Minnesota Aftermath

So...Robert Marve is now the starter.
For more, Check out GBI article and video.

My hope is that Marve can help the defensive scheme...because that seemed to be the biggest issue to me.

Hmmm.  I guess the theory that's been floating around that he wasn't physically able to play was inaccurate.

Listen to our thoughts following the massacre in Minneapolis below.


Hope your week starts well!!



Off topic: It looks like South Carolina's Lattimore's injury was not as bad as it looked initially...and it's not a career-ender; great news.

Boilers-Minny Predicto: Somebody Has to Win

In a search for Minn football, this came up. Fine with us.

Our Boilers take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers in their nice and still new stadium up in the great white North tomorrow at 3:30 PM, ET, on the Big Ten Network.

I can only assume the 3:30 start was given to the Boilers and Gophers because of how supremely awesome these two teams are, at a combined 0-6 in Big Ten play.

We've been sort of quiet this week, as we're not sure what else to say about 2012 Purdue football at this point. But it's time to dive into our thoughts on the game versus the Gophers. So away we go.

J says:

I had the Boilers at 0-3 after their first three Big Ten games, but I guess there was a part of me hoping for something more, since I kept hearing how this was Danny Hope's best team in West Lafayette. So his best team can't muster more fight than this?

I also think that it's uncanny how Purdue finds a way to punch you in the stomach even when you're expecting 0-3. So, let's see, how could it be worse? How about two embarrassing no-shows at home followed by a rip-your-heart-out collapse in the final 45 seconds on the road against Ohio State? Perfect!

Minnesota is on a similar slide, having not scored more than 13 points in a game in Big Ten play. However, before you view that as a good thing for Purdue, the Boilers haven't exactly lit it up in Big Ten play, either. I do agree with the thinking that Purdue is the more talented team and should win this game, but two factors push me in the other direction: 1) the Boilers are on the road and 2) the letdown factor.

Purdue is 0-2 on the road this year, though they were two close losses that both could have been wins....and should have been, one could argue. But the record is what it is. The bigger issue is the second one I mentioned -- Danny Hope teams are highly emotional and have crazy ups and downs. Just when you think they'll show up for something (for example, last year at home vs Iowa with a chance to clinch a bowl), they come out flatter than an Indiana cornfield. And when you expect them to get crushed (i.e., at Ohio State, for example), they come out with more heart than you knew they had in 'em. So yes, I'm trying to find some semblance of logic or predictability in a Danny Hope team, which is an exercise in futility, I realize. But hey, I gotta come to my decision somehow, right?

In the end, I'm not confident in the guys right now, especially in light of how crushing that collapse was last Saturday. I hope they recover and, obviously, if they come out as focused as they did against the Buckeyes, this could actually be a blowout in the black and gold's favor. But right now, my gut says they don't.

Minnesota 24
Purdue 17

Boilerdowd says:

With each of the last few weeks, I've become more tired of reading Hope's postgame comments.  This past Saturday, I gave up on readin them all-together.  But, at J's suggestion, I read up a bit, and here's what I found out: A loss is good-enough for Hope.

Let's not forget the lofty platitudes that Hope drilled way back in August- this was/is a special team, it can have a great season and many players on the team are ready for breakout seasons in which they'd become household names.

Well, not much of what the coach has told us has come true.  But, if history means anything, the post aOSU comments are not good news for his squad.

When Hope is happy with the team, they typically come out and play awful the next week...this goes back to his first season on campus-  I think that will be the case again this week.

The good news is Minnesota is bad.  This Purdue team feasts on bad teams...or used to anyway. And I still believe Purdue has a few players that, when in the position to do big things, are as good as about anyone in the nation.

Like Purdue, Minnesota has played a bunch of QBs this season...but now, it sounds like Hope thinks it's a good idea to only play one- Minnesota, conversely might still show more than one.  Sure, Hope's big idea of going with just one guy is about 7 weeks late, but what it might yield this week is TerBush getting sacked 3 times as Minny has a pretty solid front...and TerBush struggles with pressure decisions.  I also think though, one of Purdue's utility men (Henry, Hunt or Edison) will have a big day...and I think that will be enough for Purdue to eek out a win.

This is a game that much of the B1G cares little about...and based on what I've heard from many Purdue fans, neither do we.  That said, I believe the Boilers get a W this weekend.

Purdue 3
Minnesota 2

Damian Johnson Throws Down The Gauntlet

Quite simply, Damian Johnson thinks Purdue isn't as talented as everyone makes them out to be. In fact, he thinks Minny is just as talented. Ready to accuse us again of taking something out of context or "reading into" something? Here's the story and here's the money quote:

"They get pubbed up a lot and I just don't feel ... I feel like we're just as talented as them," he said. "In my opinion, they're a good team, but to me, they're not as talented as people believe."

It's rare that guys say things like this and then almost immediately have the chance to back them up, but tonight is that chance. Minnesota might provide Damian is right. But even if they do, this seems like a dumb thing to say.

Damian, just out of curiosity, have you ever been hit by a train?

(Thanks to multiple readers for pointing this out in multiple mediums.)

Don't Sleep On Goldy

As the stakes get higher, I have a tendency to think and analyze more. A few weeks ago as it looked like a possibility that the BT race was kind of out of Purdue's hands, I was just enjoying the ride and optimistic that something good might happen as the team gelled and everybody got healthy. Well, things could not have gone better in the last eight games for my favorite team...so now, I'm getting analytical.

A few of the readers mocked my trepidation over Minnesota...and before you mock any further, check out some stats:

The Gophers are:
#1 in the BT in scoring offense
#3 in FG %
#1 in FG defense (Purdue #2)
#3 in 3pt % (Hoffarber leads the league in 3s made)...
at the same time, Purdue's 10th in the same statistical category
#1 in blocked shots (Purdue's 2nd, but a distant 2nd- 34 behind)
#1 in steals

Atop of these eye-poppers, Minny has depth. 11 players average double-digit minutes.

They're a good team and they're fighting for their post-season lives. While you might not think Minnesota's 16 wins should strike fear in Matty's club, I'd almost guarantee that Painter respects Smith's squad.

My first key to the game is on-ball defense and making sure Purdue's switches effectively as Smith tries to get Westbrook and Hoffarber open looks. The second has been a key to this run- rebounding. Both Hummel and Johnson must control the glass.

This one is pivotal, in my opinion.

Did you need a reason to hate Goldy? Here you go.

BTN Still Not Hiring Proofreaders

You know, old-timer, I'm not sure where "Minnisota" is, either.

Purdue vs. Minny Tonight -- The Return of Matty Painter

Tonight the #18 Boilermakers head into the Barn to take on the #20 Gophers. Being in the Central Time Zone, this game will come on at 6 PM for me and I will just be leaving the office most likely. So I am DVR-ing the game so I can watch it later in about 45 minutes. Less, if we're getting blown out or something. Judging by recent games, you only need to watch about 15 minutes of the Boilermakers... it's just which 15 minutes will they play like they're capable of playing? The first 15? The last? Who knows?

I'm not sure whether to be pleased or annoyed that Bob Knight and Brent Musburger are doing the game. At least we'll get to hear Coach Painter referred to as "Matty," again, something the Boiled Sports family loves.

They're even calling it "Thursday Knight Basketball." How fricking clever. Much as it pains me to admit it, though, Knight is improving as an analyst and seems far less angry than usual. Maybe this is the right place for him, rather than on the sidelines. Take a look at the preview he did with Musburger. Sure, it's still meandering and kind of general (and references UK vs. IU ten years ago -- like, who cares, dude?), but it's also interesting and Knight, as I said, seems relaxed and less obnoxious. Although there was this exchange:

Brent: Is it going to be hard for you to say nice things about Purdue?

Knight: Nah, Matt Painter is a good kid.

Yes, that's very respectful. Heh.

Obviously, it's important for the Boilers to come out of the gate strong. I think they're the better team here but this is a road game against a team that's constantly improving under Tubby. Sure, they lost to Northwestern but so did Michigan State -- and the Boilers truly should have lost that game, too. But you don't come here for my analysis and obvious observations.

The Boilermakers can move to within one game of first in the Big Ten with a win tonight. One step at a time, boys.

Boiler Up!

ESPN Thinks Purdue's A Basketball School, Too

Because I can't get enough of mediocre offense and teams trying to give the game away to one another, I set my DVR to record the Purdue-Minny game over the weekend on ESPN Classic. As an aside, I always love that they put the little "LIVE" thing in the upper corner, lest we think ESPN Classic is running one of those classic Purdue-Minnesota games. I can just picture someone tuning into ESPN Classic -- on a Fall Saturday no less -- and saying, "Wait, what the hell is this? When did Minnesota and Purdue play a classic game?" And then watching and deciding they hated ESPN anad everything they stand for because they have no idea how to judge a "classic" game.

Anyway, so when looking at the description of the game, I noticed something odd:

That's right, "College Basketball." I hardly recognized it. I suppose maybe that was an homage to Joe Tiller's "Basketball on Grass" philosophy, which is about the only thing the average sportscaster can vomit out when talking about Purdue football.

Good times.

BS Reader Poll -- Game 8

A double-dip of voting this week for the BS Reader Rock The Vote Campaign. A week after our date with Northwestern in Evanston, the Boilers come home to face the team most of the Big Ten Bloggers seem to agree will remain in the toilet of the basement of the Big Ten for at least another year, Minnesota.

Coach Brewster continues recruiting quarterbacks and seems utterly unconcerned with stopping other teams’ quarterbacks. Or running backs. Or wide receivers. Just like last year, this one looks like it can’t be anything other than a ridiculous shootout. It’s at Ross-Ade, though, so maybe the Boilers pull away earlier than they did last year. Or maybe they get tripped up and decide this is the week to take a wonderful season and sharpen the end of it and jam it into our hearts. What do you think? Vote it up.

Game 8
October 25, 2008
Minnesota at Purdue
OTT Preview




Vote on other games!

Boilers Stave Off Minny At Home

Robbie Hummel and the Boilers stayed in dogfight mode last night as they took down the Gophers from up North.

The Boilers led for most of the game and pulled away in the second half to win by a dozen, continuing their stellar play at home this season and staying atop the Big Ten, merely tie-breaker points ahead of IU and Wisconsin.

Sorry, I am really just vamping here....filling time, you know? Waiting for Boilerdowd to file his report. But he's been sick so it's possible he didn't see this game, either. The problem is, the Big Ten Network sucks ass so badly, I don't get to see many Purdue games despite having a "sports tier" on my cable.

So all I know is what I said above -- Purdue won, Minny lost and the Boilers stay on top in the Big Ten. Granted, that's all that really matters but we all know and love Boilerdowd's butter-knife-sharp wit and analysis.

Even Tubby wants to know what the hell happened.

What the hell happened? Well, at least I'm not being eviscerated by Vanderbilt by 40+.

Thoughts Are With Minny

I don't know why, but I felt compelled to write something here this morning about the awful catastrophe in Minneapolis yesterday. Unless you live under a rock, you have heard that an Interstate highway bridge collapsed over the Mississippi River, sending cars to the water and pavement below. The death toll is currently low, all things considered, but I have to imagine it will rise as things are sorted out.

Regardless, no wise-ass remarks from me on this one. Our thoughts are with Minnesota and those poor people who were doing nothing more than trying to head home.