speeds similar to my Net Zero dial up back in ought-ought.

Honestly, it couldn't happen at a better time as there isn't a ton going on around my favorite sports program. Sure, the yahoos are releasing their prognostications for this coming fall...and our Boilers are falling into their predictions of conference standings anywhere from the upper middle to the lower-third of the conference. All that's inconsequential.

But, getting a verbal from another solid QB is noteworthy. Granted, I'm not a big fan of slathering attention upon a kid who's not signed- so much can change between now and February (read as 'we need an early signing period for football')...but, Russell Bellomy has been a Purdue lean for a few months, so he seems like a pretty safe bet to come to Purdue (unless UT or another of their ilk decides to flutter their collective eyelashes at the Arlington, TX native).

The thing I'd like to look at is what this does to Purdue's stable.
If I was a betting man, which I'm not, I wouldn't put money on this happening as planned. Injuries, defections and position changes coaching changes and anything else can render this handy-dandy chart useless. Plus, I think Rob Henry will be playing another position as early as this fall...and will be a damned-good slot receiver by the time he leaves campus. But, once again, that's just an educated guess.

What we do know is that 18 and 19 year olds change their minds from time-to-time, so things can change. But we also, as a fanbase, should be very excited and pleased that a player with offers from MSU, Boise State and a ton of others thinks Purdue is the bestest of the bestest. I'd guess Bellomy will be a high-3 or low-4 star-rated recruit come mid-fall. But moreso, this kid is really smart, has a good arm, possibly better feet and plays against very good competition down in Texas...what's not to like?

What might be more interesting to note is Danny Hope's taste in quarterbacks. All five of those with the highest odds to become a starter in the next 5 years seem to be able to pass the ball well and run as the situation dictates. Run-first and pass-only QBs seem to need not apply. Plus, these types of QBs like what they see and hear from Hope and Nord.

My opinion of Hope's recruiting philosophy and results is "so-far, so-good". If the quality of players and speed of the team keeps trending the way it is, as Hope builds depth across the board, Purdue will be a team that people outside of the Purdue family won't be able to ignore.

Keep it up, Coach Hope!

Signing Day: A Closer Look at Teenage Boys

Allen is one of the jewels of the '10 class

While I'm nowhere near the expert on the topic of young men that J is, I'm still a big fan of 18 and 19 year old athletes. So, today is a very special day in the halls of the BS world headquarters. Both J and I are walking with a hop in our step and you can see the twinkle in our eyes...It's Signing Day.

In previous years, a few athletes have gotten away and never made it to God's country to pursue higher education...Not so in '10. The class is a good stepping stone, in my opinion, to Hope's goal of a continued effort for Purdue to land more-athletic, and faster players at each position.

Here are some of the players that I'm excited to see on campus:

Bruce Gaston
6'2" 290 (+++) DT
Gaston, Melton, McDaniel, Short and Mondek in a season or so might be the most-formidable group of run-stopping DTs we've seen in WL ever. The depth at the position is might lead to one of these guys heading to offense, but it won't be Gaston. I'm stoked Bruce made it to Purdue as I thought the Williams departure might push Gaston another direction.

O.J. Ross
5'10" 175 WR
If you've seen Ross' hightlight films, you see he wears #9...but don't compare Ross to Dorien Bryant. Sure, they might both be speed merchants on the shorter end of the WR height spectrum, but I don't see him as a DB clone. First, I think he'll put on some muscle a la Steve Smith. Second, he runs behind his pads a bit more and can shed a tackle a bit better than Bryant. Lastly, he seems to catch the ball well with his hands rather than relying heavily on his body to make grabs.

Ricardo Allen
5'9" 170 CB
Like his two Mainland counterparts, Allen has speed for days. These three are all Boilers because of the impact the aOSU game had on them and their collective recruiting visit.

He had offers from nearly everybody and might be able to make an impact right away. With the depleted defensive backfield in '10, look for Allen to make the field very early...he almost has to.

Sean Robinson
6'5" 205 QB
If you've read anything about this guy, you know he's a competitor...and a winner. I don't think he cares at all that Robert Marve, Justin Siller, Rob Henry and Caleb TerBush are all vying for the same job, he just wants his shot. Don't rule out seeing Robinson in the two-deeps this fall. He can throw a lot of different balls, has great size and he has the ability to run it.

Plus, he verballed a long time ago and never wavered in spite of a crap ton of good offers...Gotta like that.

Ryan Isaac
6'4" 255 DE
Unlike the other four, he's not heralded...but I like this guy. He's got good size, decent speed and plays like the quarterback talked bad about his Grandma. You might not see him on the field in '10, but I think you'll see him after a redshirt year...and like Jack Deboef, watch out when he fills out...it shouldn't take too long.

These are but five players in this year's class...something with which you can whet your appetite. From Lucas to Torwudzu to Gilliam and beyond...there's lots to be excited for...Congrats to Hope and Co...and congrats to the Purdue football fanbase. This is a solid class.

Looking Ahead: Recruiting

At this point, Danny Hope's 7 verbal commits look alright, especially compared to last years single verbal at the beginning of August, but who are the guys that are leaning toward Purdue that might fulfill some key needs? Better yet, what positions should Coach Hope be focusing on for the class of '10?

I think the best place to start would probably be Hope's wheelhouse, the offensive line. Nearly one-third of Hope's big, beautiful uglies will graduate after the '09 campaign...and, in my opinion, we won't have Ken Plue for too long after his Soph. campaign...if his shedding of pounds equates to the type of increase in speed that I think will become obvious. But at least two guys wo are currently DTs on the roster will be converted to the other side of the ball next month...In my opinion, Josh Davis will become an OL before he ever steps on campus. While he needs to gain weight, he's got great size and good speed for the offensive side of the ball.

Next priority, or maybe a bigger priority, depending on how some of last year's recruits shake out is the defensive backfield. Hope will lose all four starting DBs after this fall...The only reason I don't put this position number one, is I think at least two shut-down corners were listed as ATH in last year's recruiting class, but the position of Safety is a large question mark.

The next position of note would be running back. Not only will Purdue lose Taylor after this season, but also Frank Halliburton. And while the system might make Halliburton's numbers unremarkable and Taylor's knee might keep his numbers down in '09, both losses will be noteworthy because both players are good huddle guys.

The last position that I think is a must to see someone signed in the near future is P/K- I think Hope will look for a guy who can do both to save the schollie.

Jewel of the Class (So Far)
In my opinion, there's no doubt who the most-noteworthy recruit of the class is so far- Sean Robinson. Purdue beat out some very good programs for his services, and Marves recent injury makes him even more important.

Scout v. Rivals
A bunch of you guys visit both Rivals and Scout daily for a bit of Boiler news...and this isn't news for you- but most of you only visit GBI. So, I'll save you a few moments- Rivals, like last season is doing a much more accurate job watching Purdue's recruiting effort thus far.

For one thing, Scout is missing two athletes that have committed in the last two weeks...plus, they seem to be the Johnny-come-too-late when it comes to stories on new recruits.

How the Boilers Compare
As of this week, Purdue looks a bit like Northwestern, Wisconsin and IU when it comes to the number of commits and the type of players committed at this point in the recruiting season...a lot can and will happen, but last year at this time, Purdue was clearly number 11. aOSU, PSU and UM (not surprisingly) all have a bevy of verbals with a slew of stars next to their names...but the Lions and Bucks both have two five-star recruits, the Wolverines have 0.

Gotta Play To Win

I like Danny Hope...I'm excited about the change that's upon my alma mater's football program. A lot has changed around Mollenkopf, but some things seem to be stuck in the old way of thinking.

Hope made a bit of a splash in his first year recruiting players to West Lafayette as he landed 4-star back, McBurse...he wrestled Gabe Holmes away from FSU and others, he got Eric Williams to buy in over Nebraska and Ole Miss, and Coach Hope got former blue-chip QB and current knee injury patient, Robert Marve to call Ross Ade his home stadium.

These guys and others show that Danny Hope can recruit, and the players that have chosen to play for coach Hope as well as those that used to play for him as a positions coach speak glowingly of the man...All positive.

But, the Joe Tiller way of recruiting seems to still be prevalent. Cowboy Joe believed he could do big things at Purdue, but Coach Tiller of the latter seasons in West Lafayette didn't buy into the old story any longer. He stopped going after 4-star (and higher) players because of guys like J.B. Paxson and Selwyn Lymon. He seemed to think all talented and highly-touted players weren't worth the trouble. And while Tiller's wisdom is somewhat correct in the fact that the majority of these blue-chippers are huge fans of themselves, not all of the highly-touted players are destined to be bad team mates and uncoachable troublemakers.

In the top-40 players list (according to Rivals.com), Purdue currently has one offer on the table...and that guy has already decided to play at UNC. Granted, in the 41-100-ranked players, the number jumps WAY up to three offers. So, Coach Hope and company have given 4 offers out to the top-100 players in the nation. Huh.

I'm not saying that star rankings are everything- if you visit here regularly, you know that we don't believe recruiting magazines make the college football world rotate. But, undeniable talent can make a world's worth of difference to a program in a hurry...And where is the harm in offering a kid who fulfills a need? I know there are only so many hours in a day to spend traveling around the nation and scouting players, making living room visits and watching game tape, but just like selling-out on the field, the staff needs to think big and put in big-time effort.

I love my alma mater...but the pervasive mindset of small-time thinking within the athletic department has bothered me for years. Sure, most blue-chip players end up at Florida, USC and other storied programs of that ilk, but there are some coaches who don't buy into the Joe Tiller philosophy of football recruiting.

Here are some of the schools that have offers to players in the top-40- Kansas State, South Florida, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Duke, Tulsa, Louisville, Pitt, UConn and Rutgers- who specifically has a ton offers in front of a ton of the top-40 players.

You might say, "Give the coach time..." And I am- I'm not judging the man solely on the recruiting classes. But, BT coaches like Ron Zook and Tim Brewster both were able to sell blue chip recruits the idea of early playing time in a BCS conference in the first two recruiting seasons of their careers at their current schools with positive results.

For Danny Hope to have a high-level of success...and to achieve the proverbial, nebulous "next level" of success, it's not only going to take solid players, it's going to take some world-beaters as well...I know, I know, I'm getting way ahead of myself, but what else am I going to write about in July?

Arid Desert

I've been in AK...and contrary to popular belief, I wasn't vacationing with Travis from Hammer & Rails...Not because I didn't want to, but because he didn't ask.

My trip has left me a bit jet-lagged (surprisingly), but I'm ready to help J carry the BS torch once-again. But, since there's not a whole lot to write about, I'll just jibber-jabber for a moment.

Purdue Day Revisited
First off, the Purdue day on BTN was re-aired yet again, and I didn't get a whole lot out of it as I've watched those games/shorts multiple times. BUT, I did notice one thing- Ed Hightower's hair.

What's that, you've never taken time to look at the top of Ed's head? Well, I think he's hoping that's the case. in 1994, the Czar of dramatic officiating in college basketball had but a few scant hairs atop his wise head. yet, in 2008, this is what his head looked like.
I have no idea how I missed this so long...but since he's always thought the fans tuned in to see him officiate, it makes sense that he'd go to such lengths to make himself look oh-so-good!

Hope's Headscratcher
I wrote about this a few weeks ago- how Coach Hope's recruiting class looks nothing like the '09 version...but this trend has continued. While I was away, Purdue verbals rained in like J Money jumpshots back in the day...and none of them are from the Sunshine state...but I like Sean Robinson a lot. Seems like a bigger Robert Marve to the uneducated eye.

Sure, Coach Hope's fulfilling needs, but the amount of verbals, and the types of players coming in do not resemble last year's effort in the slightest...It seems odd, at least to me that we're seeing such a big departure from last-year's effort in only Hope's second recruiting campaign.

No News is...uhhhhhh, boring
This is a slow time of the year, no doubt about that. This weekend, EsPN went back to its roots of the early 80s by showing men's slow-pitch softball, baja racing, bowling and other less-watched sporting events. There's so little news, that Erin Andrews having a good body is news...wouldn't it be more-newsworthy had the illicit video shown that Ms. Andrews was disfigured in some way? No matter...The duldrums are coming to a close in the very near future as August is fast-approaching...Can't wait until football season.