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.

Weekend Wrap Up

"How about now...can I take over now??"

The Yearly BS Summit was a smashing success with the exception of the centerpiece of the meeting...but you already knew that. Our Boilers continue to underwhelm when faced with any opposition that is noteworthy. One of our readers continually reminds us that PSU was favored. I really don't give a damn about Vegas' line; but clearly Joe does...his teams simply don't beat teams they're not favored to beat. A horrible Hawaii team beat a respectable Fresno State team this weekend, aOSU beat an angry, cornered Wisky team at home, a fast-rising UNC team beat the ranked UConn squad pretty handily...all of these games have something in common- their systems trained and then allowed the players to make plays.

Unlike many of Purdue's faithful, I don't lay blame at the obvious targets following the game. Do you honestly believe Painter can no longer throw an accurate pass or that Summers has forgotten how to kick fieldgoals? I don't. But, I do believe both of these guys have been effectively neutered. Outside pressures have clearly crushed them...mentally, they seem to be out of the game. So, of course, Painter will get the start in Columbus Saturday...huh?

Look at the losses of importance over the last 5 seasons...you'll see a ton of them. It's not one player not making a play, it's a potpourri of poor execution and lack of mental toughness. From defenders missing tackles and dropping interceptions, to quarterbacks disappearing, to running backs fumbling, to kickers pushing or hooking key kicks, to wide receivers not being able to create space...the mediocrity that's woven into this program has been a team effort. If Brock Spack's defense shows up (like Saturday), SURPRISE, the offense and/or Special Teams are no-shows...if the offense starts to make noise (i.e. UND '08), the defense will wet the bed. Are you guys getting the point yet? All of these players and the units they're a part of are trained with the same mentality by the same mastermind.

It's not all negative though...I was happy to see Bolden playing. But wondered as I saw it, "Self, if Tiller says Siller is going to be one of the greatest RBs at Purdue by the time he leaves, shouldn't he at least play a few downs every game?" Tardy looked very good at times, when given the opportunity, as did Orton. Smith, to me, seems to be underutilized and would do well as a passing down tight end. Sheets also had some nifty runs, but seemed to shy away from contact...especially when the draw left/right was called and the PSU line seemed to know exactly when it was coming...freaky.

I was also impressed with the play of Ryan Kerrigan & DeVarro Greaves...they looked they the were "running downhill" unlike a few of the defensive linemen.

Colts
With the Colts down by 17 and 8:00 left on the clock, I was pretty sure the game was over. Plus, I was very tired...So I decided to take a nap with the game in the background. I awaken to the announcers talking about Reggie Wayne's miraculous grab...I looked at the score and dismissed it as a half-sleeping mind trick...But as the cobwebs were knocked loose, I noticed that I had slept through an amazing comeback fueled by Gary Brackett and the defense's amazing effort.
These Colts are still not right...the offense looks lackluster and Manning is not sharp. But, unlike my favorite college team, when one part of the team falls off, often, another rises to the occasion to seal victory. Refreshing. Conversely, the lowly Texans made sure someone was giving the game away. Bad teams make bad plays at key moments.

Cubs
Best regular-season team in baseball.

aOSU
I was very impressed with Terrell Pryor in the closing minutes of the Wisky game. After Wisconsin went ahead, he had a bit of a grin on his face as he put his helmet on...almost like he wanted to be in this position...Pretty remarkable, especially for a Freshman. And his final run, the option that seemed to have no space due to the sideline, looked smooth and effortless. He's a killer.