Purdue Football's CEO

I've been a Purdue fan my whole life...but can't remember a coach like Darrell Hazell being hired. I was born in '75 and brainwashed early to love the black and gold...I don't remember Agase...and sadly, recall very little of Jim Young's short time in God's country...but we're in a new era of Purdue football.

Leon Burtnett was hard-nosed on the field, but likable off of it...and while he might be a football genius, he's far from a clinical genius. He was a bit of a nutty professor, if nothing else.  His "junk defense" earned him the job in the wake of Jim Young's premature departure...And while he had limited success in the form of a bowl game and one really exciting team under his watch at Purdue, his 21-34-1 record as Purdue's head football coach was nothing to write home about.

Fred Akers was a bit of a splash, as a hire.  But, the former UT coach had just come off of his worst season at Texas, when hired by Purdue.  He won a ton of games at UT; was 60-19-1 while in Austin...but the cloud of NCAA violations and the subsequent final, lousy season did him in.  He had a Texas drawl and swagger to match, and his team also had that swagger.  Black unis from head-to-toe is what many Purdue fans remember about Akers' thumbprint on the program...I remember a bunch of blackeyes on the program...problems off the field and a dismall 12-31-1 record.

Pretty pitiful.

After Akers, Purdue wanted to clean the program up, so they hired a long-time OL coach, and former aOSU OC, Jim Colletto.  Aker's swagger was gone and a lunchpail mentality entered the program...but football simply wasn't much fun during this era.  Purdue gave Colletto a ton of time to implement his plan, install his run-first offense.  Purdue had some NFL talent pass through the program during Colletto's years- mostly in the trenches on either side of the ball...but his most noteworthy player, of course, was Mike Alstott. There wasn't a QB that stood out during Colletto's era...and I think many Purdue fans struggled with that as much as the losing.  But as a student during that time, I struggled with his whining.  Colletto's post-game comments were nearly as maddening as what happened on the field as he'd constantly complain about guys lining up incorrectly as the culprit for that week's loss.  Oh yeah, he also had two ties in one season...and one of those, versus Iowa I believe, could have easily ended in victory for Purdue...but helped Colletto to his one non-losing season; a 5-4-2 season.  Nice.  Colletto's teams were forgettable, but his 38-80-4 record is tough to expunge from my memory.

The brightest days of my life as a Purdue fan...by A LOT...were those in which Joe Tiller was the head coach.  Tiller wasn't the first choice for Burke, but he was the right fit and the right guy for the job.  He did more with less, in less time than any coach in the modern era of college football.  He took a bunch of players that didn't believe they could win and made them a bowl team year after year after year...  Tiller was funny and a bit cagey.  He gave great answers to questions, but sometimes seemed to hate talking to people...and in his last few seasons at Purdue, he seemed to dislike a lot about the job.  Sadly, a brilliant run from '97 to '04 is a bit tarnished due to the last four seasons of his time at Purdue. Purdue went from a team that could beat anybody to a team that could only beat bad or mediocre teams.  The offense that Tiller brought to the Big Ten, that really turned the conference on its ear had become ho-hum...and while Purdue lit up scoreboards v. MAC opponents and IU, they were no longer competitive against ranked foes.  All of that said, many of Tiller's seasons felt magical...especially for someone like me who only really remembered one winning season before Tiller's hire.

But, I wasn't excited about Tiller being hired until I met him in person.  When I was an RA at Tarkington Hall, Tiller came to talk to the boys of Tark in the Spring of '97.  Someone asked Tiller about the importance of getting the team prepared to play and possibly beat Notre Dame the next fall. He responded, "I'll have to check if the guys have to squat when they pee, if they're not up for that one."  As I said, the guy was funny, and even when he wasn't answering questions directly, he was entertaining.

Tiller was 87-62 at Purdue...and is Purdue's winningest head coach after taking the record from "Fat" Jack Mollenkopf.

Next up, of course, is Danny Hope.  I'm not going to talk about his era too much because we've done that waaaaaaaaaay too much on this site the past few years.  But one thing I will share is an account from a friend of mine- He says that back when Hope was on Tiller's staff, he'd see him pacing the halls around/in Mollenkopf.  He said he'd always kind of be muttering something under his breath and always looked a bit crazed...and continued that when you saw him coming, you'd make sure to get out of his way because he was always moving at a fast pace and seemed frantic (kinda like his offenses at the end of close games).

Details and order clearly weren't Hope's highest priority...and his teams showed it.  Costly penalties, bad decisions in crunch time and teams that looked ill-prepared became the norm during his four seasons at Purdue.  His 22-27 record, a winning percentage of .375 isn't as bad as a few other coaches on this list, but that sure as hell doesn't make it good...especially when you taken into account the fact that unlike Burtnett, Akers and Colletto, he had a D-IAA each season to help nudge that record up.

Morgan Burke made an awful hire when he chose to listen to Tiller and hire Danny Hope; we've talked about that a few times too.  That hire had the potential to burn down much of what Burke had built as Purdue's AD.  Purdue's athletic department was simply hemorrhaging money during home game Saturdays the last few years. Ticket sales were way down and morale was as well...But in what might be Burke's last big hire as AD, he got it right when he listened to a committee who told him to pick Darrell Hazell.

Before the Hazell hire, Burke looked like he was chasing Butch Jones...after Jones removed himself from consideration, it looked like Purdue might be in trouble.  After the Hazell hire and Jones' theatrics while flirting with other schools, it was clear that Purdue had the right guy.

CEO-type

If you've ever met a CEO of a big company who's really good at their job, you've probably witnessed what I have- you can tell within a few seconds that this guy demands respect...and you want to follow him. This is Darrell Hazell.

While CEO types are comfortable and effective in front of large rooms, the greats are extremely engaging in one-on-one situations as well...Purdue football's CEO has this skill.  While Tiller as a good communicator, Hazell has been succinct and crystal clear in his belief that Purdue will win with the parts that are in place, will alter schemes and plans to use the talent they have and will do things the right way the first time.

A great CEO gives off confidence that he can do any job within the company...but allows his people to go out and do what they were hired to do.  Haze is already done this with his recruiting strategy by allowing players and coaches to be accessible to the media.

One thing that all good CEOs do is yield results.  There are only a few that we can see at this point- he shored up the recruiting class last Spring, has helped raise money for the athletic department and has helped season ticket sales go up a bit.  BUT, his success as coach and CEO will be measured by his wins and the manner by which he wins at Purdue.  In this case of course, the verdict is still out.

J and I will discuss this in the next few months, but we have a disagreement on just how much success Hazell will have in his first season at Purdue. But we are unified in our belief that he will prove to be a great hire for our fair Alma Mater, regardless with whom he's being compared.

Change is a Good Thing: Purdue Football

Yes, that's a very similar headline to the one the Panda used the other day with regard to the Purdue basketball program. However, as has been the case for a while, Purdue football and Purdue basketball are in very different places.

While the basketball program is experiencing some changes that border on "upheaval" (seriously, I hope the Boilers have enough guys to field a team next year at this rate), the program in general remains respected. Matt Painter alone is someone who many pundits and analysts will openly praise as a giant bright spot for Purdue, even in down years such as '12-'13. The football program, however, was not in such a good state during their recent down year(s).

As has been noted on this here site, we feel that has changed and will continue to change in the months and years ahead. Darrell Hazell was the right man for the job and as months have passed since his hiring, I've continued to think about the decision Purdue made as well as the decisions they didn't make (other potential hires, etc.) and even the decisions other programs made (Tennessee, etc.). And the truth is, I don't know if Purdue could have done any better given the situation they were in.

Coach Hazell represented -- and represents -- change for the Purdue football program. The thing that is pleasing me lately is that the change is wholesale -- it's not just for show, for example. He has begun changing the mentality and the effort. He's a supporter of these guys but he's also busting their asses. Ricardo Allen commented on how hard even the dinged up guys work on the sidelines, as opposed to under the previous regime. And one thing to keep in mind with regard to that kind of stuff -- you can't rely on these players to think that's necessarily a "better" thing or not. Think back to yourself at 18-22 -- you probably wanted to exert yourself as little as possible. If you played a sport and had a coach that went easy on the condition/running stuff and always was your pal, you probably loved him. You also probably lost a lot.

You know what else? It's okay to say things needed changing. That doesn't make you a disloyal fan or a bad Boilermaker. It's great if you supported the recent teams through thick and thin. That's wonderful and in some ways, you're a better fan than many of us who became disgusted with the Hope regime. But it's not an indictment of your fanhood or your loyalty to your alma mater to say you think the program needed a good scrubbing. It did and it's not getting it.

Changing the thinking is obviously one of the biggest components of the overall change that is needed in West Lafayette, and that's already at work. Could it have been effected this quickly? No, probably not. But with leaders like Rob Henry and coaches like Coach Hazell, Coach Hudson, Coach Freeman and Coach Shoop, it appears thus far as though the pieces are being put into place. There is a clear focus on one team with unified goals and a preliminary understanding of the level of work required to become great. I love seeing that and I hope we get to continue to see it develop.

Seeing it is all key to this change as well. Another big difference that has been documented is the openness and willingness to let us all peer into the program. There have already been more open practices than I can remember under Danny Hope. Darrell Hazell is a confident man who believes in what he is doing and has nothing to hide -- the way any successful practitioner of their trade should be. He does not feel everyone is out to get them and even if he did think someone was, my feeling is that he wouldn't care. He's going to do things his way until he is told to stop. If winning follows, I don't suspect anyone will tell him to stop.

The visibility should also comfort anyone who worries about Coach Hazell's tutelage under the OSU football factory. Sure, there were some improprieties there but if you have a coach who wants the fans and media to see much or all of what they're doing, that's at least a good sign that you're not the kind of guy to hide things. Obviously, I'm not naive enough to think it's not still possible that cheating could occur -- but I like the visibility as a first step in ensuring we all feel well-informed on the football program we love to support.

Change has trickled to other facets of the program as well. Music is played at practice and it's a variety of themes, styles and volumes. They work hard, but they're also going to enjoy their time together. Ross-Ade Stadium has also been bestowed the moniker of "The Furnace," which whether you like it or not, makes sense the the Boilermaker mascot -- something on other school shares. And why not try to give the bland Ross-Ade some personality in any way possible? This is a place that hasn't been a home-field advantage for many years -- but it actually can be. Those of you who were there in the '98-'04 timeframe know that. It may be among the smaller Big Ten venues, but it doesn't have to be a quiet one.

Another change to R-A is one that was brought to my attention A fake change to R-A sent to me by Twitter follower @Boiler_Brandon, is as follows:



The paint was shipped in from Iowa City. What? We got a deal!

 If we want to keep the "Furnace" theme going, how about a flame burning at the bottom of the signage?

The colors aren't completely right, but they haven't been right on most Purdue uniforms for over a decade-plus now. Would we like Nike to learn Purdue's colors? Of course. But they haven't yet and Purdue hasn't forced them to, so in the meantime, adding some menacing black to the stadium instead of the welcoming white would be fine by me. For comparison:

It seems only natural that this theme of change might also extend to uniforms. Joe Tiller stripped the names off the back of the unis immediately (among other changes that were already happening to the jerseys) upon his arrival. Danny Hope put them back on and allowed the team to choose combos (black/black, black/gold, etc.) regardless of whether they'd earned that sort of right. Darrell Hazell brought back retro Kent State uniforms for their bowl game this past January, which was something he had promised his players if they made a bowl -- something Kent hadn't done in 40 years. Might that mean a black alternate helmet or other uni tweaks? You know we'll keep beating that drum.

Change looks like it will continue to come to Purdue football. And as long as the program turns back in the direction of something we can all be proud of, I think the fans will come back and I also think the team will be supported regardless of record in 2013. Effort is something that is evident in football, as is preparedness. If this team and coaching staff shows effort and preparedness, then the future is indeed bright. 

More On Danny Hope

Danny kept talking to WLFI and they broke it into a two-part miniseries, like Lonesome Dove. Part two is available on their site.

Among the wonderful nuggets included:

"My players were like my sons."

Coach Hope talked about the "football family" and how he went to the bowl game because he wanted to see his guys play... and that if it had been his son, he'd be there, so since the players were like his sons, he showed up. I know it's nice for football coaches to be the senior figure that perhaps some kids don't have in life, but this just comes across as a big too far to me. Perhaps one more indicator that he was too close to his players to be a disciplinarian or to hold them accountable.

Hope said he "allowed myself to become the scapegoat" for anything that happened with the program.

IMAGINE THAT! The head coach being responsible for any and all aspects of the program. Meager (by comparison) as his $1M salary might have been, he was the head man and thus all aspects of the program are ultimately his responsibility. It seems ludicrous that I even wrote that sentence.

Danny thinks he'd still be in the black and gold had the fans only shown up more. (Oh and another win would have sealed the deal.)

Hope said that he felt that if attendance had remained in the high 50,000s or more, or if he would have won one or two more games, he'd still be there. I guess that's possible, but is he honestly not making the connection between his stewardship and the plummeting attendance and dearth of wins?

Following up on Hope's somewhat petty, vague and completely Hope-like interview with WLFI, the talented Mike Carmin demonstrated how I think many of us gleaned he felt about Hope all along in a very good column you can read here.

Carmin pulls no punches, calling out the odd inconsistencies and lack of details in some of Hope's most overt claims (such as how poorly he claimed Burke handled his firing). Carmin also detailed a meeting Burke had with the coaching staff after the Penn State game back in early November:

During an interview in January with Burke, I asked when Hope was informed of the decision. He told Hope the Sunday following the victory over Indiana, but met with the entire coaching staff after the loss to Penn State in early November.

“I sat with them after Penn State – all of them,” Burke said. “I said, ‘Guys, we’re driving off a cliff. You’ve all been around these games long enough. We’ve got to do the best we can to finish this thing off on a positive note.’

“You can read into that but I wasn’t threatening. I don’t like surprises and I don’t want people to be surprised. I looked around the room and said, ‘You all know where we are, don’t you? The fan base has given up on us and the best thing we can do is try and give these kids the last three games.’ ”

I hadn't heard that before and I find it very interesting, when you consider how Hope reacted at the very end. It sounds like even beyond the fact that it should have been unsurprising to Hope given his results on the field, that Burke essentially told them the end was near earlier in the month.

A few of you have said that @HopefulDanny on Twitter should be adding to this -- but frankly, how could he? This nonsense that the real Danny Hope is spewing forth is hard to top in terms of silliness.

And as an aside, why isn't Mike Cleff -- the Sports Director at WLFI -- not pushing Hope for clarity on his weird answers about Burke, responsibility, etc.? Why didn't he ask about the meeting that Burke had with the coaching staff in early November after the PSU game?

Danny Hope Speaks; Unclear if Anyone is Listening

Mike Cleff of WLFI in Lafayette got a one-on-one sit-down with the former don of Purdue football, Danny Hope. Part 1 aired last night and is available at WLFI's website. Part 2 airs tonight. I hope there isn't a cliffhanger ending... like Cleff asks him about what mustache comb he uses and then we fade to black, with Danny giving his crooked grin.

In the three-minute segment we're allowed to see (out of a purported hourlong interview -- I've asked WLFI if the complete hour will be available somewhere), Hope continues his rambling, sort of entertaining in the drunken uncle sort of way, about Purdue football and how unfairly he was treated.

Hope calls Morgan Burke out in the interview and says he should have "been a little more accountable." Not that I ever like to side with Morgan Burkce, but no, Danny, as head coach, you're actually the one accountable. The buck stops with you, as they say. For Morgan Burke, taking accountability means making the difficult decision to fire a man and to pay him his buyout. Let's not undervalue the fact that that is a big decision. (I did like the "behind the whistle" and "behind the necktie" analogies from the ever-quotable Hope. He kind of took the "behind the wheel" metaphor and applied his usual wire whisk.)

Hope also notes that the players wanted him to be there. That's all well and good, but they wanted him there because he let them run the asylum and get away with not even knowing their assignments on the field at times -- something that was apparent even to non-football experts like me. He and the coaching staff he champions were, quite simply, not at Big Ten level and were not getting the job done. This was made apparent  numerous times over the course of Coach Hope's time at the helm (or behind the whistle, if you will), as we have documented here at BS. Losing to lesser opponents, not rising to the occasion when it was absolutely critical, getting positively walloped by good teams.... all of these are signs of poor preparation and/or coaches who are just in over their heads.

Going back to Hope's comments, I love this one:

"We hoped we had done enough. But I knew it was close. We had a tough stretch there and didn't come through at a critical time of the season and, obviously, had lost the support of our administration, athletic administration, and fan base."

You knew you'd lost basically all support possible... and yet it was still "close"? Nope, it wasn't.

The amazing thing about this is that if Hope actually believes what he is saying here, then he still doesn't understand that it was basically a done deal after the Michigan and Wisconsin embarrassments. And even if you cling to some kind of delusion that it wasn't over then (like if you're, oh, I don't know...Kelly Kitchell), then the bed-wetting at Minnesota where a truly bad Gophers team relentlessly pummeled and listless and disinterested Boiler squad (one we wrote may have actually been the low point) was for sure the end for Hope.

This interview truly means nothing, which is probably why nobody else was scrambling to get this "scoop." Danny Hope is old news and he's really got no feathers in his cap (despite what he surely thinks) that will make many of us look back at his tenure with any sort of fond remembrance. His time in charge was a low-budget experiment by Morgan Burke -- Burke has essentially admitted as much -- that did not work out. He took a program that had clawed its way to respectability after many years of awfulness and in four years presided over them becoming a punchline again.

That's as succinct as I can put it.

@HopefulDanny Revealed

Many have discovered @HopefulDanny over the past couple of seasons, including media members, players, recruits and, of course, students. Former BS'er Teddy Huff even asked who was the mastermind (not his words) behind the brilliance that is Hopeful Danny.

Well....it was us.

If you didn't figure that out, though, I question your detective skills a bit. Who else in the Purdue writing community is that bitingly hilarious? Who else can create such comedy?

Well, when Danny Hope is the guy you're lampooning, it's actually pretty easy. In fact, the challenge often came in figuring out how to sound more goofy than the actual man himself. We suspect that's what so many people liked about the twitter feed, though -- that almost everything we wrote was something you could very easily hear Danny saying during a press conference.

Two years ago, prior to the 2011 season, we had kicked the idea around and then one day, I got a note from B-dowd that simply said "The die is cast," with a link to Hopeful Danny's feed. And so the fun began.

We both found it to be an incredible outlet -- a release valve where we could make fun of the situation in front of us in a way that wasn't really mean-spirited, but was more in a way we could all laugh about and sort of just shake our heads... ah, life as a Purdue football fan.

The content pretty much wrote itself. We began listening to midweek pressers just for the nuggets of nonsense Danny would spout out. If he got on a particular theme, which happened often, we would begin caricaturing that theme for a few days and we'd add it to the files to be brought back at key times. As with the origins of this site, we mainly did it to entertain each other and perhaps a few friends, but then it quickly began growing into something that those with (we like to think) smart senses of humor really began to enjoy. I often thank you readers for the compliments we get and the HopefulDanny feed was no different -- in fact, we were referred to as "genius" far more often for a phony twitter feed than we ever have been for our work here.

A quick note about fake twitter accounts: they don't really work if you pick something or someone that isn't naturally funny or so completely serious that doing an alter-ego is funny. If you take someone like Matt Painter and just add a bunch of cursing and strange remarks... it's kind of boring. Lampooning guys like Danny Hope is so easy because he's already kind of oddly likable even as you're laughing at him. Even those who wanted him fired never truly hated the man

With Danny's tenure at Purdue ending, the value of the feed goes away now, but if he does catch on at someplace like Florida International, the material may be just too good to pass up. So keep him on your list of follows. You never know when he may resurface.

He is a #champion, after all.

The Hazell Hiring Handsome Hour

Purdue has a new coach...and the Handsome Hour is taking handsomeness to unseen levels.

The boys are back after a mere week...and they've brought some friends along.

Brendan "The Instigator" Murphy and Albert "The Hitman" Evans weigh in on recent happenings in and around the Purdue football program and on the interwebnets.

Tune in to hear Dowd's bellyaching...stay for J's bright-eyed optimism.  It's the Handsome Hour...and it's starting...now.

Listen to internet radio with Boiled Sports on Blog Talk Radio

Hope's Last Hurrah Handsome Hour

Listen to the Handsome Duo and their beautiful guests, Brendan Murphy and Derek Schultz.

Tune in now:

Listen to internet radio with Boiled Sports on Blog Talk Radio

(Sorry about technical difficulties...after the audio cuts off, jump over here to see/hear the awful exciting conclusion of tonight's show.)

Next Stop: Houston?

I was wrong. I thought the Boilers would finish 3-9, or at best 4-8 after Burke let it slip that Hope would be let go after the Indiana game and the seniors responded by crushing IU for him. (Of course, they did that anyway ...) Instead, they're likely to end up 6-7 after finishing their season outside Big Ten country.

Throwing at or away from Ricardo Allen? You decide.

In a normal year, it wouldn't technically be outside the area: it would be in Ford Field against a MAC school that could hold its own against the Boilers. The good news is that the Kent State-Northern Illinois winner won't be taking apart Purdue's defense; the bad news is that it could be West Virginia doing the work.

Thanks to NCAA action against two otherwise bowl-eligible teams, and to Purdue and Michigan State realizing that you do need to win six games to go, the Big Ten will be sending seven teams to fill eight slots. (Sorry, Mr. Ilitch.) Of course the Big Ten has the rules for filling the spots hidden, so courtesy of Adam Rittenberg, here they are (note that the order in the link is from 2011):

• Conference champion to the BCS, in the Rose Bowl unless they're one of the top two teams (ha!);
• At-large teams to the BCS if they have won at least nine games and are in the top 14 (possible, but unlikely, with Nebraska 14th; a loss to Wisconsin would knock them out);
• Capital One and Outback Bowls can "drop down" no more than one win and one loss when selecting a team – if there is a 9-3 team available, they can take an 8-4 team but not a 7-5 or an 8-5 team;
• Conference runner-up can't drop lower than fourth selection after BCS teams.

First, let's dispense with the bowls we know Purdue won't be going to:

Rose: Nebraska. Please please please do not send a five-loss team to a BCS bowl. Yes, the Badgers have three OT losses and two three-point losses in regulation, but they have zero quality wins and an offense that makes their basketball offense look exciting. Nebraska will get the season sweep and return to the Rose for the first time since the 2001 season. (Should Nebraska fumble this away, Wisconsin goes here, Nebraska to the Capital One, and Michigan and Northwestern move down one spot each.)

Capital One: Michigan. The best remaining record is Northwestern's 9-3. The old Tangerine Bowl will look at Michigan's fan base and Northwestern's fan base and give David Brandon a call. (A win over Ohio State might have propelled Michigan into the top 14; they won't even be in the top 25 now.) That locks Northwestern into ..

Outback: Northwestern. The second appearance in four years for Pat Fitzgerald's crew. Given who's near the top of the SEC East, it'll likely be a tough matchup for a school that hasn't won a bowl since the 1948 season.

The remaining teams will have 7 or 6 wins, so Purdue could theoretically go anywhere in here. However, that's unlikely.

Gator: Wisconsin. The Badgers laid an egg at the end of the season, but still locked up the division thanks to Purdue's horrible conference start. They still travel well, haven't been to the Gator Bowl ever, and could only drop one more spot anyway. The Gator isn't taking a 6-6 team when it can take a 7-6 team.

BWW: Michigan State. Distraught to learn that the Hawkeyes would not be available this year, the Insight Bowl changed its name to the BWW Bowl. The Spartans have a handful of close losses (five by a total of 13 points) and just whacked Minnesota in Minneapolis; they'll be next to go.

Meineke: Purdue. There, I said it. Meineke and Heart of Dallas will arm-wrestle, with the winner getting first pick. Both bowls will intentionally try to lose. ESPN will cut them off in frustration and sort the teams alphabetically, except they'll do it backwards because that's how things go in Bristol.

If you squint, you can almost see old gold and black in one of the end zones.

Heart of Dallas: Minnesota. Sorry, that's what happens when you're lowest on the list: you get no choice.

Who will the Boilers draw in the Texas Bowl? It's hard to say, with the Big Notquite12 having one more week of games remaining, but it's entirely possible that West Virginia, after destroying Kansas, will be the sixth choice out of the conference. (Oklahoma's OT win over Oklahoma State keeps them alive for an at-large bid, so if they beat TCU, they could knock every remaining team up one spot.)

The other teams in the vicinity are Texas Tech, TCU, and Baylor – you know, the team that beat Kansas State. Should Purdue fall to the Heart of Dallas Bowl, they'll get the eighth-choice team from the Big 12: add Iowa State to the mix, as a Baylor loss to Oklahoma State would leave the Bears 6-6 with the Cyclones.

No matter who the Boilers draw, it'll be a tough matchup, especially for the defense. The guys forced some key turnovers today, but they gave up a lot of points as well ... and that's the kind of play that fits perfectly into the hands of the high-scoring Big 12.

I think it would be cool for Purdue to give Danny Hope a going-away present. Purdue has met disappointed teams from the Big 12 before and come away with wins: those Alamo Bowl appearances were the last time Purdue won bowl games in back-to-back seasons. Ironically, Oklahoma State, the first of Purdue's victims, could end up meeting them again ... and losses to rival Oklahoma and to Baylor would likely leave them just as disappointed as they were 15 years ago.

Thank You, Seniors: Boilers Keep Bucket, 56-35

Congrats, men.

About a month ago, I, for one, was skeptical that the Boilers would win another game this year. I thought the tent had been folded up and put away neatly in the shed until next season. After the gut-wrencher loss to Ohio State, the Boilers failed to show up in Minneapolis and were downright embarrassed. After that game, Robert Marve -- when asked questions about his team -- just said, "You just gotta go out there and play, man." The undertone we heard was "Let's stop talking about this stuff and just go play better."

The Boilermakers struggled the next week vs Penn State at home, only further cementing their mediocre-at-best season status and likely Coach Hope's fate in front of mere hundreds at Ross-Ade. Many teams, including teams in positions like Purdue was in, would have truly folded it up at that point. As I said, I didn't think they'd necessarily win again.

It's a true testament to the players and especially the seniors that the Boilermakers have won three in a row to become bowl-eligible, culminating in today's guilty pleasure 56-35 win over the Hoosiers. I say guilty pleasure because that was not a "good" game in terms of good football teams playing good football, but it was fun. Shootouts often are and this one had huge swings of three touchdowns at a clip.

Robert Marve and Akeem Shavers had career days on Senior Day, with Marve passing for a 69% completion percentage (imagine how good it would have been if Purdue receivers weren't wearing cement gloves in the second quarter) on 20/29 passing, for a tidy 348 yards and four TDs.

The two-QB system even sort of "worked" today, as Rob Henry passed for a TD and rushed for one. ("See??!!" Gary Nord is shouting right now, before his percocet sandwich).

Shavers carved up the Hoosier defense for 225 total yards -- 126 on the ground and a TD and two catches for 99 yards and two TDs. He also had scoring runs of 71 and 58 yards called back on penalties. Mercy. Not a bad last game in Ross-Ade. Too bad more fans weren't on hand to see it.

Other notable performances included Frankie Williams' impressive interception of Cameron Coffman's long downfield pass and on the other side of the field, junior Stephen Houston rushed for 158 yards and three TDs. The guy was hard to stop.

Speaking of IU, I know the knock on their D all season has been their porous run stopping, but their secondary is positively dreadful as well. I'd love to crow about Purdue rolling up all these points (and I will) but that secondary can't stop anybody. It's not like it was laserlike touchdown passes threading needles all day. The Boilers caught passes in the flat or even at the line of scrimmage (Gary Bush from Henry comes to mind) and then just ran through, around and over the IU defenders. One guy who got particularly worked over was #37, Mark Murphy, a safety for the Hoosiers. 

On Brandon Cottom's 14 yard TD for the first Boiler score, he kind of ran right past Murphy, who made a weak arm-tackle attempt and wound up splayed out on the field watching Cottom rumble into the end zone. And then on Akeem Shavers' 73 yard TD catch-and-run (his first of three straight in the final 10:40 of the game), Murphy had a clear line on Shavers and should certainly have been able to take down the smaller running back. Then Shavers grabbed Murphy by the face and threw up to the ground and this happened:

Mark Murphy (37) is thinking "My girlfriend saw that."

What I don't get is how this team stayed with some of the teams they stayed with this year. I think the fact that Kevin Wilson cobbled a 4-7 season out of these guys (remember, an improvement from one win last year) really is quite an accomplishment. Everyone seems to agree they're going in the right direction, including me, but he has got to get some defenders in there (or a coach who can coach these guys up) who can stop...something. Pass, run, whatever. Because that defense was abominable. (No, I'm not saying Purdue's is phenomenal, before you say something about that.)

Another guy I should mention here is Cody Webster since punters rarely get coverage. This guy has been more of an asset than I think people realize. Cody averages over 45 yards per punt today, notching 275 yards on six kicks. He's only a junior, so next year this will be an asset again and he'll be kicking on Sundays in two years. Good for him.

Crosby Wright, another favorite here at BS, had a game himself. Despite Crosby having two big penalties that resulted in huge gains being brought back (we had to bust your balls, Crosby), Wright had a manly catch and run while carrying IU defenders for over 15 yards in the third quarter. It looked like he dragged three defenders into the end zone but was ruled down a the 1 and Rob Henry punched it in. Crosby had three catches for 81 yards, his best yardage output of the season. Unfortunately, he never made it into the end zone this season, but caught balls in every game but two. 

Boilermaker

Back on Robert Marve, I don't think we can say enough about this guy. I know he's had a troubled past in some ways but if you believe in second chances and that young guys sometimes make poor decisions and then straighten themselves out, then you should also love this guy. There are few examples in recent Purdue history of guys who just wanted to be a Boilermaker and be out on that field with his teammates more than Robert Marve. Much like Rob Hummel, this is a guy who could lament his spot in life and his three ACL injuries and how things just have not worked out for him they way they could have, but then you see his dad during the game saying that Robert is so "blessed" to be a Boilermaker and you can see how happy the whole family is that he's playing football in the black and gold. If you're like us, it just makes you proud of him. And thankful to him, because those are the guys we love to see in Purdue uniforms.

As for his play on the field, we also couldn't be happier that he had his career day on Senior Day. But the play many of us will surely remember for a while was after he threw a hard luck interception that rattled around among a few players and was snagged by junior cornerback, Greg Heban of the Hoosiers. Heban took off the other way and had the running head start on Marve, who was closer to the center of the field while Heban was streaking down the hashmarks. Marve turned on the jets and reminded us all that he's still one of the best athletes on the Purdue roster. Marve took the correct angle and -- on a torn ACL, remember -- caught Heban and, as I said to b-dowd after the game, made a tackle with better form than many of Purdue's defensive players of the past five years. Now that's a guy who wants to play football for the Boilers. How many QBs would have shown that hustle? And don't tell me many, because we've all seen guys coast out of the frame and give up on the play. The tackle occurred 70 yards after the interception. It still resulted in an IU TD, but that's not the point here. Robert Marve made us proud during his time at Purdue, especially this season. Marve-lous, indeed. Thank you, Robert.

*             *             *

As we mentioned on Friday, we heard from a number of sources within the athletic department that Coach Hope is done. While we've always liked him as a person, we've never felt he was a very good coach. We've tried to stay off the "Fire Hope!" bandwagon as we never like to call for a guy's job and we don't know what good it does. Plus, he has been the coach, so until he isn't, we always felt we should do our best to stay objective and not personal. However, Danny Hope has made it personal in recent weeks, referring to those who question this team and how it could possibly have looked so bad as "losers" and people of "low character."

Today, as the game ended, he was seen on the field with his wife who was already in tears. I suppose it's a nice thing that the Hopes enjoyed their time in West Lafayette so much that they're upset that it's ending. Of course, it could also be that they're projecting a bit and blaming everyone else for the fact that Danny is likely on the way out. Sally Hope even started the postgame presser, as per Gold and Black, by lecturing the press who "couldn't wait" for Purdue to lose. Give me a break. That's just poor form. The media in West Lafayette is far from being like a rabid dog.

This kind of embarrasses me as a Purdue fan.

Hope said that it was an "extremely successful season" because they came back from the 3-6 start, and was also put up on his players shoulders. That's nice and all, but let's not celebrate a coach who went 22-27 too much, okay?

It's worth repeating that we would have liked to see this season, with this schedule and this roster of talent, play out under better coaching. There were many times when we found ourselves wondering what things would have been like with Marve in there or better play calling. How different is this season if Marve stays in the game to start the second half against Notre Dame? How about if Purdue is able to get one more first down and run out the clock against Ohio State? Every season has its "what ifs," of course, but some of the ones this year could have significantly altered the trajectory of the football program. Naturally, we'll never know. What we do know, though, is that the Hope/Nord approach has not worked for the past four years.


That said, we hope the seniors get a nice destination for the bowl game and come to play. Crosby Wright was quoted after the game as saying the following:

"I don't know how to describe it. It's tremendous. It's incredible. It's the best feeling of my life. Me and my fellow seniors, we've got one final game to play as Purdue Boilermakers." 

Those are the quotes that are fun to hear. Yes, we wish it was a more meaningful bowl game, but regardless of where it is, we'll be watching and pulling for these guys.

That will never change. We hope other things do, though.  

Coach Hope's Master Plan Still Developing, Likely To Be A Screen Pass

The always-talented and subtly-hilarious Mike Carmin of the Lafayette J&C has this gem regarding Coach Hope's "master plan" (if ever something deserved to be in quotation marks, it's that) and how it's, well, still in progress.

It starts off with another classic Dannyism, which sounds made up but isn't:

Has Danny Hope had enough time to get Purdue’s program to where he wants it? Asked that question Sunday, the fourth-year coach said, “no in some regards, but yes in some ways.”

So....sort of?

I think it's fair to assume it's not exactly where he wants it, as the Boilers are still searching for an over-.500 regular season under Coach Hope. But the question is whether he's had enough time, so the answer is even more vague. You either have had enough and think four years (plus a year as associate head coach under Tiller, which shouldn't be overlooked -- that allowed him a head start on recruiting for his tenure) is enough to get a program where it should be. I think most of us would argue the program is perilously close to being in a worse place than it's been in years.

“Where we were at when I came here and where we’re at now, we made a lot of progress but it takes time,” Hope said. “We really haven’t had time to cash in on some of our efforts in some ways. We’re just now getting some things in place that will impact the program that I wish had been in place many years ago or several years ago.”

What the what? Many years ago... or several years ago. You know, sometimes four weeks feels like a month, know what I'm saying? No? Neither do I.

And what efforts haven't been cashed in? What does that even mean? You haven't had time to cash in on your efforts in some ways.... just dizzying.

But in the end, Coach Hope thinks he hasn't had enough time because arguably the best coach in the history of the program left things a mess for him:

Ultimately, Hope said he’s “not really” had enough time.“Coming in, we were a long ways away in about every phase of the program and we’ve made some progress,” Hope said. “We’re still a long ways away in a lot of key areas and it’s going to take more than three or four years to turn around several years of maybe going in the wrong direction.”

So things were going in the wrong direction before he took over. I don't want to debate this too much, because we, too, felt things were no longer on a proper course under Coach Tiller. HOWEVER... blaming your predecessor for your failings when you've had four years (plus that associate HC year) to make things better is a little bit... desperate.

There is no longer room for debate in our opinion on this fact: the Purdue football program is not on course for success. Whether that's because the previous regime (that went to ten bowls in twelve years) screwed things up so irreversibly or that this group hasn't had enough time yet, I don't know for sure. What I do know is that if Purdue wins Saturday against the Hoosiers, there will likely be another bowl on Coach Hope's resume and he'll be talking successful season. If others in power agree with him, then there will be no longer any doubt that mediocrity is acceptable and will be the apex of Purdue football success for the foreseeable future. 

Purdue Football Gumbo

Usually, the Gumbo posts are all B-dowd, but today I've tossed in my own special spices to entertain you.

Even Pat Forde Knows The Boilers Are Cooked

Pat Forde is not what I would call an astute columnist. Most of his observations are of the obvious variety. He also has his "Forde-Yard Dash" column, wherein he numbers the topics he discusses... which... why?

Anyway, in this edition, he acknowledges the smoldering wreckage that is Purdue football:

Purdue (6). Coach on his way out: Danny Hope. The Dash has been told that third-party feelers are going out, whether Hope has been informed or not. Why: When the high-water mark in a tenure is a 7-6 season and narrow victory in the Little Caesars Bowl – and the other three seasons are all losing records – that's not good enough at a place that had enjoyed long-term respectability under Joe Tiller. Hope was an uninspired choice from the beginning, after middling success at FCS Eastern Kentucky, and a 0-5 Big Ten record this year seals his fate. How good is the job: Purdue has a reputation for being cheap – part of the reason Boilermaker basketball coach and alum Matt Painter nearly left for Missouri in spring 2011. If it stays cheap, this job will continue to slide in the Big Ten hierarchy.

It's interesting, because it almost sounds like Patrick reads BS. I mean, has anyone else openly criticized Purdue's athletic department for being cheap or come up with a list of potential candidates to replace Coach Hope besides us?

Also, the "I know something you don't know" implication of his "third-party feelers" comment is also likely bogus. I love it when know-nothings say obvious things like this... things that require no backup and are impossible to prove. They go in the same bucket as this sort of nugget, regarding our top choice, Sonny Dykes:

Sonny Dykes (16), Louisiana Tech. Record: 21-13 in third year with the Bulldogs. This season: 8-1, with a two-point loss to Texas A&M. Potential jobs: Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, Auburn, Purdue. 

So basically you took a known hot commodity and said his "potential" includes... every decent job at a major program in America. Solid work, Pat! (And again -- how does Purdue wind up on this list if not for Purdue fans talking about Dykes? I'm not saying, I'm just saying.)

And how about this:

Dave Doeren (18), Northern Illinois. Record: 19-4 in second year with the Huskies. This season: 9-1 and leading the MAC West. Potential jobs: Purdue, anything else that may open up in the Midwest. What it would take: Boilermakers likely would have to pony up more cash than they're paying Hope. 

Purdue and... ANYTHING ELSE THAT MIGHT OPEN UP. Hey, you're bound to be correct, Pat! That's a wide net! Also, the Purdue connection again. Who else mentioned Doeren? Huh.


Michael Pointer of the Indy Star Says Talent Is The Issue

In this column (which, to be fair, is more well thought out that many at the IU Star), Michael Pointer discusses the sorry state of Purdue football. Somewhat interestingly, he comes to a different conclusion than most of us have about the reason for this abysmal season. Pointer points to a dearth of talent and really makes nary a mention of the dreadful coaching we've seen for going on four years:

Added cornerback Ricardo Allen: “I’m just lost. I really don’t know. I guess we don’t have the football gods on our side. We go out and we play hard all night and stuff just doesn’t go our way.”

With all due respect to Allen, one of the team’s best players and a true leader, there’s a reason the Boilermakers aren’t getting the breaks. It’s become painfully evident.

The talent level isn’t very good. They’ve been outscored 116-36 in three Big Ten home losses and have allowed an average of 520 yards per game — and no one is comparing the Big Ten to the SEC West this year.

We here at BS whole-heartedly disagree. The talent level will never be that of Ohio State, we'll grant you, but that's only because Purdue won't pay the salaries that the Bucknuts will. Purdue does, however, manage to recruit three and sometimes four-star guys who somehow turn into two-star guys when they get to West Lafayette.

And why might that be? Could it be that everybody comes in with a base level of talent and then needs motivation, coaching and advice to advance to the next levels? Did Drew Brees come in as preternaturally good at playing QB as he is now? Of course not. He learned. He improved. He was brought along. None of that happens at Purdue anymore. Ricardo Allen, for all his accolades, has not gotten noticeably better in his three years of college. Has Caleb TerBush? Has Kawaan Short? Or are they just as talented, give or take, as they were when they arrived?

The problem isn't talent. It's how that talent is used and developed. Which is to say, not at all.


Tom Schott Thinks Weather and Holiday Weekends Contributed to Bad Attendance

Our old pal Tom Schott makes an appearance in the Gumbo today and yes, that headline isn't a joke. In this article from WLFI, Schott actually does weakly try to suggest that the poor attendance (which even he can't deny at this point) might have other factors at play than the unwatchable product on the field:

So far, overall attendance is down about 2,000 per game compared to 2011. Schott said bad weather and games on holiday weekends could be a factor for low ticket sales, but he said he knows other factors do come into play.

"Well, I would be naive not to understand that low team performance greatly affects ticket sales," said Schott.  

Yes, I'm sure it was the holiday weekend games, of which there were two if you count Columbus Day, that contributed to nobody showing up last weekend. Wait, what?

One thing Schott got right is that he is naive -- willfully naive. The next quote though tells you even more about the mindset of the athletic department:

Yet, Schott said with an average attendance between 40,000 and 50,000 per game, he's not too concerned. He said to date, ticket sales for the IU game are at 38,000, but that's in a stadium that holds more than 62,000.

Schott said he does believe tickets sales for the IU game will be more than 40,000, but he said no matter what, they're expecting much better news next season.

"Our goal will be to sharpen our pencils and get ready for 2013 once we close the books on 2012," said Schott.

Yes, that's right, he's "not too concerned" since the average is 40,000 to 50,000. Oh, and let me tell you something else: "Sharpen our pencils" is not the kind of phrase anyone should want to hear if you're hoping Purdue will open the purse strings just a bit to get a qualified head coach and staff in here.

As we keep hammering away at, the mentality within the athletic department is curmudgeon-like and wholly lacks enthusiasm and it is killing Purdue athletics. But hey, at least 38,000 tickets are sold for the Bucket game.


Recruit David Yancey Is Excited To Get Started

The Purdue Exponent has a nice feature on David Yancey, a running back who intends to graduate high school in December and enroll at Purdue in the spring to he can be ready to contribute by the fall of 2013. It's a nice story about Yancey's excitement at making an impact.

But true to Purdue athletics, there is this tidbit:

Yancey’s senior season was cut short when he suffered a knee injury in Lake Central’s regular season finale.

Sigh. Welcome to Purdue, David. You'll fit right in.

How Ugly Can This Get?

Coach Hope continues to fight...and see things the rest of us do not

We told you on the Handsome Hangout two Sundays ago that things could actually get worse. Well, the drumbeat goes on, as Purdue gets pasted by Penn State over the weekend, a game many of you earlier in the season felt was a near-lock win. Now, many of you aren't paying attention any longer and for that I cannot blame you one bit. But for those who get their sustenance from college football and/or are masochists who are still watching and will continue to watch, it will continue to get worse.

Purdue looks utterly hapless. As B-dowd detailed, they have no idea what's gone wrong and they seem utterly confused when they get their brains beaten in. I have no doubt that the players are still practicing hard and believe they can win. I do however bring this all back to the place it all always goes back to -- coaching.

As detailed earlier on this site, Gary Nord continues to angrily defend his play-calling and decisions, despite all evidence suggesting he should be a tad more humble. Coach Hope continues to talk about good practices and believing they'll win and sounding like a man who is drowning. There's a sort of unwritten rule in coaching that you don't hear about much, but it does exist -- when a coach essentially admits he doesn't know what else to do, that's when you cut ties, no matter how nice a guy they are. Because if the captain of the ship is throwing his hands up and saying he doesn't know what to do next as the water rushes in, you know you're cooked. Or sunk. Pick your metaphor.

Coach Hope does not have a handle on things. He and the staff don't know what to do next. They don't know how to prepare for anyone. And they have not seen any significant level of success since they've been here. One thing we pointed out to a particularly thick-headed Purdue "fan" on Twitter the other day was that you can't act like this is all new this season. It may feel like it's new, but it only feels that way. Purdue has lost five straight in 3 of Hope's 4 seasons, plus last year they had their worst day on defense (vs Wisc) in the program's history. And that was in Hope's golden season of 7 wins! These are not new problems.

And as I said above, it's getting worse. Purdue how has games at Iowa and at Illinois, before finishing at home (where they're currently an uninspiring 3-3) against IU, who actually could be playing to go to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship Game. A lot of you probably hate the idea of IU seeing success, and while I will root for Purdue over IU until I draw my last breath, I will say that IU making the Big Ten title game would also get the attention of a lot of Purdue donors and influencers. At least, I would hope so. It won't happen, since IU will lose to both Wisconsin this weekend and PSU next weekend, but it's still in the cards for them and they still control their own destiny, as the saying goes.

I looked back at my angry post following the Michigan game, when Purdue was 3-2 (0-1) and while I usually think quoting oneself is the height of arrogance, I will make an exception here:

Next week, Purdue is going to be embarrassed once again at home by Wisconsin. There will be 10,000 fewer fans in the stands than there were this weekend... Then the Boilers will go on the road at 0-2 in the conference and play at Ohio State... They'll then sit at 3-4 (0-3) and Danny Hope will still be talking about the positives he saw out there and how they're moving in the right direction and doing a lot of things well. And you and I will be screaming and pulling our hair out -- not even primarily because of Purdue's record, but because you and I will be more upset about things than the head coach, who is really just thrilled to be coaching a major conference program. Winning games would just be icing on the sweet cake of being the coach of Purdue.

Danny Hope has continued to do exactly that, as the wheels come off around him. He's riding on the axles, wondering why he's grinding into the pavement and no longer moving, while traffic flies by on both sides, dangerously close to finishing him off.

The funny thing is that Iowa fans are referring to their team as not good and the season as a "shitshow," and yet Purdue is going to go into Kinnick on Saturday and cure what ails them. The linked article there has complaints about play-calling, defense not living up to its billing, poor QB play, etc. It's like a mirror of crap! A crapmirror!

Well, things will get partially better on Saturday, OMHR fans; you won't be thrilled with things, but at least Iowa will be .500 with two games to go. Purdue will be circling the drain at 3-7 and the Purdue bus would have rotten fruit thrown at it upon its return to West Lafayette, except that nobody will waste their time because everyone is now turning their attention -- and rightfully so -- to basketball.

Purdue plays the Hawkeyes on the BTN at noon this Saturday. Watch if you dare.

Gut Punching-est Hits of the Danny Hope Era

As the fanbase gets less and less tolerant of the Danny Hope era coaching staff, it begins to feel as though all of the Hope era games are gut-punch losses. So I took a look back to see how many of his games are the kinds that make you curse and kick the cat. Turns out...a lot of 'em.

Let's hit the wayback machine.

2009

We should be used to this sort of nonsense by now, because by my count, Danny Hope gave us four straight such games early in his tenure and five overall in a particularly painful 2009. Of course, at the time, we liked how much spirit a team showed that was a year removed from a dismal 4-8 campaign under Joe Tiller. But let's look closer.

9/12/09, Oregon 38, Purdue 36

A year after blowing a 17 point lead at home by playing uber-conservative in the second half against the Duckies, the Boilers headed to Eugene for a late start (in the East) under the lights in front of Oregon's "hippie lettuce fans, who were lucky to be able to find the stadium," as b-dowd hilariously told me via text. The Boilers promptly came out and hit Oregon in the mouth, playing an exciting, back-and-forth game that included Danny Hope doing the hand to the ear "I can't hear you" gesture to the Oregon student section.

The Boilers had a 24-17 lead in the third quarter, then fell behind by a TD and then marched right back down to score on Ralph Bolden's third TD of the game, giving Purdue fans everywhere serious hope. Then the Boilers missed the extra point, gave up another TD, came back to score with a minute to go... but were unable to convert for two and lost.

9/19/09, NIU 28, Purdue 21

Following their heartbreaker at Oregon, the Boilers put on perhaps the most listless performance of Hope's tenure (which is saying a lot) in falling behind -- at home -- 28-7, before Joey Elliott finally comes to and scores two rushing TDs to make the score respectable, if not the result. This is the first of the annual Danny Hope letdown games, in which there is no other explanation than that the team was not adequately prepared to play.

9/26/09, Notre Dame 24, Purdue 21

Purdue is outplayed into the second half and trails 17-7, yet somehow grinds out a couple of scores to take a 21-17 lead on one of Gary Nord's favorite plays (seriously, you'll see this every game). The Boiler crowd is going bananas as a victory under the lights against the Domers (come from behind, no less) seems to be happening. The the Purdue coaching staff goes into its patented play-not-to-lose defense and is picked apart by an injured Pickles Claussen, even going so far as to call a head-scratcher time out when ND was about to have to make a fourth down decision.

Pickles finds his man Kyle Rudolph in the end zone on fourth down with 25 seconds to go to rip the Boilermaker hearts out yet again.

10/3/09, Northwestern 27, Purdue 21

Three minutes into the second quarter, Joey Elliott throws his third TD pass of the game and the Boilers go up 21-3, clearly asserting their dominance and taking out the frustrations of their previous three weeks and two near-misses against quality opponents.

Then the Boilers have their customary pasta halftime meal, go to sleep, and give up 24 unanswered points to the Mildcats.

11/14/09, MSU 40, Purdue 37

With the Boilers needing to win out to have a shot at a bowl game, the players come to play against Sparty. Purdue leads -- again -- at halftime, 20-17, and expands their lead to 11 points (34-23) with under twelve minutes to play in the game.

MSU then goes on a 17-3 run to close the game -- in Ross-Ade -- despite Kirk Cousins going 11/25 for a 44% completion percentage.

2010

The Boilers scaled back their hearbreakers in 2010 by simply being a worse football team and leaving a lot less up in the air. This was not a good year. Sure, injuries played a huge part, but a four-win Boilermakers squad still left these tasty morsels on the table that could have made 2010 a season of optimism in the face of adversity.

9/25/10, Toledo 31, Purdue 20

The Boilers come out apparently still affected by the season-ending knee injury suffered by Keith Smith the week before and look even more dazed after Robert Marve's knee folds and Rob Henry is thrust into the QB role. Purdue, down 17-0 by the second quarter and 24-3 by the midpoint of the third, simply can't recover. Toledo plays a smart, aggressive game and in what is now a trend that continues to this day, the Purdue coaching staff fails to -- or simply cannot -- adjust. The Boilers are again humbled in their home stadium by a MAC team.

11/20/10, MSU 35, Purdue 31

The Boilermakers head into East Lansing against the 9-1 Spartans and hit them in the mouth. Rob Henry leads Purdue to a 28-13 lead after three quarters. Fans of the 4-6 Boilermakers begin to dream of an improbable bowl appearance, as a win here would make them one win away, with only IU at home remaining.

Alas, in a script that is by now common, the Boilermakers can't hold a sizable lead and go into scared mode, losing the fourth quarter 21-3 and the game 35-31. For a second straight season, 75% dominant effort against the Spartans turns into a bowl-hopes-dashing loss.

11/27/10, IU 34, Purdue 31

Stop me if you've heard this before. Purdue steadily climbs to a 21-7 lead in the second quarter against a poor Indiana team. However, the soup and turkey legs in the locker room were delicious as the Boilers sleep through the second half, being outscored 27-10 from the late second quarter onward and losing the Bucket on home soil.

2011

In Danny Hope's best season to date, the Boilers went 7-6, including their bowl victory. There were plenty of games to choose from if you're talking about frustrations, but in terms of the ones that slipped through their fingers, only one hugely egregious one stands out.

9/10/11, Rice 24, Purdue 22

With a rare boisterous road Purdue contingent on hand in Houston, the Boilers piss away the opportunity for a road win and a potential 3-0 start by having a game-winning kick blocked in the final seconds after coughing up yet another lead (17-10). This one stings for a long time as the Boilers prove they are an improving squad with good talent. Winding up with a 7-5 regular season record instead of 6-6 meant the difference between Detroit and somewhere appealling during bowl season.

2012

And then there was last Saturday.

10/20/12, OSU 29, Purdue 22

Purdue surprises everyone with a concerted, aggressive, creative approach to the game plan coupled with spirited, emotional effort from the guys. For three quarters, at least. Then the coaching went into the tank again, from play calling to being overly conservative to time out usage. Basically, they hit all the pain points in letting this one slip away, as Purdue blows an eight point lead with under three minutes to play. Or, in fact, they blow an eight-point lead with 45 seconds to play as that's when OSU got the ball back with no time outs.

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

The point of all this? That it isn't a one-off occurrence. And it doesn't matter which players are on the field for the Boilermakers...which brings us to the question of what has been the constant in all of this? I think you know the answer to that one.

Coach Hope is 19-25 in his tenure and his teams have given away perhaps ten games that should have been lockdown wins. I don't think it's a stretch to say that. These aren't games where they were long shots and lost by three TDs and would have had to be different humans to win. These were games that were either:

1) Matchups the Boilers were far superior in talent;
2) Games Purdue held commanding leads in that a good team with good coaches should not relinquish; or
3) Games affected by poor coaching, poor adjustments and poor in-game management.

So again, if it feels like this happens all the time to these Boilermakers....it's because it does.

Hell, Purdue! Boilers Stomped Again, 38-14

The Boilers bookended a 38-0 thrashing from Wisconsin with a pair of impressive touchdowns today in a soggy, empty Ross-Ade Stadium. See what I did there?

Yeah, take away the opening-minute pass from TerBush to Edison and the meaningless 81 yard TD by Akeem Hunt with under two minutes to go and Purdue has a total of about 120 yards of offense.

Remember people were saying Wisconsin's defense was susceptible? Remember when people said Purdue could win this game and basically guarantee a trip to Indianapolis? How utterly idiotic does all of that sound now?

Purdue is not good, folks. Sure, I know Michigan and Wisconsin aren't as tasty as Marshall, EKU, EMU, etc., but still... Purdue has not even competed the past two weeks. A combined 82-27 is how badly Purdue has been crushed at home over the past two weeks, in supposedly two of the most critical, defining games of Danny Hope's coaching tenure.

Purdue was outgained 645-252 today. It was 409-213 last week. So Purdue has 465 yards of total offense in their last eight quarters of football. Positively dreadful.

Purdue QBs were a combined 11/31 passing today (7/16 for 80 yards for TerBush; 3/9 for 43 yards for Marve; 1/6 for 1 yards for Henry). You know, it's almost as though nonsensically playing multiple quarterbacks in a willy-nilly fashion is not a formula for success. Of course, if you're going to do it, it's always good to let your team get behind and then ask the guy you say isn't "efficient" to come in and be....efficient, I guess. And then when it gets later in the game and you really have no choice but to pass a lot to try to make up ground, that's the perfect time to bring in your option quarterback who has never been a good passer.

Seriously, this coaching staff has no idea what the hell is going on. Another punt blocked today, the defense gets run over to the tune of 467 yards rushing, the offense once again looks unclever and not at all difficult to defend, balls are being dropped all over the place. Things are a mess.

I have a hard time hating on this team, as the kids say, because I really like these players. They're likable guys, they love being Boilermakers and they want to win badly. I can tell that just from listening to them. But talent alone is not enough to overcome poor preparation and game decisions from your coaching staff. And that might be the most awful thing here -- there really isn't anything the coaching staff does well. They aren't good game-planners, they aren't good at adjustments, they aren't creative, they aren't good "Xs and Os" coaches, and so forth. What are they good at? Being the players' best friends? Maybe so, because so many players sound like they'd run through a wall for Danny Hope. That's good and all, but not if you're getting embarrassed in every big game you ever play.

Where do they go from here? Another thrashing, most likely, on the road next week at Columbus. At that point, Purdue fans will be even deeper into depression. Will they then rebound with some wins to inch towards a middling bowl game? Even if they do, will anyone care? Ross-Ade looked jarringly empty in the second half today. Even early on, they only had an announced crowd of somewhere around 46,000, somewhat pathetic for homecoming.

It does seem at the moment that the bad ol' days are here again.

First Hand Account of a Debacle

Our pal Ed couldn't come up from Texas for the game, so he sent his tickets to me this week.  I thought I'd take my Dad, fellow Boiler alum...but he had to go visit my grandma for her birthday.  I then asked another Boiler...and another...and another.  I asked quite a few Purdue alums and even a few non-alums that are big fans...but no one was biting.  Perhaps they all knew something that I wasn't willing to admit- nothing's changed in Purdue's program...and they didn't want to see yet another bloodbath in person.

J and I both thought Purdue wouldn't win...but neither of us could really figure out how the Boilers would lose.  Well, they lost in a very familiar way- by doing almost everything poorly.

The Special Teams gave away the ball and set up a score, the offense had too many turnovers- one leading immediately to 6 points...and the defense couldn't stop the run; inside or outside, and just for good measure, the DBs allowed easy completions whenever UM needed a larger chunk of yardage.

Prepared.

Denard Robinson looked like a Heisman candidate once again...shaking the rust loose that is often caused by the shackles of good defenses.  And the old adage that 'nothing cures an ailing team like a game versus Purdue' reared its disgusting head once again.

It was chilly, a bit windy and clear...nearly-perfect weather for football, really.  UM fans were confident as they headed into Ross-Ade- they were confident that Hoke would right their collective ship off of the bye week...and he did. Conversely, Purdue's coaches seemingly took the week off of practice as their players looked extremely ill-prepared, and not at all equipped to play a B1G game on this day.

If you didn't watch it, congratulations.  Those hours that you spent coaching your children, watching better football, gardening, painting, napping or hunting for the perfect pumpkin were hours well-spent.  But the three hours that I spent in one of my favorite places in the world, I'll never get back.  The good news is that I got to watch the game with a friend of mine, and it was good to hang out together...sarcastically cheer every now and again and hope that something would change.

I have a confession- I left this game early...something I hardly ever do.  But, I made it to the around the 4:00 mark. I didn't see UM break 40...but it felt like I watched the Wolverines lay 100 on the metallic beige and black.

TerBush played poorly...but I've said this before- it's not his fault he's starting.  I believe the guy is playing as well as he can.  But today was the reason that people like me have been saying for weeks/months- Purdue needs a gunslinger.  I guess I didn't buy into the idea that Purdue's defense had suddenly become that of the Baltimore Ravens with the injection of the 3-4.  But, in spite of his guts and grit, I'm not sure Marve...or Henry is enough. If the play calling doesn't change, it's not going to matter who is at the controls.

Drew Brees would have been benched by Hope and Nord for too much free-wheeling in this system.  15 might have checked out of the second, third, fourth or fifth fake read draw on first down that didn't gain more than one yard.  Or maybe he'd call a slant route OR a vertical route (*sigh*).  Or maybe not.  What I do know is there's a reason Purdue fans will have a hard time believing the next big game will end differently.

As fans, we're on a hamster wheel of crappy Saturdays.  Just like your favorite rodent runs the same way over and over hoping for something new with the next stride, Danny Hope and company do the same garbage in each game versus good teams and get similar results time and again.  Sure, every now and again, we all jump off of the wheel for some room temperature water (a win over a MAC opponent) or some kibble (an unexpected win over a disappointing aOSU squad).  But when the potential is there for Purdue to actually change course, things don't change.

I really believe that Ross, Bush, Shavers, Marve, Holmes, Short, Gaston, Russell, Allen, Johnson, and others are good enough to start for a ton of really good programs in the nation.  But my Boilers continuously look like they're not ready for primetime when the bright lights come on.

A friend of mine who graduated from Michigan texted me as I got into my car outside of Ross-Ade.  He rightfully taunted me...and I had no response other than Purdue stunk today; a lot like they did last season in Ann Arbor.  A new DC, Senior leadership and a home game didn't change the outcome.

And perhaps even more worrisome, an even bigger intra-divisional game looms six and one-half days from now...versus a program that handed Purdue one of its worst losses in the program's long history, just a season ago.

Ugh.

I guess the good news is the media will be off of Purdue's back...removing all of that undo pressure from them about being one of the best teams in the league. So there is a silver lining.

Same Old Purdue Crushed 44-13

Unprepared.

Same old Boilers. Sure, the uniforms might change over the years and players and coaches come and go, but for the most part, this is the same Purdue we've been watching for many years. And I'm tired of it.

Barely 200 yards of total offense. Under 60 yards rushing. 1-for-11 on third down. Four more turnovers. A 44-13 home ass-whipping.

That was an embarrassing display in Ross-Ade Stadium this afternoon. Truly shameful. There's simply no way Michigan is that much better than Purdue. And to lose like that at home? In the first conference game of the season? When there are high hopes and getting off to a good start could quite possibly catapult you into the Big Ten title game? Much more easily than in most years? To come out like that and just stink up the joint so disgracefully?

I don't know who to be more irritated at, because now word is some of the players were bitching about the fans on mediums like twitter, as well as in texts and comments to others close to the program.

On that subject, they need to worry about their own responsibilities. Lecturing the fans should be pretty f-cking far down the list. And really, you're going to lecture and/or complain about the people who actually come out to witness that kind of horseshit performance? Those people are the real mother-fricking fans! They are the ones you should be apologizing to after that kind of display of what I guess we're obligated to call football.

Fans are allowed to be irritated and should be encouraged to be truthful. This isn't a one-way street where the people who pay to watch and drive many hours round trip to see games or who set aside time in their lives to devote it to Purdue football only are allowed to kiss asses and tell the team how great they are. If the team does something that earns them accolades, they know damn well they will get it. Hell, wins over irrelevant programs get the fans excited and talking title game. Title game. After some barely-impressive wins over terrible teams and a close loss to a decent team. Wow, print up the banner. And yet the fans got excited and started dreaming big. So I don't want to hear a damn word from the players -- past or present -- on whether or not lifelong, loyal fans (and students/alums, mind you) have the right to be angry after seeing their school piss themselves for three hours. Being a longtime, loyal fan means you do have the right to call a spade a spade and be pissed off when the school you love looks like a doormat.

All that said, I don't entirely blame the players here. When a team comes out for big games (and many non-big games, too) as completely flat and/or confused looking as Purdue does, you have to question the coaches and their ability to prepare. As we've said over and over, we like these guys a lot. But we've also been told that this is Danny Hope's best team ever, right? The best assemblage of talent that he's had at Purdue. And this is what Danny Hope's best damn team can do? THIS? I'll say it right here and right now: if this represents the absolute apex of talent and ability for Danny Hope, then I hope everybody is happy with mediocrity as the goal. Not of being mediocre -- of mediocrity being the goal. Because here's what's going to happen.

Next week, Purdue is going to be embarrassed once again at home by Wisconsin. There will be 10,000 fewer fans in the stands than there were this weekend, although Wisconsin travels well so maybe they'll fill the extra seats and it'll be an even worse home atmosphere than it's been. Then the Boilers will go on the road at 0-2 in the conference and play at Ohio State. Urban Meyer's team will de-pants the Boilers how ugly it gets will depend on Urban's level of mercy. They'll then sit at 3-4 (0-3) and Danny Hope will still be talking about the positives he saw out there and how they're moving in the right direction and doing a lot of things well. And you and I will be screaming and pulling our hair out -- not even primarily because of Purdue's record, but because you and I will be more upset about things than the head coach, who is really just thrilled to be coaching a major conference program. Winning games would just be icing on the sweet cake of being the coach of Purdue.

Then the Boilers will win one of their question mark road games or maybe the Penn State game at home. Suddenly people will start saying, hey, if we win a couple of these, this team could go to a bowl! And that would be good after the 0-3 conference start! And we'll all talk ourselves into that being acceptable. Maybe Purdue will somehow maybe scratch it out and wind up 6-6 (although I still think my 5-7 prediction from the summer is where they'll wind up) and end up in another shitty bowl game against a directional MAC school. They'll win the game in a shootout and then embarrassingly celebrate like they just did something that matters or should be respected.

I'm tired of mediocrity, but I can deal with it if it's all part of a grand path to somewhere. But when being mediocre and winning a few games here and there and going 4-4 in the conference is considered a successful season, I have a problem with it. And that's where we are. We're looking at what everybody says is Danny Hope's best team, and that can't even stay within thirty points of an unranked, 2-2 Michigan squad with a QB who would be lucky to return kicks in the NFL.

When was the last time Purdue won a big game? When was the last time the showed up? And don't give me Ohio State in 2009 when Purdue was 1-5 and the stadium was half-empty. Everybody had already (and rightfully) quit on that season, so whoop-dee-do. There was no pressure. The Boilers were the speedbump for Ohio State and, yes, OSU overlooked them and Ryan Kerrigan nearly won that game by himself.

Don't give me Ohio State in 2011, either. I'm talking about a game that mattered when hopes were high. A game like the games Drew Brees won in '98-'00 or the games Kyle Orton won in 2003 and 2004. Has it been that long? Probably. I don't remember the last time they went into one of those defining games when they could actually state to the conference and the college football audiences that they'd arrived, that they were back, and did anything but crap the bed. That's another part of what is so infuriating -- they don't just miss the mark in those games, they get curb-stomped.

This coaching staff should be ashamed of this. But they won't be. Danny Hope will stay upbeat and will slap the guys on the back and tell them to get ready for Wisconsin and that they're all champs in his eyes, or some such nonsense. No, I'm not in the locker room, but the players all love him and that's because he's a player's coach. He's not a guy who lays into them and inspires them to be better by being hard on them.

I'm not going anywhere as far as being a Purdue fan. And neither is anyone else reading this, I'm sure. But I'm disgusted with the state of things because they are no different in 2012 than they were in 2009. Hell, they're no different than they were even further back than that. Mediocrity and underwhelming performances in big games have become an absolute guarantee. They're automatic. Sure, if you rack your brain you can think of the 2009 games against Oregon and Notre Dame, when Purdue gave you some serious hope that they could compete with those programs and on that big stage. But that's the last time I remember that happening and lest we forget, Purdue lost those games.

I don't have any solutions. I don't know if calling for changes is even the right thing. How high does the problem go? How pervasive is this culture of mediocrity? Have we entirely accepted it? What will it take to change it? I mean, really change it. I don't know for sure. But I know I'm sick of this crap.