Hell, Purdue! Boilers Stomped Again, 38-14

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Purdue-Wisconsin Predicto: Danny Hope as Street Fighter Edition

If you hadn't seen the above .gif from the Michigan game, well, there you go. MGoBlog posted it and then a commenter on EDSBS added the energy ball or whatever that is (I haven't played Street Fighter in a long time). Yes, we can laugh at ourselves, although the comments on MGoBlog about this are as douchy and predictable as you might imagine. Yes, your all-world QB is now 3-2. Bully for you.

Now the Boilers amble on to Wisconsin. And while fans of Michigan, Wisconsin and even Purdue have questioned whether or why these are "statement games" for Purdue, the fact remains -- like it or not -- that these are pretty important in the overall state and direction of Purdue football. Will they move towards relevance or will they continue the backslide towards apathy?

On to the predicto.

J says:

A lot has been written about Purdue's ability to win this sort of a game, particularly in the past week by us and others. I keep coming back to a few points that I can't shake, but I'd love for you to tell me how I can.

Point 1: Purdue simply doesn't win these games. It's kind of all-encompassing statement, I realize, and sounds like a generalization, but it's true. Purdue has not won a game that could vault them into serious conference contention since 2004, when they began the season 5-0, won on the road at Notre Dame and Penn State, and had GameDay in town prior to the infamous Wisconsin game. And while we've talked at length about that game, Purdue actually played well in it, too, leading by ten in the second half. But since then, it just simply doesn't happen. It's no more complicated than that. And I understand all the limitations on Purdue's program -- that doesn't mean you can't compete in big games anymore.

Point 2: Have the tables turned by 45+ points in one year? Purdue lost 62-17 last year in perhaps the most embarrassing defeat I can remember a Purdue team sustaining. Danny Hope has been beaten three times by Wisconsin by a combined score of 133-30 (37-0, 34-13, 62-17). What indicators are there to suggest that the differential has not only be closed, but turned around? No, Wisconsin is not as good this year as they were last year. But let's stop saying they're "a bad Wisconsin team," something I've actually seen in a few places. Just stop. They're not bad. They're 4-2, with losses at Oregon State (currently ranked #10) and at Nebraska. (Speaking of Oregon State, if you want an example of how things can turn around at a middling program, take a look at how bad the Beavers were last year and now note how they are making a run and are now a top ten team -- yes, it may be fleeting, but it's happening and can you imagine how you'd feel as a fan in their position?)


Point 3: I don't trust the coaching staff in general. This is where I've landed. I do think these players are good enough. I do think they've got the talent, drive and determination to make big things happen here. I honestly think they can run with anyone on the schedule and based on the players' talent and experience alone, I do think a division title and Rose Bowl run feel like reasonable goals. But when your leadership is as stubborn and difficult as Danny Hope has shown himself to be and your OC is as uncreative and overrated as Gary Nord has repeatedly demonstrated he is...what do you expect? The players are talented but they can't overcome bad play-calling and poor preparation from the coaches. Do I think this staff can out-coach any of the staffs on the schedule? Not really. And for those who would point out the win over Ohio State in 2009, let's remember that 2009 was due to a superhuman effort from Ryan Kerrigan. He made Terrelle Pryor look like a skittish kitten and manhandled the OSU offensive line. That was not a triumph of Danny Hope over Jim Tressell.

All of this gets put into the hopper for me and leads me to where I just can't see Purdue winning. Oh, you know I want to be wrong and as I've said again and again, I agree that Wisconsin is vulnerable (esp on the road) and that Purdue has the talent to take it to 'em. But I just don't trust the decision-making from the sidelines. Caleb TerBush will start and if he's not good, the coaches will wait until the team is down three touchdowns to put in Marve, who will then be blamed in press conferences for making too many mistakes or not being "efficient." It's all nonsense. Put the guys on the field who give you the best chance to win and then be inventive in the plays you call. Let's not make it any more complicated than that.

Purdue definitely could win...but won't.

Wisconsin 31
Purdue 23

Boilerdowd says:

Well, the problem of managing expectations is once-again handled.  Purdue's fanbase didn't feel like we had a ton to be optimistic for, coming into the season...after harvesting some fool's gold in the first few games, some of us (read as me) thought Hope's squad was nearly ready for primetime.  Late-afternoon kickoffs are not primetime...and UM is no world-beater.  But they beat the crap out of my Boilers on a medium stage.

Now, things are back to manageable. UW has underwhelmed many in their fanbase this season with bad QB play and a defense that isn't what they expected either.  The injection of a walk-on QB and all has been solved it seems...But, this Wisconsin team, while the favorite to go to Indy, is no where near that of '11.  Does that change anything?

Wisconsin has the best set of LBs in the conference, if not the nation...that would matter if Purdue passed to the TE or across the middle of the field...so the good guys are OK there.

Wisconsin doesn't score with a ton of regularity, and they're dead-last in total offense, but their defense is in the top-3rd of the conference for points allowed...Their rushing offense isn't great by any stretch, but their defense's ability to stop the run is solid...their pass defense is just OK...but Purdue has the tendency not to test anyone with the pass.  So where's this all leave us?

Well, it seems pretty clear- If Purdue's coaches actually gameplan for the team that they're playing this week, Purdue has a puncher's chance.  If Marve is healthy enough to play, he can stretch the field; that seems to be what will be needed to open up the running game.  All that said, Nord has to call vertical passes to make that happen...because the coaches don't like to see Marve shooting from the hip.

So here's what I see when I gaze into my murky crystal ball: a low-scoring, old school game.  You've got a QB that isn't very good for UW and a coaching staff that refuses to mix things up for Purdue's offense.  Sounds like a lot of 3-7 play drives to me.

A couple more question marks- Will Gaston and Russell be close to 100%? This might be the defining issue in Purdue's ability to stop the run. A healthy Gaston and Nord's play-calling from a few seasons ago versus this Wisconsin team and I'd say the good guys win homecoming going away.  But with the way things are going, here's what I see:

Purdue 23
Wisconsin 17

Wouldn't that be the Danny Hope way??
Get 'em Boilers!

Predicto - The Wisky Badgers

The Boilers venture back to Madison, the site of a brutal beating they were subjected to in the first college game Caleb TerBush ever started. Can the Boilers exact revenge? 

Predicto Starts, Now!

Wisky; Makers, All

Halfway-Handsome Appearance

Half of the Handsome Duo appeared this morning on the Wiscobadgers.com Badger Power Hour along with LJC's Mike Carmin, who we like quite a bit.

Listen to internet radio with wiscobadgers on Blog Talk Radio

Boilers Serve Up Delicious Turnovers To Badgers

Purdue went into another difficult Big Ten venue -- perhaps the most difficult -- and could have come away with a win. In fact, they likely should have, but they did not, losing 66-59.

The Boilers -- especially these seniors -- are not afraid of the Kohl Center. Closing out a win tonight would have made JJ and Smooge 3-1 at Wisconsin in their careers, a fun stat that would have been awesome to lord over obnoxious Badger fans. However, it was not to be...and while officiating was again atrocious, that was once again not why the Boilers lost.

Much like a middle-aged Indianapolis man married 12 years with two kids, the team has developed a nasty habit of being unable to finish. Things started slowly, there was some anger, some deep talks...and a resolve to penetrate. However, in the end, things went limp and they were unable to get it done. (I'm talking about Purdue now.)

Seriously, though, this was a frustrating game in that the Boilers played well for the first ten minutes of the second half. In those ten minutes, they Boilers scored 27 points, after scoring 19 in all of the first 20 minutes of the game. JJ and E'Twaun looked remarkably focused, "shot out of a cannon" as Boilerdowd would put it. Painter clearly challenged them at the half and reminded them that this was their last shot in Wisconsin...they're sort of on the going-away tour. Venues they have owned before, such as Kohl, will not appear on the schedule again. Of course, I'm sure I'm far off of what Coach Matty said to them, but he must have said something. The guys looked ready and they looked like the better team that I think we all felt they were.

However, outside of that first ten minutes of the second (the "third quarter," as it were), Purdue's senior leaders did not overly impress. The first half was a sloppy mess...but let's clear something up (again).

As the half was closing, play by play man Dave O'Brien announced that only two shots had not been taken by JJ or E'Twaun and that it "is a big problem." It is? Why is it always a "problem" that Purdue relies on its two All-American candidates? I don't understand. When other teams rely on senior leaders, it's a good thing. When Purdue does it, it's a liability. Asinine. That, too, was not why they lost.

Speaking of ESPN's crack staff, the positively horrible Jill Montgomery was working the sidelines and actually asked Matt Painter about his two horses taking all the shots at the halftime interview. Matty -- awesomely -- ignored the stupid question and answered a completely different one. Which should show you how idiotic your concerns about the two best players taking all the shots is, ESPN!

But by all means, keep beating that dead horse. Actually, they're not beating a dead horse, because this "issue" never made sense... they're like beating a mechanical horse outside a supermarket. Doesn't make any sense? Exactly.

Jill Montgomery actually admitted to asking Painter in the second half: "How do you get these shots to fall that aren't going in?" I'm guessing Painter gave her a look of disdain but answered as politely as he could. I would have demanded she be removed from the premises for being stupid. (And if you're reading this, Jill, because you Google yourself or something, well, I apologize for being harsh but you're on national television and you're making the already dumb job of sideline reporter look even worse, which is hard to do. Do a little homework next time and think of some actually insightful questions.)

As for Purdue, despite all of their sluggish play, they actually had the lead with 70 seconds remaining. I bet you didn't know that. I know I didn't until I looked at things again. DJ Byrd put Purdue up 59-58 with 1:10 showing on the clock.... and then Purdue melted into a pool of goo, letting Wisconsin go on an 8-0 run to end the game. Did the Boilers think DJ's basket was at the buzzer or something? I don't know, but I do know that both JJ and Smooge got the ball into their hands in critical times, which is something we all want (no matter what ESPN tells us), and neither finished. Smooge especially has been a concern late in some of these games. His stat line isn't horrible, with shooting over 50% from the field, but he turned the ball over a team-high four times, had no threes and only got to the line one time. 15 points is nice, but not enough.

Other letdowns tonight included the inexplicably quiet game out of Lewis Jackson. Lew was still playing hard, as evidenced by his scuffle with Wquinton Smith (I think), who took a little jab at Lew's head as they were being separated. Of course, Ted Hillary, Tom O'Neill and Jim Burr didn't do a damn thing. Why do I think Lew would have been ejected if he tried to punch someone? Because I'm paranoid? Or because that's what would have happened?

One thing I did like about that scuffle was the way DJ Byrd inserted himself into the middle of it, aggressively taking steps forward into the Wisconsin players while raising his arms above his head like, "Hey, I'm not doing anything."

Anyway, Lew had an off-night, to say the least. One point on only one FG attempt and three turnovers. He did, however, tie JJ for the team lead in rebounds with.....four. Which isn't good. 

Ryne Smith shot the ball four times, all from three, with two connecting for six points... but that was all. Again, the 15-20 point Ryne must emerge again for this team to look as good as they did earlier in the season. However, DJ Byrd stepped up nicely tonight, showing that he can indeed be a scorer when called up, as he scored 11 on 67% (4-6) shooting.

JJ was good again with 23 points, though he had some bad shots, including that one with about 40 seconds left and lots of time on the shot clock. The guys have to work for the right opportunity there, and as much as JJ has been the go-to guy, I'm not sure it was a quick, contested shot from 18 feet. I know I've said before that the ball has to be in his hands at the end (his or E'Twaun's) and so I don't want to sound hypocritical... I am fine with JJ having the last shot or one of the last shots to take the lead. But it has to be a good shot, especially when there is time for it to be a good shot. I know at times JJ has been unconscious, and had that one gone in, I wouldn't be saying this... but well, you know what I mean.

In the end, this is what it came down to, in my opinion: When you get outrebounded (again) by 8 and have almost twice as many turnovers as your opponent, it's going to be incredibly hard to win. I liken those stats to the one in football we have talked about where if you allow a defensive touchdown, your odds of winning go way down... allowing two defensive TDs and your odds are even steeper. Well, it's like that when you turn the ball over and don't rebound. If you control those two stats, you can overcome a poor shooting night, for example. If you don't control them, you can lose a game even when you outshoot your opponent from the floor, as Purdue did to Wisconsin tonight (48% to 42%).

But back to our melted pool of goo...this is a problem for Purdue this season, this inability to close games out. The Boilers are 3-4 in their last seven games, and aside from the bloodletting at Ohio State, Purdue could have easily won the other three. Were we the only ones who thought this ending felt similar to the 70-67 loss to Minny and the 68-64 loss to West Virginia?

The good thing is that even with a start like tonight's ugly 19-point first half, Purdue isn't out of most games. The bad thing is that as the clock rolls into crunch time, the team seems to be wilting. The JJ winner against PSU was huge, to be sure, but would that have happened on the road? I'm not questioning the heart of these guys. But something isn't clicking in these road situations. Sure, I can stomach a loss on the road to Wisconsin, because Wisky is stout at home. It happens. In fact, any of Purdue's road losses can be tolerated individually. What is bothering us here at BS is the fact that Purdue seems to have a shot at winning every one of them and yet hasn't been closing the deal. Purdue is now 4-4 on the road and the only true road win that the Boilers closed out when it was close was the 58-55 OT winner over Va Tech, two months ago tonight.

So what happens from here? The Boilers are off until next Tuesday, when they return to Mackey to hopefully destroy Indiana's spirit. I think tonight's game was their toughest road test remaining on the season, so I personally feel there is little excuse to not finish strong. Eight regular season games remaining for the seniors -- time to nut up or shut up.

Wisconsin Wrap Up

For two weeks, it was pretty hard to find a silver lining.

Versus both aOSU and Illinois, our Boilers seemed out-of-sync, over-powered and under-prepared. The gameplans seemed non-existent, the passion and fire wasn't obvious from the players and the games weren't close to competitive.

This week was different.

The offense showed a ton of improvement...especially right out of the gate in the first half. And the core of that was probably in the game plan and play-calling. Nord used misdirection often and effectively. Robinson played like a Freshman...but one with a bright future. His option reads weren't always right. But, his biggest problem seemed to be that he tended to throw the ball high. A couple of these errant passes had horrible & game-changing results. But, much like Henry, he looked very poised as the pocket collapsed. He bought time and escaped Wisconsin's front four time and time again. His receiving corps was inconsistent and didn't do him a ton of favors as a lot of catchable balls were dropped...hopefully, Siller will be healthy enough to play next week as his services, at many positions will surely be welcomed.

Edison continues to show glimmers of what he might be in the coming seasons. Both he and McBurse were able to change direction in traffic as if they were connected to an R1/L1 button. Dierking and Carlos both ran hard and finished their runs well. Plus, the offensive line gave them space to do their jobs. And while Purdue only mustered 13 points, this effort gives everyone reason to believe a decent output might be possible...especially verus UM's questionable defense.

The Special Teams units were solid- Gravesande had a couple good runs...if not gutsy, while returning punts. ATM showed some flashes of his ability while returning kickoffs. Wiggs hit two field goals and Webster was solid punting the while the coverage was very good, with the exception of one return where Purdue's spacing wasn't great.

Finally, the D showed the most improvement. They played like they did versus Northwestern- with purpose, at a high speed. Like Kerrigan said after the game, Purdue's defense didn't wait for Wisconsin, but instead took the contact to the Badgers. The front four made it hard on Tolzein as he was sacked more today (3 times) than he had been in any previous game. The DBs were hawkish and jumped routes and didn't give up a ton of space as we had seen the previous two weeks. The linebackers were in position to make plays a lot more often than they had been recently. And while the score looks like the defense's effort yielded similar results to last years butt kicking in Madison, one of the scores was the result of a pick 6, another was nearly the same and a fumble by Edison was returned deep into Purdue territory...but the defense held Wisconsin to a field goal on that possession.

Toward the end of the game, Wisconsin was able to blow open larger holes as the BT's largest OLine wore down Purdue's front four. In fact, both Taylor and Isaac saw more action late in the game than I had noticed previously in the season.

You hear the phrase all the time, but the 34-13 score wasn't really a fair indicator of the game. While it looked like UW was taking control in the fourth quarter, especially in the trenches, it didn't seem like they were going to beat Purdue this badly...but isn't just amazing how accurate Vegas is?!? (20 point spread)

Upcoming Dilemma?

With Robinson and Henry both showing similar promise and Henry becoming available in the next week to two, Hope might have a difficult decision to make. Robinson took the majority of the snaps with the first team last week, for the first time in his Purdue career...and his preparation helped him look much more calm and capable. If nothing else, I think Hope will use both quarterbacks when Henry becomes available...and that might be soon.

Shut It

Wisconsin fans did what Wisconsin fans do at RA today- annoy everyone who's not clad in red & white hill jack overalls. From the goofy dances they do when their orgy-hungry band plays, to the way they seem to embrace the kitschy taste, their fan base is tough to like. What doesn't help them is that they almost always live up to their reputation as a foul-mouthed group. There are exceptions to the stereotype, but I didn't see a ton of them today.

Low Angle View

Thanks to one of our pals, I got to spend a little time on the field during the game. Being down there gave me a chance to talk for a moment to Robert Marve. Our brief exchange reminded me how hard this season must be to watch for Marve, Smith, Bolden and others. Both Smith and Marve looked pretty pained to not be able to play...Get healthy, fellas!

Also, I got to watch Charissa Thompson doing her job...that's not a horrible thing.

Looking Ahead
Michigan was just involved in the highest-scoring game in BT football history...so we know they can score. But we also know their defense is very suspect...especially their defensive backfield. So while winning two of the final three games is still not likely, the possibility still exists...and it's definitely more realistic than it was a week ago. Everything hinges on the play of Purdue's defense...and if good Don or bad Don is controlling it.

Badger Predicto

For the third-straight week, none of us have a real good feeling about this one. Wisconsin is favored by 20...and we don't think that's nearly enough. Here are our prognostications

J Says:

Last year, Purdue was 1-5 going into the OSU game and we felt it was a sharpie game -- in the loss column. We wound up happily wrong.

This year, Purdue is a respectable 4-4 going into this game against Wisconsin...yet this game feels to me to be an even longer shot. Like...no shot. Purdue winning this game would be one of the most amazing victories I will have ever seen. And I hate to be this fatalistic, but it will not happen this Saturday. Put it in Sharpie (tm, Boiled Sports).

After what we've seen the past two weeks, I don't have any faith the coaching staff can pull out any magic. And I think it will be ugly.

Wisconsin 42
Purdue 12

Tim says:

Predict this week?

U. G. L. Y. They won't have an alibi. This game will be ugly.

Purdue is getting 20? Only? Really? I think they need more like 40. The defense is non-existent. The offense is non-existent. Good luck Sean Robinson. Welcome to the Big Ten.

Wisconsin 45
Purdue 10

boilerdowd says:

Henry's still on the mend and Purdue's offense continues to lose players. Last week, it was O.J. Ross' turn to have a season-ending injury (shoulder). Gary Bush steps in for him; and while I like Bush's speed, his hands have been inconsistent. ATM will line up in the slot from time-to-time. Hopefully, that will become one of the happy bi-products of this painful season. I think he'll be a better receiver/RB a la Edison, than just an RB. He struggles mightily between the tackles...but no one can deny that when he gets enough chances, he tends to do great things in the open field.

Wisconsin is brutally-large on both sides of the ball in the trenches...and they're mean and scary.

I think Kerrigan will get back on track by having a big game...but I don't think it'll be enough. I do like Gaston and Short in the middle a lot versus a big line, but the linebackers have to a better job watching the stuff underneath as plays break down. More so than the pass, Purdue must change the way they play run defense...and this isn't a good week to try to figure out how to stop the run. If Bucky doesn't want to, I don't think they'll have to pass. Wisconsin could have multiple 100 yard rushers tomorrow. Tressel was pretty classy and showed pity on Hope...Zook didn't and Hope wasn't real happy with him. Beliema seems to be neither classy nor merciful. His play card might say "Go For Two" all day. Hope might have another BT coach enemy at the end of the day.

If Purdue were to win this, I'd be more surprised than I've been since Tiller's first victory back in '97.

Wisconsin 52

Purdue 17

To Your Call Once More We Rally;
Alma Mater Hear Our Praise.
Where The Wabash Spreads Its Valley;
Filled With Joy Our Voices Raise.
From The Skies In Swelling Echoes
Come The Cheers That Tell The Tale
Of Your Vict'ries And Your Heros,
Hail Purdue! We Sing All Hail!

Hail, Hail To Old Purdue!
All Hail To Our Old Gold And Black!
Hail, Hail To Old Purdue!
Our Friendship May She Never Lack.
Ever Grateful, Ever True,
Thus We Raise Our Song Anew;
Of The Days We've Spent With You,
All Hail Our Own Purdue!

A Helping of Coach Sanctions, ND Really Sucks, Everybody Hates Chris(?) and Wisconsin Tonight!

There's just so much we could write about today, but there are only so many hours, so many posts.... and, hey, we have jobs, you know.

We'd be remiss if we didn't continue our crack investigative following (which can be summed up by: "He's a cheater!") of Kelvin Sampson, or Coach Sanctions, as we affectionately call him.

Coach Sanctions is back in the news, now appealling his NCAA penalty. Let's go to the article:

In November, the NCAA, which found Sampson had committed two major violations, slapped him with a five-year show cause penalty -- meaning that if he applies for another job in the next five years, the school hiring him must appear before the NCAA and show why it should not be subject to penalties.

Sounds simple enough. So what's the basis for the appeal?

The first point of appeal claims that the NCAA infractions committee misinterpreted testimony by former Indiana assistant Rob Senderoff, leading it to conclude that Sampson knowingly placed impermissible recruiting phone calls, according to the report. The second point of appeal claims the NCAA's enforcement staff was biased and indicated an assumption of guilt by requesting a hearing before all of its interviews were complete.

Oh, I see. We're back to the, "But I didn't know they were impermissible phone calls!" argument. Gotcha. And as for the second point, about indicating an assumption of guilt without completing all the interviews, well, this isn't the United States judicial system we're talking about here. You're not protected by the laws of the constitution. No one is charging Coach Sanctions with a crime. I'm glad everyone paid attention in their fourth-grade social studies class, but "innocent until proven guilty" doesn't apply here. If the NCAA decides they've seen enough, they are allowed to act on the "where there's smoke, there's fire" approach.

But hey, I'd be curious as to what program out there would consider hiring this lying jerk.

Chris Kramer is Hatable?

Storming the Floor has released a list of the most hated players, in their opinion, in college basketball. And, shockingly (to me, at least), Chris Kramer made the bench of the all-hated team. Keep in mind, this team includes guys like Hansbrough, Paulus, Blake Griffin, etc. And their justification is "Everybody hates a great defensive player."

Well, we don't. We love Chris Kramer. And from what I've seen, there aren't many opposing players or coaches who truly dislike Kramer. Think back to Brian Cardinal -- now that was a guy we would have hated if he were on another team. But I'm surprised about Chris being included on this list.

We Told You So

Hey, yeah, I think Notre Dame has been exposed as a fraud. Yes, I'm sure the Big East is just that tough and that's why the Domers are 12-7 overall and 3-5 in conference. Of course, that doesn't explain why Marquette is 7-0 in conference (and just beat those tough guys from South Bend in South Bend). Huh. Maybe Notre Dame just sucks. And to see that idiotic display on Saturday when College Gameday was there and they were screaming like green-clad, a-holes, as though they're just mad about basketball in South Bend! Give me a break.

Boilermakers In Cheese Country

And tonight, our Boilers face off in Madison against the angry and desperate Badgers. At least they won't be distracted by attractive co-eds. Zing!

Boilerdowd may be by later to give more of a legit preview -- I'm never sure (we're about as seamless as Obama taking the oath of office around here -- hey-yo!). But we'll be sure to weigh in on the game and what it all means afterwards. But let's just say the Boilers have left themselves no margin for error after that 0-2 conference start. They're on a good roll right now but need to get a little more healthy.

The Boilers also are among the best in the nation in FG percentage defense, which, to me, is a little misleading. Because, while the Boilers do play very good defense, sometimes a few bad shooting days by your opponents helps this kind of a stat. (Think of Davidson's awful shooting day as well as Minnesota's, as a couple of examples -- was that all us? Or maybe 50/50?)

Point is, though, the Boilers have been playing good defense, shooting well and the Badgers have been struggling and not shooting well. Tonight's game in Madison is critical as the Boilermakers try to stay within a game of MSU in the Big Ten. The Boilers should honestly win this game if they're as good as they're supposed to be.

Big Win...

More later.

Carl's better.

Neither Ice, nor cold, nor poor performances keep the Paint Crew down!

Hats off to the Paint Crew members...camping outside of Mackey as cold, damp weather moves in.

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