A Little Reminder...

Before today, Hazell and Purdue's program were on a hot streak; one player left a verbal to another school, another turned his back on a few of college football's blue bloods to be part of what is being built in West Lafayette, and the class looked to be shaping up nicely- recent developments don't change that. But earlier this evening, Purdue didn't get one they really wanted...can't remember his name right now, but his story is one that reminds us of why we approach recruiting the way we do here at BS.

Hazell and his staff did everything right in this one- offered the kid early when seemingly no one else was interested...showed him the love that so many recruits talk about in the way of pulling out all of the stops during his most-recent visit on campus; and it didn't matter.  Unlike Ward, this guy was enamored with another program.  What can you say, but, "Oh well."

In an ideal world, your favorite football program would get every player they really wanted...every guy they poured time into. In the real world, Hazell is simply a salesman selling an idea (at this point).  Good salesman still strike out quite often...Great salesman do the same, but have a thick skin and move on quickly to the next opportunity.  I suspect that Coach Haze has already done so...because he has to.

Here's to Purdue getting a bunch of players on campus that really want to be Boilermakers...really want to work toward a common goal...and really want to win the right way while making those who chose otherwise wish they had done so.

Have a great week, and remember that while watching recruiting is a good diversion during the doldrums, it can also teeter toward being creepy if you get too bothered by things that don't go your way. Onward and upward...Hammer down, Coach Haze.

Can this Crop Stop the 4-Star Flops

Purdue football recruiting is something we don't spend a ton of time talking about around here...until they're officially Boilers.  In our opinion, there's really no reason to get too wrapped up in a player's potential until you know they're going to be wearing gold and black.  All that said, when a highly-touted player signs his name on the dotted line, then, then, you can dream a bit about what might be.

Early in Tiller's time at Purdue, we watched Chris Daniels break records and frustrate opponents by bulking up in the off-season, running precise routes and being sure-handed.  We all wondered what a shiny new model would do in the new system.  Standeford and Stubblefield quietly entered campus, with little fanfare, but went on to absolutely obliterate old records...and continued in the path of Daniels by thoroughly-frustrating DBs and DCs alike; they were a puzzle that couldn't be solved it would seem...an unstoppable force.  Except in Stubby's case of course, a neighborhood pool fence and a girl wanting to go for a dip got him concussed during the summer and kept him off the field for a few games...but the dude still tore up the opposition upon his return.

When Tiller acquired the services of the Fort Wayne product, Selwyn Lymon, we thought the dream had come true...and the highly-touted, chrome-plated recruit showed a glimpse of what he could do as a Frosh in a blowout at the hands of UND.  The future seemed bright...but as we know now, it wasn't to be.

And that's been the case over and over again.

The four-star signee is as rare as UFO sightings or glimpses of Sasquatch...and sometimes, after that player leaves Purdue, we ask ourselves, just as in the case of the mythological creatures- Did it really happen?

Al-Terek McBurse had a host of high offers and a high star rating to boot.  As a Freshman, he showed that he could move in auxiliary duty...the future looked bright.  But as a Soph, he didn't look like the back that was advertised.  A little adversity, and he was off to greener pastures.

Close...but...

Most-recently, OJ Ross made an immediate impact as he showed his quickness and speed as a Freshman...But it was apparent that he was raw and needed to work on his route running.  It simply didn't happen.  Gary Bush started overshadowing Ross in spite of the God-given talent discrepancy...and Ross, while weighed down by off-field baggage faded out before being suspended last winter by Hazell.  This morning, it seems that it's become official and Ross will not return to the team (according to message boards...I still haven't found concrete proof) for his final season at Purdue.

Ross is the most-recent case of the 4-star flop for our Boilers.  Sure, you might argue that Ross had a pretty productive career...no doubt about that, actually.  BUT, he didn't have a career that equalled his hype or his obvious talent.

Production is often a combination  of work, attitude, talent and timing.  Sadly, Purdue's highly-touted signees haven't had all four very often.  We've said it over and over in a number of ways- Purdue players are generally fighters.  The problem is, guys that have been told they're great their whole lives generally don't have that fighting spirit.  The gritty players that overcome adversity become the darlings of our fanbase.  The guys with a lunch bucket mentality are our favorites (not just BS', mind you).

Purdue currently has three former 4-star players on the roster- Sophomore DT Watson, Frosh TE Carvajal and Frosh QB Etling.  Can this group of three be the first crop of high recruits to end the streak of bad mojo for the golden recruits? It would certainly seem that way.

Watson started his career on a promising note last season as he worked his way into the line-up about mid-way through the season.  From all accounts, he'll be on the two-deeps again in the fall and seems to be on track to make some noise.

Danny Etling has made his presence known as he's shot up the QB depth chart to the second spot...and it seems that Joe Tiller thinks that Etling will be the guy come this fall.  That's pretty interesting...Sure, Tiller isn't attending practice, but he talks to Hazell more regularly than you and I and is still pretty connected to Purdue.  He thinks that Henry's accuracy, mechanics and run-first mentality isn't what the program needs.  We'll see if his prophecy turns out to be accurate.

Carlos Carvajal is the one question mark in the group right now, it seems- Granted, he didn't take the typical route to Purdue after a year of prep school...and honestly, I'm not sure if he's a great fit yet.  He's got swagger like a Miami player of the 90s, it seems...but that doesn't really jibe with Hazell's way.  All that said, he's got an imposingly-long frame, and some pretty great tools to work with.  I still think his mean streak might put him at DE before the first game in 2013; we'll see.

Whether it's Ross, McBurse, Plue, Kacinko, Lymon, Paxson, Kyle Williams, Bushong, Van Dyke or Kirsch...We Purdue fans can easily recall our dreams of grandeur and shattered expectations shortly after due to a wide range of variables and complications.  Sure, players like Baker and Lindsay are sprinkled throughout that had solid careers, but the last real success Purdue had of the high-ranking players was probably Dorien Bryant...before that, Kyle Orton.

That's kinda sobering.

Part of that, of course is simply that Purdue doesn't get a ton of these guys, so the odds are a bit longer that they will have great careers.  Solid high-three star guys tend to do quite well at Purdue; Short, Greg Orton and others come to mind right away.  Hopefully Hazell's efforts will give us a bit of a larger sample to judge by, in the coming seasons.

Tasty Pod-Castings with TheB1Gtime.com

A few weeks ago, we were asked to appear on theB1Gtime.com's Purdue installment of their B1G preview podcast series.  Last week, it was recorded and aired...this week, I link it here on this site in an effort to stretch out as little content into as much time as possible. If you already listened to it because you saw the link on Twitter, listen again for the nuance and sophisticated twists that you might have missed during the first go-'round.

For those of you who don't know, B1Gtime is a website that focuses on the entire conference and is run by a former Wisconsin blogger, Andrew Coppens, who is pretty damned good at what he does.

Check it out by clicking HERE.

Sure, it's only half as handsome as a Handsome Hour, but it's nearly as long and also pretty satisfying.

So take a listen while at the desk at work, or at the pool of your palatial estate.

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.

Your Coach Hazell Nugget for Today

We're heading into the dog days for sports fans, as b-dowd will often tell you. College football feels miles away, but we all know how fast summers seem to go by, and before you know it, the BS twitter feed will be starting fights all over the place by pouring gasoline onto brush fires. (We really should talk to those guys, lest they get blocked by someone like @BoilerFootball -- oops, too late.)

Anyway, whenever possible, you know we like to gush about the positive hire Purdue made in bringing in Coach Hazell. While this isn't ground-breaking by any stretch, it reminds me of the sometimes simple things that need to be done and said to begin to change a culture, to change attitudes, to change mindsets. Everything thinks they can flip a switch and act differently -- but that's not the case. For Coach, it's a simple plan, as he told USA Today a while back:

It's a simple plan. Be respectful, Hazell says. Watch your language. Have class. Be proud of your image.

Well, that's a good start. His "three-point plan" is simple, yet heartening, as well:

1) Win with what you have. "We're going to win with the guys that are in this locker room," Hazell said. What does this mean? That the system is tailored to the players, not vice versa, and nothing is more important than trusting your teammates.

2) Have confidence. "We've got to change the way we see ourselves," Hazell said. "That's the most important thing."

3) Win in November. "You win championships in the game of college football in the month of November," he said.

Mold away, Coach. Change the culture. Restore the pride of wearing the Old Gold and Black.

By comparison, Danny Hope's three point plan was as follows:

1) Collect whistles to wear around your neck during games -- everybody respects a coach ready to blow the play dead. 

2) Be the players' best friend. Have sleepovers. Make marmalade together.

3) Focus your offense around a kicker.

4) Use timeouts to give the other time time to catch their breath -- it's only sporting. 

5) Make sure the team focuses for Ohio State. Everybody else is just gravy. Mmmm, gravy is delicious. 

Whoa Indy...and ND Woes

Yesterday was a great day at IMS; more lead changes than ever before. The nearly 70 lead changes can be attributed to the parity among teams due to the identical chassis and two engine packages...but the highly-skilled field also had something to do with it.

People can say what they want about the DW12 chassis- it's not sleek enough, it's a bit of an ugly duckling...perhaps.  But, if you like to watch racing as a contest of grit, timing, will and skill, then you probably loved yesterday's 500.

Like everyone else, I want the cars to be faster...and I want more innovation and flexibility within the rules, but yesterday's race was crazy fun to watch. The cars probably have a bit too much downforce right now and not quite enough horsepower, but the end product is close to unbeatable.

All of that said, the strategy and overall approach of race day has drastically changed from mere years ago. With the white flag waving, you no longer want the lead...you want to be in second or third place. No one can really pull away from anyone else; I guess that's alright.

Indy is now officially the antithesis of F1. The mostly-Euro series is almost solely a series based on preparation, homework, outspending the next team and "rolling the ball out" (if you will).  I love the look of those machines and the innovation and trickle down of technology over there.  I don't like the glorified parade that those races are.

With just a few laps left yesterday, 22 cars were separated by about 10 seconds...something I've never seen before. Ed Carpenter's tenth place finish after starting from the pole is viewed by some as a failure of a day.  BUT, had the race finished under green, he would have finished just seconds behind the leader.

The fastest cars, especially in the last 50 laps were clearly better than everyone else...and Chevy had a decided advantage (which needs to be adjusted).  But even the guys who weren't in the top-5 were really right there. It's kinda crazy to think that a guy who is 9 seconds behind after around 170 laps is waaaaaay off the pace, but it kinda felt that way.  Guys like Scott Dixon weren't far behind at the end of the race...but weren't really contenders either.

I've been to 25 Indy 500 races now...and have never seen a crowd as elated for a winner as they were when Tony Kanaan earned the checkered flag.  Like me, I think many in the crowd thought that his last chance of winning went away when he lost his Andretti ride a few years ago...I was very wrong- in two years, he's had a top-3 and a win; not bad for a guy left for dead by many.

TK leads a pair of Andretti Racing machines across the yard of bricks

I had thrown him onto the scrap heap of guys like Raul Boesel and (ironically) Michael Andretti- great drivers who shoulda won it, but never will.  Glad I was wrong.

I've heard that the league will finally allow some new aero packages around the safety tub of the DW 12 chassis in 2014; I hope they do as I think we're only a half-step better than we were a few years ago when just Honda was supplying engines to power the old Dallara Indy chassis.  I'm still no fan of spec racing (in theory).  That said, I love the cars being safer and more consistent. The days of qualifying a four or five year old chassis while panhandling for an engine is gone; that's a good thing.  The fact that the cars aren't going 238 mph is a bad thing.

Days like yesterday are nothing but positive for Indy and the league around it...But if they can double the winner's purse, and get the speeds up in the upper half of the 230s, we might see Indy return closer to her former glory.

Even my BS counterpart, J Money had to admit that yesterday's race was exciting...and he's a pseudo-NASCAR apologist.

Bad news for Gunner Kiel and Brian Kelly
Almost two months ago, Gunner Kiel decided to head to the greenest of football pastures, the University of Cincinnati, of course.  He wasn't pleased with the fact that two QBs were in front of him at UND and another was really neck-and-neck with him at the third spot in the Coach Kelly's rotation.

Things change quickly in college football sometimes- This Spring has been one of those for Notre Dame's offense.

Last year's starter, Everett Golson did something nefarious according to the university's academic police.  We really don't know exactly what it is that he did, but it looks like he cheated in some way. The end result is he's no longer enrolled at UND and no longer on Notre Dame's football team.

The erratic, but adequate Senior QB, Tommy Rees will probably be the starter.  BUT, Kelly hasn't ever given him a vote of confidence...Plus, he had a legit run in with the law last season that might have even caused Kelly to second-guess his leadership.  Sure, it's OK for some on their roster to get arrested, but striking an officer kinda makes you lose your job, even for Coach Kelly.  I guess it's a good thing he wasn't kicked off the team last fall, right UND fan?

UND should still be quite good in the fall, but the loss of Golson to academics, Eiffert to the NFL, Riddick to graduation, Wood to NFL practice squad (two running backs) will make things interesting. UND's offense will have a QB who's prone to mistakes and fumbles, no sure-handed relief valve underneath and no experienced running back behind Rees.

Our Boilers are in the midst of an overhaul as new coaches try to get all the moving parts to move as a unit.  UND's offensive tumult should be a bit of music to our ears as we look ahead to the most difficult schedule in the nation.

The Dark Night (Game) Rises

It was announced earlier this week that the Purdue-ND game -- Coach Hazell's second home game and first against a FBS program -- will be an 8 PM start on September 14. I have to be honest -- I love this. Much like Danny Hope had some early night games to make a strong first impression (and despite how things ended for Danny, the close calls vs ND and Oregon early in the 2009 season had a lot of us juiced), this is a terrific opportunity to inject life into the Purdue football program quickly. Joe Tiller took advantage of Notre Dame in this way; so can Darrell Hazell. (And really, given their history, wouldn't like to take advantage of ND football players? Usually, it's the other way around.)

According to Purdue sports information, this is the 36th night game Purdue has played since 1935 and only the 8th home game under the lights. That feels like such a low number, but maybe that's because we all remember the night games so clearly so it feels like there have been more of them.

It's indeed been a dark time for Purdue with regard to night games. In fact, Purdue has only played four games under the lights at Ross-Ade since 1996, with three of those against Notre Dame. The Boilers are 0-4 in those games and 1-6 overall. Maybe this is the real reason Morgan Burke is against permanent lights: he's worried the Boilers may never win again. The only win in a home night game for the Boilermakers was a game I've sat back in my rocking chair and regaled you about before. It was a crisp, clear night on September 10, 1994 and a young and handsome J attending his first Purdue football game. This game was so long ago, Tim still liked sports! Boilerdowd still had hair! I'm talking a long time ago! (Try the veal!)

But seriously, 1-6 at home all time under the lights? That's a trend that needs to be changed. The Boilers are 16-18 all-time in games starting at 6 PM or later, including bowl games, which I think are a little bit of outliers in this. In bowl games at night, the Boilers are 5-1, leaving them (for you math majors) at 11-17 in all regular season night games.

We'll obviously talk more and more about the 2013 season and what it can mean and what will constitute "success," but this game if nothing else provides a tremendous opportunity for Coach Hazell and the new brand of Purdue football to make a splash on national television.

Choo choo!

Post-Spring Football Thoughts

We were asked by an odds making site to give our thoughts on next season...and while we don't encourage gambling and probably won't link the post here, you'll be able to find it on our Twitter feed in the coming days.  Here's what he had to say about our Boilers in a pretty condensed format:

____________________________

General Thoughts about Spring Ball

The biggest thing Purdue fans took away from Spring is how different the new coaching staff is. Practices were open to the public, which hasn't happened at Purdue in about 10 years.

I got to attend a few of them and noticed how fast-paced and focused they were. They always had music playing loudly during the practices to keep things loose and get them used to signal calling and huddles with noise distraction.  A few ex-players I talked to said the speed is increased when compared to the old practices and they're more intense...plus, they played live scrimmages, even on the QBs which Purdue hasn't done in years.

One of the questions heading into Spring was who would emerge at QB; Rob Henry seems to be the guy at this point...but true Freshman Danny Etling quickly rose to 2nd string; which surprised many.

____________________________

Players that are poised to emerge

The guy everyone should be watching next season is WR Dolapo Macarthy. He played well at times last season, but his combo of size, hands and solid route running make him a tough match up for smaller corners.  RB Akeem Hunt's explosiveness will also make him tough to ignore, we think...as he's finally the guy after waiting his turn for a few seasons.

Defensively, if Purdue's going to have any success, Sean Robinson will have to have a good season; so I'm looking for him to do big things in just his second season as a LB after being moved from QB...and on the end, Ryan Russell is poised to become Purdue's next member of the Den of Defensive Ends...if he can be an every-down guy.

____________________________

Positional Grades

QB- B (a good battle for the starting position might have already been decided)

RB- B- (depth is an issue at this point; new system will use "Z" back regularly)

WR- B+ (bigger, more-physical receivers will be leaned on)

TE- B (Will be much more important to Purdue's offense than the last decade)

OL- C (Lots of talented youth in the two-deeps; but too many RS Freshman need to play now)

DL- A (lots of experience inside and outside)

LB- C (The starters should be solid; depth is a big question)

DB- B- (Again, lots of question marks on the depth chart)

ST- C (One of the nation's best punters and solid return men keep this grade from being a D)

____________________________

Things that might surprise non-Purdue fans

We really like this new coaching staff- it's a good mix of young, passionate positional coaches and grizzled coordinators...but the Darrell Hazell is gives us the reason to be the most excited. He's been brilliant with the fans and media since his hiring and helped a historically-awful program in Kent State reach 11 victories last season. I'm not sure this season will be much different than last, from a record standpoint...but Purdue has one of the most-difficult schedules in the nation; six opponents had double-digit wins in '12 and three of them were in BCS bowls.  One surprise should be the style of play; Purdue had gotten so sloppy and penalty-prone in the previous seasons, fans might be surprised at the attention to detail by the new staff.

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. 

Purdue Wins Spring Game!!

The players were excited to hear and see from the program alums before the game. During this past week, many tweeted how they were looking forward to this as if the event was an actual game...and lots of fans and alums were excited to see the new look team.  There's good news and bad news: The good news is, in many ways, today did not disappoint...bad news was that in others, it did.

There was a DJ playing music between plays, and the alums teamed up with members of the student body and alumni to play punt, pass and kick...and during the game there were some hard hits.  But the final score of the game was 14-0.

The pre-game clinic was fun for the kids- my son, daughter and nephew can all attest to that.  The players, who generally don't disappoint in these situations, welcomed the little and not-so-little ones onto their home bermuda grass field for drills and just running around.

When business time came around, a few things seemed obvious: Henry leads this offense well, has a good grasp of the concepts and is ready to start. He had one of the passing TDs...didn't pass the ball a ton (didn't have to) and only had two or three incompletions on around 10 attempts.  After the middle of the second quarter, Henry's day was almost much done.

Etling took the majority of remaining snaps for the black squad...and Appleby took almost all of the snaps for the gold team.  Marshall played QB for one possession in the first half (I believe), but didn't have a ton of production.

The vagueness of this post, from a stats standpoint, is because there were no stats on the scoreboard.  Let's be honest for a moment...just you and I- you don't come here for stats, now do you? You come here because you love the witty commentary and you hope you'll see J shirtless.  Today, you will get one of those from this post.

Hazell wouldn't go as far as to say that Henry was the number 1 QB as Purdue headed into the practice-free off-season...but I'll go ahead and say it- it seems like it's Henry's job to lose, and for good reason, he looks good under/behind center in this system.  I saw it in drills a few weeks ago and saw it today in a more game-like situation today.

We really like Appleby; he's big, has a canon of an arm and is a student of the game, but today wasn't a good day for him.  There might be a combination of factors that caused it- it was windy, he wasn't playing behind a full-strength OLine and he wasn't playing with a full quiver of weapons around him...but neither was anyone.

That said, the best running back on the field, by a lot, was opposite of Appleby, on the victorious black team...and I don't think that's a coincidence.  The gold defense was pretty tough for much of the day, but had no answer for Akeem Hunt.  He looked faster than about everyone on the field...his cuts were crisp and resolute, he hit holes quickly, and as always was great in space. But he was definitely one of the guys that stood out.  On one of the rare gadget plays, he almost completed a deep ball to Raheem Mostert...but it wasn't quite in stride and a DB (can't remember the number) was there to break up the play.

The two main black squad QBs were just sharp...whether it was Henry OR Etling, both of these guys looked comfortable running the show.  Etling didn't have a passing touchdown, BUT, had a ton of production, and only a few incompletions.  There is a lot more misdirection than we're used to, as Purdue fans, in this offense.  Even though the defense knows it's coming, it forced LBs and safeties to constantly shift and respect the guys running the other way.  Notably, on third and short a few times today, a slot receiver or wide out would come around end for the fake only to pull manpower away from the middle so the half back could get the short yardage needed.

On the defensive side of the ball, Bruce Gaston created some havoc for the black team QBs by sacking Byrzinskas and Henry...the sack of Henry was one in which Gaston just kinda tossed 15 around like a rag doll.  Not sure if I liked to see Henry thrown that way, but I know I liked seeing Gaston do it (if that makes any sense).

Another couple guys on the defensive side of the ball that I noticed as active were Michael Rouse and Jalani Phillips.  Rouse stuck out because of an opportune interception off of a deflection in which the big fella got to show his skills with the rock...he was tackled after a 15-20 yard return.  Phillips was impressive because he seemed to be everywhere.  His name was called a lot and his number was in the backfield...a lot.

But as noteworthy as these guys were, the guys that couldn't play due to injury might have been just as noteworthy. Four of the guys who will probably get the ball a lot in the fall weren't able to play: Macarthy (who will probably be the number one possession receiver), Cottom (who will be the thunder to Hunt's lightning), Anthrop (who will play in the i

LBD and Cottom

mportant "Z" position in this offense; RB/slot), and Bush (undoubtedly the most-experienced returning receiver...especially if Ross doesn't return).  Their absence makes a big difference...and spreading out the talent so this could be a straight-up scrimmage, not an offense v. defense scrimmage, makes a big difference.

The 14-0 final score is probably indicative of these factors more than anything else.

A few people on Twitter asked if one thing or another was a good indicator for the team.  Well, here's what I know about Spring games: I love them because I love watching football...and miss it during the off-season. The Black/Gold game is like my last drink of cold water before the sports desert is upon me...so as inconsequential as this game is in the grand scope of things, I absolutely love going to watch it each season.

BUT, I've seen some things in spring games that weren't exactly the best representations of the fall during these contests.

A guy named Drew Brees played second fiddle, on more than one occasion during the Spring game- once to his backup named Marc Burgler (I believe)...and the second to David Edgerton.  You might know Edgerton from garbage duty v. IU just before Purdue clinched the Big Ten title...not much else.  More recently, Sean Matti put on an absolute showcase for the Purdue fans in the Black Gold game as Dan Dierking was out with injury.  Sadly, we didn't get to see the walk-on's potential, as (I believe) he passed away that following summer.

The point is, Spring football is important because coaches get to see a lot that we, as fans, just don't get to see...but the B/G game is really for fans and dorks like me.

Will Phillips turn into a monster in the fall? Will Hunt tear up the B1G like he did his teammates today? Will Appleby be in the hunt to start come August? Nobody really knows right now.  But, I can't wait until the late summer when camp begins.

The BS Curse? (and other football notes)

After reading GBI and Mike Carmin, I thought I'd weigh in on what's been happening in God's country under Coach Hazell's watch.

I always struggle in analyzing stats and reports following an intersquad scrimmage...was the offense winning an indictment of the defense? Is the defense's progress a sign that the offense isn't getting better?  We really don't know until the fall...but there are a few things we can glean from the reports.

First, Bruce Gaston played on Saturday...that's good news, and Hazell noted that. Regardless if Purdue plays a 3-4 or 4-3, Gaston's presence in the middle will be noteworthy.

Next, the DBs played pretty well even without Allen in the fold due to injury. They had a few picks and a few more were dropped, but a ton of passes defended.  This update is one of those that might not be great news for the QBs.

And speaking of QBs, the guy that I wanted to see at QB1, Austin Appleby, has dropped from 1A with Henry to 3. Stink. But I'll be frank about the QB battle for a moment- I don't care who's at quarterback if the good guys are winning.  Henry has an unconventional delivery and has struggled with accuracy at times...but Billy Dicken had an unconventional delivery and didn't have the strongest arm and played one great year as Purdue transitioned to Drew Brees running the offense.

I'm still foggy on when/how a player commissions the NCAA on a sixth season of eligibility.  But it would seem that Henry would be a shoe-in for such a season due to his ACL tear following a redshirt. If he gets the extra year, Appleby starts in '14 and Etling is able to redshirt in the fall, Purdue could have a legit QB plan for the first time in a long time. But hey, there are a ton of variables along the way that could derail that.  I just like that there are three good options in the stable.

Etling passed Appleby on the depth chart, according to Hazell, on Saturday...competitions is always a good thing.  Hopefully this coaching staff is better at making decisions and assessing talent than the last group...and I'm confident that they are.

According to the practice reports, a few RS Freshman are playing with the ones on the offensive line.  This is good and bad.  The good of course is that these gigantic dudes are living up to their billing.  The bad is that they're green, so QBs are needing to roll out quite a bit in order to find time and passing lanes. It seems that Henry, Etling and Appleby are all mobile enough, so that shouldn't be too much of an issue.

One surprise from the reports that I've gathered is that former QB, Robert Gregory is making some noise at the position. Cottom strained his MCL on Saturday, so a few guys further down the depth chart got some carries with the ones...and everyone who saw the scrimmage noted how Gregory ran extremely hard and didn't shy away from contact.  Conversely, Akeem Hunt looked fast and great outside the tackles, but didn't shine in between the tackles. Hazell is seeking more depth at the RB position...this leads me to believe that a guy like incoming Freshman, Kenyate Green will be able to possibly see the field in the fall.  BUT, if Cottom and Hunt are healthy, that's a damned good 1-2 punch to start with.

An on-going development as Spring progresses is the lack of mentions for two-year starter Gary Bush. Bush's class schedule has kept him from practicing this Spring, so that surely doesn't help. But the question is, will he be able to move back to the 1s in the fall when his schedule is (obviously) more conducive to Purdue's camp schedule.  As of right now, RS Freshman, Knauf is in the same spot wih the 1s that Bush is playing with the 2s.  I think there could be a ton of movement come August as Anthrop gets healthy and Ross gets out of the doghouse.

I also think Mostert, Anthrop and Hunt might all be playing a similar position in the Fall...but that's just speculation at this point.  It just seems that they all have a similar skillset.

Hazell called the scrimmage one of the best that he's been a part of since he's been a head coach. That's good to hear. I guess that clearly signals that this Purdue team will have around 11 wins this coming season? Maybe not, but as J alluded to last week, Hazell seems to be making good moves thus far and his openness along with the way he's handled the media are nothing but positive.

T-minus five days until Spring ball is officially concluded with the Black/Gold Game in Ross-Ade. I'll be there with a few miniature people; looking forward to it already.

Hazellball: Right Direction So Far

BS was on the scene at one of Coach Hazell's open practices last week and if you haven't read B-dowd's excellent write up on his observations, you should go do that. I'll wait.

Okay, you're back now.

The Spring Game is fast approaching (1 PM on April 13) and will be played rain or shine and will be four quarters. Well, no kidding, you might be thinking, but this sort of info is pertinent, as last year's Spring Game was on a day with lousy weather, so the Danny Hope Gestapo moved the proceedings indoors to Mollenkopf, and then Tom Schott's button men ejected interested parties from the premises. You know, the people who were so devoted to a mediocre program that they had made the trek to campus on a miserable day to get a little bit of a Purdue football fix. As was the norm at the time, solid PR work by the Purdue athletic department.

So Coach Hazell has decreed that the game will go on and will be a complete game. This is good. Click here for more information on the activities of the day surrounding the Spring Game. In addition, BTN has decided to grace the Boilermakers by streaming the game live via their BTN2Go app and the broadcasting it on real, actual television on April 15 at 9 PM. Unless Ohio State hires a new strength and conditioning coach or something, presumably.

You also see the photo above marketing the upcoming season. The marketing folks responsible got this one right, in our opinions. They also did well back when Danny Hope started at Purdue (the "ONE" campaign, which, at 1-5, scared us because, well, what if Purdue went 1-11?), so maybe all it takes to wake up marketing is a new coach. Let's hope winning soon follows and the program markets itself on the football field.

In addition to the Spring Game, this Saturday is another chance to see your Boilers on the field at Ross-Ade, as they'll put on a "Jersey Scrimmage" for all interested parties to attend. Purdue faculty and staff get to come onto the field beforehand with the team and then will be addressed by Morgan Burke and Coach Hazell -- this outreach is another nice touch. You can find the rules to the Jersey Scrimmage here -- it will be offense versus defense and while these rules may a seem a bit cumbersome, you can bet the players will know how to keep score and this will be competitive. Check it out if you have the chance.

One more item to note that you can find on the Purdue football page of Purduesports.com is Purdue Football 212, billed as a "behind the scenes look at Purdue football." I watched the first YouTube video they have up there and I already feel like I've seen more of Purdue football behind the scenes than I did in four years of General Hopeissimo.

Obviously, none of this means much once the games begin. However, it seems clear to us that Darrell Hazell is making the right moves in his early months on campus. There's a discipline and an intense work ethic already coming across, while at the same time welcoming us outsiders in to see what's going on.

The Hazell Era is off to a good start. 

Our First Look at Spring Ball

What a day- watched practice on the field in Mollenkopf, enjoyed a healthy meal at TripleXXX, had the best seats I've ever had for a Purdue basketball game...let's not talk about how that ended; let's stay positive.

Thanks to our pal Joe who scored me a box seat...and Purdue's security who let my son sit on my lap or stand in front of me for the entire contest...The perspective of looking at the players at eye level a few feet from the out of bounds line was awesome.  I understand why all the rich guys don't like cheering down there...wait a second, no I don't.  I loved the fact that officials heard every complaint and Sandi reacted when I urged him on...loved that I could gaze longingly admire coach Ryne Smith's tenacity up close...sitting down low is definitely where I belong.  So wealthy benefactors, for the best possible coverage, keep the club seats coming.  I kid...or do I?

Alright, back to the important stuff.  My Purvis burger was cooked to perfection and the onion rings were on point as well...

Alright, the really important stuff...we're finally moving on to football.

I had read practice reports from J&C and Gold and Black, but seeing things in person is even better.

LBD and I got to talk at length with Josh Johnson about what he's been up to and how the new staff compares to the one that just left.  He said the practice methodology was closer to the philosophy of Coach Higgins than Hope- high-paced, station-based, timed sections of practiced designed to get individual groups chances to work on fundamentals.

QBs worked on getting their drops right and keeping the ball high...WRs, RBs and TEs ran a ton of seam routes that are easy for the QB to throw, but difficult for the receiver to catch. Lineman blasted off of the ball, changed direction quickly.  In larger group sessions, defensive intensity was notably high. There even seems to be a touch of intersquad rivalry between the two sides of the ball.  Veterans like Ricardo Allen were pissed if they didn't make plays, on the other side, Gary Bush showed some emotion when not effectively finishing plays.

One notable difference from the offense was the tightend was verrrrry important, it seemed. Sinz, Holmes, Curry, Carvajal and Carter were all active and had the ball in their hands a lot. A few things stood out to me about this group- Carvajal is still ginormous.  Among tall men, he's nearly a head taller. Curry has a ton of tools in the shed- good hands, runs hard and quick feet. And Holmes looks like he's working very hard and has a sense of urgency (finally). I like the corps of TEs a lot.

The big WRs seem to be the most active. Macarthy, Mikesky and Torwudzu, specifically stuck out to me. The out routes thrown to a spot obviously favor guys with big bodies who can block out a DB.  I haven't seen the entire offense, but if this practice is any indicator, bigger possession receivers are going to be imperative.

Watching the RBs, I didn't get to see a ton...but what I did see was Akeem Hunt seems to be one of the fastest guys on the field. Curry (who seemed to play a bit of RB and TE) and Cottom both look like bruising backs that might fit on a Wisconsin squad...I liked watching both in drills as they blasted through stations.

The QBs look like this: At this point, it's a two-horse race. Appleby and Henry both are pretty accurate, both feel pressure well, both look the part. In two step drop drills, they're the guys who are the most consistent. In 7-on-7, they were the guys who had the grasp of where to throw it to keep it away from DBs. Henry is an obvious leader and seems to do the little things and is clearly the best runner of the group right now.  Appleby has the best mechanics and is by far the most accurate passer. BUT, Marshall seems to throw a very catchable ball, if that makes sense...but his don't have a ton of zip on them. Berzynskas surprised me as much as anyone; big guy, good mechanics and looked accurate. I heard Shoop telling him that if he does things the right way, has a real chance of earning a schollie (during a drill). Etling looks like a guy whose head is spinning a bit...floats the ball a lot during drills and in 7-on-7.  Decent mechanics and footwork...I fully expect him to redshirt this fall and compete next spring...I also still expect Appleby to start; and think Henry should be on the field somewhere; he's too good of an athlete, too good of a leader, not to be utilized heavily.

I'm biased; Appleby, once again took time to talk to LBD and even gave him a memento of the visit to practice; really like this kid. I re-introduced us to him...reminded him that we met a year ago in Mackey and had "talked" on Twitter; he remembered before I was done speaking. My boy is kind of tough to forget though, I believe...once again though, I'm terribly biased.

Sean Robinson is a guy that I'm still kind of taken back by- I spent a bit of time with he and his Dad a few years ago, after a game that he started.  Granted, I didn't go out to eat with them, but was just near them...and remember how he looked and acted. He is a different guy- looks like a defensive player...bigger, stronger, meaner...should be an anchor for the defense. Gillium also looked good at LB.

The offensive line is a gaggle of massive men...probably the biggest corps of Olineman that I can remember (at least those that I've been able to see up close). They all seem to be working hard on getting their hands on the guys on the other side of the ball and firing quickly.

Coach Freeman looks like he not only could, but should suit up for Purdue in the fall.

...sorry for the rapid fire thoughts; I took no notes...

New Boiler Head Coach with grizzled
Boiler vet, LBD

Finally, my quick first meeting with Coach Hazell-

I actually met his son first...and if an intermediate school kid is a reflection of his Dad as a man, Hazell is doing a fine job. His son shook my hand (good hand shake)- looked me in the eye and introduced himself...seemed poised like his Pop.

Darrell Hazell is a very engaging guy- I liked him from the articles and TV interviews, liked him even more in person. Where as Hope was likable because of his lack of polish, Hazell's easy to like because of his poise and perceived thoughtfulness...Seems to take time to really look someone in the eye and listen.  We only spoke for a few seconds, but I was impressed and am more of a fan than I was when the day started.

He also has the practices running in a way that clearly reflect his personality- orderly yet energetic, cerebral yet fast-paced. Purdue's new football regime is only a few practices in...and they have already began to change the culture, in my opinion. Gabe Holmes might be the biggest emblem of the change to me...getting veterans to change attitudes and buy into a new system is a big deal.

I might get to one more practice before the B/G game...might not...all depends on my stupid job.  If I do, I'll be back here to let you know what I see/hear.

With Bollman Out, aOSU fans Happy...for US?

A few days ago, after a few days of conjecture and rumour (yes, they were British rumours), Jim Bollman officially left Coach Hazell's staff as OLine coach to become OC at MSU.  MSU fans seem OK with it, aOSU fans tell me that MSU now has the worstest OC in the world, Bears fans tell me that Purdue has that in Shoop...I'm soooooo confused.

Not really.

I've never been good with all of the aOSU fan love for Purdue's coaching staff.  I think we've been pretty clear here, we don't like Ohio State a whole bunch.  We've always thought that they have an athletic department that all-but encourages their programs to play ball, if you will...The fact that the NCAA actually punished them in the last few years says that they just got too brazen in their tactics.  If you talk to non-alum Bucknut fans, you'll quickly see that winning is all that matters...and rules are for losers. That's all well and good when you're a cash cow for the NCAA, but not for programs like Purdue. Hazell's thinking as Kent State's head coach (doing things in unprecedented manner, beating the odds, etc.) is closer to Purdue's history than aOSU's. I didn't really care about aOSU fans' opinions about Bollman; still don't.  If Hazell thought he was the best coach available for his team, I gotta trust that. Regardless of anyone's opinion, he gone.

Who can blame him? Being an OC in the B1G is a much better job than a positional coach...But I guess MSU's Dantonio is dumb now and has forgotten everything he knows about football since he chose to hire Bollman, correct?

Purdue hasn't released who will be OLine coach in the wake of Bollman's departure...I vote Matt Light (if you haven't figured this out, I like ex-NFL Purdue guys as position coaches).  Coach Hazell usually calls me on Tuesdays*, so I'll put that suggestion in at that time.

Spring football practice starts in a few weeks.


*not really

Hazell's Hybrid Class

I've read and listened to a lot today about this incoming class...and a couple things stick out to me.  First, the quote I liked the best came via GBI from a student...not a player...not a coach.  But it was a reaction to hearing Coach Hazell speak this evening in Mackey.

"When you look at him compared to Coach Hope, he sounds more knowledgeable, sounds like he knows what he's talking about. Doesn't have those statements that make you scratch your head and wonder what he's talking about. He's concise, clear and you definitely can tell he's motivated."
-Tyler Gray, Purdue University Junior

Tyler's right on- there aren't many wasted words with Hazell...fans notice that, students are noticing...players will notice. On the same point, Danny Etling said that he thinks Hazell might be upset if he doesn't complete every pass in practice.  A new sheriff is indeed in town, and as recruits are all noticing, the culture has to change and is already beginning to do so.

Hope perpetually had problems with depth at multiple positions because it seemed like he had no plan...Hazell mentioned creating depth two or three times through recruiting, development and movement of players as needed...but still isn't too happy with the safety position; will need to move some corners.

This class doesn't seem expect to be great or even good because they're great players...they seem to believe that their collective work and discipline will make them better.  Another quote I liked was from David Yancey.  He said he felt honored to be able to just go into Mollenkopf and work out each day.

The sense of entitlement that some players show in college football doesn't seem to be evident with this group of 23 signees.

Hazell likes the versatility of this class a lot- from RBs that can play in the slot, to lineman that can play as OLBs in the 3-4, TEs that can move outside or DEs that might be able to bulk up and become DTs with a meal or two.

And speaking of Des, one of Hope's biggest weaknesses in the last two years at Purdue was getting new DEs to come on campus and become the next guys in the Den.  But Hazell and the staff, in mere weeks added to the class at that position specifically:

Antoine Miles, Johnny Tompson, Danny Ezechukwu, John Strauser, Jake Replogle and Evan Panfil are the DEs of 2013.  Miles seems physically most-ready to play right away.  Purdue beat out Nebraska, Pitt, WVU, Cincy and others for his services. Strauser's uncle coaches at Pitt, and Purdue still beat Pitt and Illinois out for him. Panfil de-committed from Illinois to come to God's country...and Replogle was the fourth Replogle to play college football in the last 6 years...the others all went to IU.

Just to their right or left, the Tackles are Johnny Daniels, a late addition to the class and Ra'Zahn Howard, who comes to Purdue via prep school...he's a big dude at 6'3" 305.

DBs include Austin Logan, Tyvel Jemison, Leroy Clark and Da'Wan Hunte.  Logan is the biggest of the four, seems to be a natural safety that chose Purdue over Northwestern, Stanford, IU, Cincy...others.  One of the gems of the class comes out of this group in Miami's Leroy Clark who chose Purdue over Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Florida and a few others.  He seems to the most-likely to see playing time the most-quickly. Clark's video from high school is really fun to watch as he seems to be looking to score all of the time, regardless if he's playing offense or defense or what the situation is...and he was a ball hawk.

The lone LB in the class is Dezwan Polk-Campbell...which leads me to believe that one or more of the DEs in this class will move away from the line in the spring.

Obviously, Hope focused on QBs in the last class, but Hazell said a wide-open QB competition begins in spring ball...we talked about the battle between Henry, Appleby, Etling and Marshall a while ago.  I like these guys quite a bit already- Henry's leadership, Appleby's attention to detail, Marshall's athleticism and Etling's drive to not rest will make this a tough race to have any favorites...I really want to see the right guy get the chance to run the show; getting rid of the two (three) QB system will be an improvement regardless of whom is named starter in August.

Only one Olineman in this class.  6'7", 310 pound, Jason Tretter chose Purdue over Harvard, Yale, Columbia and others...he was recruited by Hazell at KSU as well. Methinks that a guy with a bunch of Ivy League offers won't have much of a problem retaining the playbook.  Let's all remember that five OLmen redshirted last fall and will be Freshman again in the fall...and all of those guys are Huuuuuuuge.

Green stuck by his word.

Keyante Green leads up a group of talented RBs...and this group has a few interesting stories.  First off, Green fought the fact that he grew up as a Tennessee fan and received a late offer from the Vols to stay committed to Hazell and co. Green had a boatload of offers including Tennessee, aOSU, Ole Miss, UCLA, South Carolina and others. Keith Byars III, (son of aOSU great, of course) comes via prep school, but had offers from Louisville, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland and others. David Yancey had four siblings go to Purdue before him and Dalyn Dawkins was a late addition to the class...the only guy out of Kentucky.

Purdue picked up Garrett Hudson and Matt Burke at the TE slot.  Burke played in the US Army All-America game and had a bunch of Ivy League offers along with Boise State and others.  He's big (6'6"), but I'd expect him to spend a year getting stronger as Holmes and Carvajal are in front of him.

Only three pure WR are in this class...all 6'2" or taller:
Dan Monteroso de-committed from BC to play for Hazell...and also had an offer from Iowa and a few MAC schools.  Deangelo Yancey chose Purdue over Ole Miss, Mizzou, NCState and others and Myles Norwood comes to Purdue after spending a year in Prep School.

The guys that will be competing for playing time right away look like Green, Etling, Clark, Logan and Miles.  QB, RB, DB and DE all are a bit thin OR underexperienced.

It's a tough position for this coaching staff to come in so late in the recruiting season and still be able to land most of the guys who were on board for Hope's staff...but the old staff's last thumbprint at Purdue was keeping in contact with these guys...then the new staff attacked the in-home visits as soon as it was legal and did a pretty solid job.  I believe we'll see fewer Florida guys and more Midwesterners (specifically Ohio) in next year's class, but tonight, the staff can rest, at least for a few days, knowing their first collective action as a staff was a success.

Next up, Spring ball.

My Take on Today's Ticket News

In case you're not on the e-mail list...and haven't wanted to, or had the chance to read other Purdue outlets, Burke and the athletic department have decided to add a mandatory donation to all of the good seats in Ross-Ade Stadium.

Burke noted on GBI that he's heard loud and clear that he's been too cheap...and now says it's time to pony up so Purdue can compete.

I'm glad that he got the message...but it took nearly losing Matt Painter after underpaying he and his staff, and paying bargain basement salaries for the entire football staff before he understood...but I kinda think he still doesn't quite get it; nor does the athletic department.

I can only speak from my own perspective- Not only am I cheap by nature, but also my money is tight.  Having two young kids and running not one, but two businesses which are struggling, affects all of my opinions and financial decisions.

I sat in section 119 from 2000 until 2008.  My son (LBD) was two, when my wife and I, along with much of our family, decided to stop buying season football tickets.  The next year, I spent my money on basketball tickets and a few football tickets for me and my family.  That's continued until recently, when I've had multiple people offer me tickets to various games; which my family and I have appreciated a ton.

So an additional fee per seat in between the 30 yard lines really doesn't affect a person like me directly...but I still don't like the thinking...and think the timing is poor.

The Boiler fans that I know best have had a similar change in their spending during the last few years.  I think almost everyone has been affected by the economy and has been forced to re-assess how they spend their entertainment dollar.  For me and those closest to me, spending a ton of money for a day in which I left the stadium disgruntled was a waste...a waste of time and money.  But I kept going at a more-regular rate than many of those around me. In fact, I've actually found out that it's been difficult to give tickets away...let alone ask someone to buy some with me.

I think I'd be classified as dead-center middle class American, financially.  I feel blessed to live in the neighborhood that I do and to do what I do for a living...but money is perpetually tighter for me than I'd like it to be.  When Painter's contract was re-negotiated, I responded by giving money to the JPC and buying two 1/3 season tickets (while splitting them with two friends).  The cost of Painter's salary was worthwhile because we knew what we were getting and felt and still feel that he belongs at Purdue...and the staff around him needs to be the guys he wants/needs courtside.

Painter had just come off of one of the most-consistent five year stretches in the history of Purdue basketball...those teams averaged 25 wins/season and were generally near the top of the conference.  Painter earned the raise.

As much as I like Darrell Hazell as a hire along with his assistant coaches, this situation is not the same.  Purdue's season ticket woes will be solved by winning...plain and simple.  When Tiller won with regularity, beat good teams and was competing game-in, game-out, Purdue fans responded by buying tickets and showing up on campus.  When Purdue's football team was getting hammered by the upper third of the conference (except aOSU, for some reason) and wetting itself versus good non-con opponents, Purdue fans reacted in kind as well.

Purdue fans, for better or worse, are pragmatic and logical...and I'd bet that many right now are thinking, "I'm rooting for these guys to succeed, hoping for it...but want to see proof."

I'll speak personally again for a moment.

In 2000, I had just moved back from the East coast.  Right away, it was priority for me to get season tickets...so my brother and I each bought them and had one rotating seat for a guest.  The next year, the rotating seat went away as we got a block of four seats.  The year after that, we had a block of six seats and the year after that, our family had eight seats together.  In 2008, I stopped getting season tickets as did my brother and his wife...in 2010, none of my family had full-season tickets.

Sure, coming back for two or three games a season isn't a killer financially for two tickets...but it stings for three or four; And doing that while dragging small kids and a wife as Purdue gets beaten up isn't much of a fun day...and isn't a gratifying way for me to spend the money.  So LBD and I get to a few games generally, my wife and daughter will go to one additionally and one of my pals is kind enough to get me tickets to a few more. I thank God I get to go to these games without having to calculate if I wasted too much on a Saturday.

But if I was spending $375, $500 or more per ticket for a season, I'd probably be pausing right now...even if a third of the cost was tax deductible.

I know I'm going to catch hell for this post...I've read the message boards and twitter, and many Purdue fans are piling on other Purdue fans for having a similar opinion, but I am what I am.  If you want to call me a fair weather fan because I don't think it makes a ton of sense to ask the biggest, most consistent supporters of the program to foot the bill for Burke's wasted four year experiment with Hope, fine.  If you want to compare Purdue's newly-installed fee with other schools like aOSU, UM, Nebraska, PSU and Wisconsin, OK...I still don't think the comparison makes much sense.

Burke, who is a smart guy by the way (no, I'm not being sarcastic), thinks this is the right way to go...I hope he's right. If he's wrong, he'll fade into retirement and let his successor pick up the pieces of losing long-time season ticket holders or deal with the drop in revenue of many downgrading their seats. If he's right and people are OK with this fee AND Hazell wins quickly, he'll look like a genius and Purdue historians will judge him very well.

The thing I don't get about the math is this: A big chunk of the ever-rising BTN TV revenue has obviously been going to renovations to Mackey and Painter's overall staff raise.  But, Burke assured fans that there was a war chest that had been raised to help pay for Hope's exit and Hazell's entry...it sure doesn't feel like that war chest was anything more than scraping the last few dollars out of the Athletic Department's savings...and hoping that this additional fee will be broadly accepted.  Sure, Purdue's revenue stream from football has been shrinking yearly; we've been talking about this for two years.  But, the university at large takes one of, if not the highest percentage, of TV revenues from the athletic department in the conference...and still expects the athletic department to compete-  So perhaps the blame for this decision lands squarely on the Board of Trustees for distributing a disproportionate amount of athletic revenue out of the that department.

Everyone's feeling the pinch in this economy...and if you don't believe in trickle down economics, talk for a few minutes to someone who owns or manages a restaurant near Ross-Ade; I did quite a bit this fall. Purdue's awful showings versus Michigan and Wisconsin led to an empty Ross-Ade stadium and little traffic to commerce around the stadium in subsequent games.  A demoralized fanbase bought fewer Ricardo Allen jerseys and fewer Duane Purvis burgers before and after the games...so if Hazell's rebuilding process isn't quick and promising, the athletic department's gamble could affect every business near the stadium adversely...yet again.

I think Hazell's the right guy for the job...and unlike J, I think he'll win after a season or so of changing the low-accountability and lower expectation culture within the program right now (J expects big things this fall, for the record).

As I often say here, I hope I'm wrong- I hope Burke's decision turns out to be very good...I hope J's prediction of 8 wins in 2013 is right on, or even a little low...and I hope me, my friends and family are all but forced to get a big block of season tickets once again in the very near future because the product on the field is undeniably-good.