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

What's an Entertainment Network to do???

EsPN's television arm has been in a pickle for a few years- they've got "sports news" programming which is supposed to be fair in its presentation of different sports stories...but they also have contracts with the ACC in basketball and SEC in football that force them to pimp their own self-interests and get a return on investment.

In the oughts, we heard that Urban Meyer's Florida squad was coached in such a manner that few programs in the country could compete with them, their speed and their overall scheme.  And when Meyer was hired at an Ohio State University, we were told that he would change the B1G with recruiting techniques and intensity that the league had NEVER seen.  Now, there's clearly an easy joke in there someplace about the methodology by which recruits are acquired and retained in the bestest conference ever...but I guess they were right.  aOSU's 12-0 record was a result of Meyer's recruiting efforts (please disregard that most of the impact players were from Tressel's classes...those guys are slow, plodding B1G types, I'm told).

But, the story got even muddier today in the EsPN initiative to control the college football narrative. An old Big Ten Olineman, by way of Iowa, then Madison, has landed at Arkansas to be their head coach.  That's right, in a shocking move, Arkansas hired one of the least-likable B1G head coaches, Brett Bielema.  He's been Wisky's HC for seven seasons and finished atop the conference the last three years...and his teams have done it by running the ball extremely effectively with hard running RBs and massive Nordsman lineman from the tundra of the Northern US.  That style of play can't compete in the super-duper-fast SEC, right?

I don't know, and quite honestly, really don't care if Bielema wins a game while at Arkansas...same goes for Urban Meyer for the Bucknuts. As you know, here at BS, we really don't like too many teams within the conference. Perhaps familiarity breeds contempt or unlikable schools and programs just make it easy to not like them. We kinda would like to see both Beilema and Meyer in the SEC together, honestly.  One used to cheat there, the other will soon cheat there...but they both suck (click here for a funny article; in hindsight).

But, our dislike for conference foes is outweighed by disingenuous pseudo-journalism displayed on a daily and nightly basis at EsPN (and elsewhere, for that matter).  If you're just visiting, before you say it, lemme explain that we aren't journalists- we're Purdue fans who give our opinion on what's happening in sports and other stuff.  We never claim to be journalists as do so many on the network.  Sure, there are a couple real journalists on that network Van Pelt doesn't seem to have been indoctrinated...and there are others...but they're tough to come by.  The company line typically wins out.

So in the very near future, as aOSU is in the NCAA football Final Four and Arkansas is competing in the SEC, look for the mothership to contradict herself with great regularity.

There's also a nugget of info from the Arkansas coach search that with which we Purdue fans can all learn- Sources had said Mike Gundy was going to be announced as Arkansas' coach just in the last few days...didn't happen.

Just as in recruiting, nothing is a done deal in coach searches until a guy is signed.  From what the Twitterweb (read as, our pal BMurph) is saying...that might be the case for our Boilers.  Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Click to Sign Free Agent zlionsfan

So, while most people have been dodging campaign commercials and preparing for the onset of turkeys (Thanksgiving, people - what did you think I meant?), boilerdowd and J have been hatching a master plan. After secret negotiations that involved the exchange of Jim Rowinski trading cards, they've extended an offer to me to contribute to Boiled Sports, and I have accepted. We thought it might be best to start with a "who is this guy?" post, because ... who is this guy? What's a zlionsfan doing on a Purdue blog anyway?

Before I explain, I'd like to give a quick thanks to those two for this opportunity - I'm looking forward to writing for a larger audience, and on a blog I've been following for years - and to those of you who brought up the idea and supported it ... and of course to everyone who comes here and reads, comments, and supports the site.

I was born in Ann Arbor just before the beginning of the Big Two-Little Eight era, in a family full of Michigan fans (my parents were graduates; my grandmother is nearly 100, has lived in Ann Arbor for at least 70 years and still follows Michigan football), so I started to follow sports at an early age. While other kids were learning how to tie their shoes, I was learning important lessons that would serve me well later in life ... things like "Ohio State sucks" ... and because I'd learned to read at an early age, and the easiest thing for a kid to read in the newspaper (besides comics) is the sports section, I'd already become a big sports fan, and I'd begun to follow Detroit teams in all sports. (I didn't know that you can actually choose the teams you root for: I thought everyone rooted for local teams. If you know anything about Detroit sports in the '70s, you know this was a cruel joke that someone played on me.)

My dad was an electrical engineer, and he worked at the cyclotron at Michigan. When the university had to shut down the cyclotron in the '70s, we moved to Bloomington, and he got a similar job at Indiana.

Yes, it's true. I've lived in that town. I graduated from Bloomington North. At one time, I even rooted for ... those teams. (I was even at the chair game. Sadly, I almost completely missed the event itself. Of course in those days, the camera hadn't been invented yet, so I don't have any pictures.) But during my senior year at North - the one where the Cougars snapped a 31-game losing streak that had them in the old section in Sports Illustrated where they had little bits of trivia from around the country - all that was going to change.

I was already developing a pretty good party circle of friends, and my dad correctly assumed that if I went to IU, I'd be lucky to get halfway through my degree before dropping out, so he gave me the option to attend any in-state public school with a high-caliber CS program. (Back then, out-of-state tuition wasn't nearly as expensive, but I wasn't paying for it, and besides, have you ever been to Evanston in the winter?) So in 1985, my transition from ... one of those fans to Boilermaker began.

During my six years at Purdue (I took the scenic route), I learned two things: Purdue sports will break your heart, and Purdue ADs don't know football. I suffered through the bad half of the Burtnett years, the failed Akers project, and the transition from free to half-price student tickets. (Marketing 101: George King failed it.) I watched the NCAA put higher-seeded Purdue basketball teams on the road at lower-seeded teams again and again and again ... and when they finally got a real chance, I watched Steve Henson take apart the best Purdue team in almost 20 years before they even got a shot at Cheatin' Larry Brown and the Jayhawks.

While I was in school, my allegiance was split three ways: Michigan from my childhood, Indiana from my teen years, and Purdue from my school. Plus, this was the Bill Mallory era at Indiana, and my dad suddenly was making an effort to get to know his kids better, so we made trips to Atlanta and Memphis to watch bowl games. (I drove down to Birmingham with a friend to watch the All-American Bowl on New Year's Eve, too. Did you know that in late December in the South, it gets cold? I do now.) Interestingly, I've only been to one Purdue bowl game: the 2000 Outback Bowl. I chose ... poorly.

But after I graduated, got a job in Indianapolis, and moved here to shorten my drive, I learned two more things: Indianapolis is not a neutral city, and obnoxious IU fans drown out all reasonable ones. The way it's told to you is that Indiana is split in half: Purdue gets the north half, IU gets the south half, and Indianapolis is split down the middle. In reality, Purdue gets some parts of the north that Notre Dame doesn't get, IU gets all the rest, and, well, let's just say the Star reflects its readership fairly well. So it didn't take long for jerk after jerk after cream-and-crimson jerk to wear away what I had left of those days. (You didn't think BS would feature IU writers, did you?)

So that's me today: strong Purdue ties from my nearly-thirty years as a Boilermaker, strong Michigan ties from my childhood and my family (I guarantee they wouldn't have been as strong if Michigan's athletics, particularly football, hadn't also been strong - a lesson Mr. Burke could stand to learn) ... and that's it. Don't worry - what I write here will be about Purdue sports from a Purdue perspective. There are plenty of links in the sidebar if you want Michigan articles.

The zlionsfan part? It's from my old AOL days. I'd been using Lions and Fan in my old QB1 days, back when you signed in a different name to play for each team, and surprisingly, back then, someone else wanted to be lionsfan at aol.com. Rather than take their stupid numeric suggestion, I went with letters. ALionsFan was also taken, so instead of continuing down the alphabet, I figured I'd go to the bottom and work my way up ... and the rest is internet history.

So that's me, and that's why I'm here. Thanks again for having me.

Boilers Come Up Short in Fight in Columbus: 87-84

Painter seemed more pointed and honest in his interviews following the loss v. IU: Purdue had lost its will and fight during the course of the season...and he wanted to see that change.

Coming into this game, I was all but positive that aOSU's horses would be able to push Purdue around and simply pound them into submission...but Purdue played their best two halves of the season and nearly found a way to beat the Nuts at home for the second time in two years.

Smith and LewJack didn't start; I presume as a message to the two that poor effort would yield consequence...and the team responded to the idea.  Purdue played crisp, disciplined and tough (after a slow start).  While they were out-rebounded, they weren't out-hustled...and offensively, a few guys reminded us just why we're so pissed off that this team hasn't won more games this year.

Byrd looked determined and looked for his shot...at the half, he was near his career high with 17 points.  He finished with 24 points and 6 rebounds while going 7/9 from three.  Kelsey Barlow took advantage of his length and size against Craft all day.  He drove and finished strong and didn't accept easy threes...And finished with 14pts, 3ast and 2 steals...and one of those finishes was one of the best dunks of the college basketball season as he and Sullinger got intimate.



LewJack had 14 and 4...and doesn't get a lot of calls while driving. But when he did tonight, he hit is free throws (6-6)...and the Boilers shot 68% from the stripe; better than many nights this season.  Hummel finished with 13 and 8...but got cold down the stretch and Smith finished with 9 and was 2/3 from three.

Let's make no bones about it, it's always tough to win on the road in the B1G.  The hostile crowd and even more-hostile officiating are two things you can count on while away from home.  The Discount Arena hasn't seen a visitor leave with a victory since our Boilers did it in '10...and they nearly did it again tonight by playing like they needed it; which they did.  But in spite of playing their best two consecutive halves of the season, The Forces of Good came up short.  But if they play with the focus, effort and fight we saw tonight, they'll finish this season with some big wins; which they simply must earn to get into the dance.

My thought is that Matty's squad must beat the teams they should (Northwestern, Nebraska and Penn State) then steal one from one of the ranked opponents to get into the dance.  Granted, there's no guaranteed formula...but 19 wins out of the B1G and a .500 record in conference will probably get the job done.

There are no moral victories...but perhaps Matty can point to this one to remind the team that they can play with anyone in the nation when they play the game the right way...which they simply haven't done for much of the season.

Next up, Northwestern comes to Mackey on Sunday.

Handsome Hour: 11/9/11

The boys talk Purdue basketball, Purdue football, recruiting and what's happening at Happy Valley.

Get involved...get handsome...Now!

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Bracket Don't Lie...and notes on cheating

There's a ton of pressure in those brackets. This pressure can make an old man dance around like a little boy and can make another weep like a baby. We saw a bit of that last night as Kalin Lucas' college career ended. This is a guy who deserved much better than what he got this year- He didn't deserve to have malcontent teammates who were forced to exit, he didn't deserve to watch his teammates crumble in injury time and time again, he didn't deserve to watch his well-respected coach nearly have a mental breakdown in the closing minutes of most games, and he didn't deserve to have his achilles tendon rupture last season. He's a truly great player, but this is a team game and his team's season is now over.

As Purdue fans we can relate too well...as people we can probably relate even more.

And this is far from the only case of heartbreak- Louisville's Knowles rolls his ankle, and at the same time, Morehead State plays a great game...and just like that, a member of EsPN's favorite conference goes down in a heap. A team we all know well, Richmond, out-grits a Vandy squad that was in the top-25 for most of the season as their dynamic duo, Harper and Anderson outclass the 'Dores like they did Purdue back in November. Injuries, unconscious shooting, foul trouble, poor coaching decisions...they all come out in the wash as each team earns its right to play in their next game.

It's funny- when a team wins a big game, you often hear a player say, "It hasn't sunken yet." But, when a player loses, he knows right away what's happened. I think that's an example of what Painter's been talking about for a few weeks- winning makes you soft in some ways. It's like an opiate that numbs your senses and makes you ignore the faults and imperfections of your reality. If that's the case, losing is shoving smelling salts up your nose and having your face forced into frigid water. Immediately, you're aware of the scope of all that's happened around you. A player might even see his entire career, mistakes and failures alike, all right in front of him as he questions what he might have been able to do to change the trajectory of his team's fate. And win or lose, the tournament format simply doesn't lie. The team that's playing the best at that point of the season wins the whole ball of wax.

We've said it one hundred times and we'll say it again- thank God the NCAA lets the teams decide who will play for the national championship...in basketball. Yesterday, I gave credit to CBS for its joint venture with TBS that we've all been enjoying- I was told my praise was misdirected. Fair enough. Congrats to the NCAA for getting this tournament right. The coverage has been excellent and has given the consumer/fan the ability to choose exactly what he wants to watch regardless of when dinner time is, if the local news is on or if a regional favorite is playing.

Now go fix football.

And speaking of fixing things, NCAA, you're a pitiful joke when it comes to punishment. Nice job in botching an open-shut case of blatant disregard for your structure and respect of authority.

Some might think that five games is a suitable suspension for players getting tattoos in exchange for swag (I don't, by the way). But I don't believe anyone outside of the corrupt cabal known as an Ohio State University thinks this punishment is fitting for this case of cover-up in the name of winning, or attempting to win, a national title. Please note, I didn't just say Ohio State's athletic department...that's intentional. The moment Gordon Gee muttered his hilarious quip, "I just hope Tressel doesn't fire me..." It became a university-wide conspiracy to skirt the rules and get away with whatever's possible.

If karma truly existed in sports, the Buckeyes would lose today to UTSA...but it doesn't. In lieu of karma, I'll be rooting hard against the Buckeyes and hoping for their early departure. Being part of the same conference doesn't mean we should look the other way as one of our own cheats its way to success...afterall, Purdue isn't a part of the SEC- but aOSU clearly wishes it was. Sorry fellas, you're too far north.

I've always had a suspicion that Thad Matta skirted the rules to get players to come play for him. And I'll admit, there is still no concrete proof of my opinion. But, there is absolute proof that aOSU, as an institution, will do anything in its power to win. And since that university's administration, its athletic department and its coaches are working along side the NCAA to not stop cheating, I'll keep believing exactly as I do.

So, as always, Go Boilers- today could be the first step in Purdue's quest to earn its first national title in the modern era of the tourney. And after my alma mater, I'll be rooting for whomever is in the path of the Buckeyes, UK Wildcats, Volunteers and UConn Huskies and others to win. While the NCAA doesn't seem overly-willing to completely stop cheating coaches and athletic departments from doing what they do, another team might be able to send them a message...even if it's temporary. While the playing field might not be completely level during the off-season or in the classroom, during the season and subsequent tournament, a good coach can bring a team together to level things up. Here's to one of those programs, coaches and teams, that does it the right way raising that wooden trophy in April.

Go Boilers. Like Matty's squad, I couldn't be more ready for Purdue to play.

Power Rankings and Buckeye Preview

Tomorrow's game in Mackey will have the attention of the nation. Tip-off is at 1:00 on CBS as our Boilers will have the chance to beat their second opponent ranked in the top-10 in less than a week. Off the top of my head, I can't remember them playing, let-alone beating two teams ranked that highly in a five day period. Obviously a lot can be gained in March by the success in February.

I've heard some concern from fellow Boilers about the letdown if Purdue does win tomorrow...but like the classic cliche says, let's just take it one game at a time. My reason for doing so is different than Matty's, of course. I just want to enjoy each game as the season is getting short and this amazing and abridged Senior class doesn't have too much time left in God's Country. I was lucky enough to be on campus the last time a consensus All-American was playing at Purdue...it's only happened 10 times, and we seem to be watching number 11 in JJ. But, just as Purdue's season can still change by what happens on the court from here-out, so it is with Johnson's standing with the national media.

All that said, he's been the picture of consistency as he's led the team in minutes (35.2), points (20.7), rebounds (7.8) and blocks (2.3). At minimum, he'll be recognized as an All-American by at least a few media sources...and, if a couple things happen, he might actually be involved in the POY conversations that he should have been involved in all along.

Along with JJ, Smooge's career at Purdue is coming to a close in the next few games. He's been leading scorer three of his four seasons. It'll be nearly-impossible for him to lead the team this season. But, he has an opportunity to be one of only six players at Purdue to score 2,000 points during his career, and just the 27th in the Big Ten conference's long history to do so.

He only needs 11 points, so it'll probably happen in the next 25 minutes of basketball for our Boilers. I can think of nothing more fitting than watching Purdue beat aOSU at the hands of a 21-foot dagger by Moore that puts him into the 2,000 point club. Hey, one can dream.

But, it's going to be tough, and here's why:

Jared Sullinger was the highly-decorated player of year out of HS, and hasn't disappointed anyone. While not the tallest PF in the nation, he's one of the biggest guys weighing in at over 280 pounds...that's a tough match-up for anyone. It's even tougher when he's given a pass by officials to hook his defender time and time again. But to me, he's not the most important player to stop.

Purdue struggled mightily in Columbus...not just with Sullinger, but with everyone. LewJack couldn't stay with Craft, Smith wasn't in Diebler's face, Moore couldn't stick with Lighty and Byrd had trouble with Bufford. It was probably the only time in the last four years that I can remember Purdue being truly out-manned at every position. So are they Buckeyes that good?

While they're the most-talented starting five Purdue has played, or will play, they're not as good as they seemed last month. Instead of playing them straight up, Purdue had all hands on deck shading off of their man to guard Sullinger. While help defense is important in Painter's system, that's not the Purdue way...and I think we'll see a much different game tomorrow than what we saw at Ohio State.

The Forces of Good must defend the three like they usually do...that's the key for me. And at the same time, each guy needs to keep his man in front of him and allow nothing easy. That painful 7 minute stretch in Columbus that put Purdue away saw Purdue allowing easy threes and even easier transition buckets.

Let's remember, while it seemed that the Buckeyes were a foot taller at each position last time the teams squared off, there's only a 2.5 inch/player difference in the starting five. And before you say anything about Jackson, keep in mind that he tore the taller Badger, Illini and Golden Gopher squads apart by picking his spots and using his quickness. If Purdue can force Matta to get past his 7th player on their roster, aOSU will be out of its comfort zone...the officials will have a thing or two to say about how that portion of the game goes. While Purdue can't control them, there's a lot they can do to beat my least-favorite team in the BT.

Power Rankings

1. aOSU

I think they're atop the conference to stay this season, but stranger things have happened. Regardless of where the season ends, they're the most dominant team in the conference since MSU a few seasons ago.

2. Purdue

At this point, they're exactly wehre they should be. Despite what the media tells us, they're less-reliant on their one-two punch than Wisconsin as the next three leading scorers average 5 more points/game than do Wisconsin's 3-5 players.

3. Wisconsin

There's room for debate on how good of a coach Bo Ryan is in the post-season. But, no one can say anything but positive remarks on his ability to have his team playing their best in February.

4. MSU

They're kind of in this position by default. No one else in the middle of the conference is playing good basketball right now. They're a bit like IU was a few weeks ago- they're competing against the elite teams in the conference, but haven't been able to close games out. Their next game is of utmost importance to them...and their opponent.

5. Illinois

Since Izzo isn't their coach, Weber's squad might need a victory more than MSU to get into the tournament. The Illini might lose three of their last five games of the regular season.

6. Penn State

Their pre-con record has put them in a position in which it'll be nearly-impossible for them to make the dance. It's a good thing they host that other tournament each season.

7. Minnesota

They're the exact opposite of PSU- their pre & early conference schedule put them in a postion where it'd be difficult for them to not make the tournament...but they're not playing well right now. That said, it'll be hard to deny a 19 or 20-win BT team with a top-50 RPI from getting in.

8. Michigan

Their young guys, specifically Hardaway, are playing well...a strong end to the season and a good NIT showing might give the some confidence for next season.

9. Northwestern

At this point, they're playing for a home game in the NIT...but I think that might be a long shot.

10. Iowa

Flip a coin- both IU and Iowa are entering their next games with three-game losing streaks, which will more-than-likely turn to four following their next contests. Iowa gets the head-to-head tiebreaker.

11. IU

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Boilers Sleepwalk to Columbus and Lose Spectacularly

Last season, Purdue was knocked out of the BT tourney in historically-bad fashion as they lost by 27 points to Minnesota. In that game, Purdue barely showed a pulse offensively while allowing nearly 40 points in the first half. The game was over at the break.

This game was similar in its end result...but probably worse. Tonight, the nation put much of its attention on the match-up that many thought would be a real test for the number 1-ranked Buckeyes. They were never tested. From the beginning, aOSU shot its way in the lead while simply stifling Purdue's offense.

The Discount Arena is a pro-style building...and at times, it looked like Matta's pros were playing a high school team.

Gone was Purdue's team defense that cuts off passing lanes, denies entry passes and defends nearly every look. In its place, was a team of Boilers that looked confused about their assignments, couldn't switch as the Buckeyes drove in and kicked out, and couldn't defend three.

After being down 17 just after the ten-minute mark in the first half, it only got worse. Matta's club entered the second half with a 20-point lead and it swelled to 29 before Matta and Painter seemingly tipped their caps to each other and pulled their leading scorers with around 10:00 left. Purdue ended up losing 87-64...but it felt much worse (and could have been).

JJ was effective at times, but couldn't match the physicality or moxy of Sullinger. On more than one occasion, Sullinger threw a hard elbow to get around the slighter Johnson only to see the refs whistle Johnson for the foul. JJ was probably Purdue's most-effective rebounder, and he wasn't very effective. He finished with 7 rebounds to go along with his 22 points.

I'd love to tell you Johnson was a bright spot on a gloomy day. But, I'd bet 25 thinks about this evening like I do- that it was flat-out ugly for everybody. The Buckeyes, and specifically their Freshman made a mockery of Purdue, and the worst part is Purdue did NOTHING to stop it. Our Boilers had no toughness from the starters, no goon off the bench to use up some fouls, no grit to dig in and fight back, no strategy to counter the onslaught. Purdue merely whimpered, put its tail between its legs and crawled out of the arena, thoroughly and completely beaten.

Purdue was out of sync in about every way on both ends of the court. Ohio State was motivated and sharp while Purdue looked over-matched, listless, slow and most-painfully soft. I'm not going to talk about individuals outside of Johnson simply because I might say something that I wouldn't usually say. This was a bad night, and while I hated what I saw, I still love the guys on this team.

Looking Forward

Matty's Boilers can rule out receiving any respect from the national media during the remainder of the season...Simply because respect should be earned. Purdue was tested and they failed in a massive way. And this game, while it's just one loss, is a huge blow to what this team really wanted to do this season. As a result of tonight, they might have a very hard time getting a high seed in the tournament and they'll have to do more from this point forward to be put in a position for success in March.

The Wofford game, in the Freshman season of the then Baby Boilers, became a watershed moment and rally cry for Matty and the staff. The only positive that could come out of a collapse like this, is if it becomes the same.

Next up, Matty's boys return to the friendly confines to face Minnesota...and hopefully take out some of their angst on the 18th-ranked Gophers.

Gigantic Portobello Mushrooms.

This is gonna make it more difficult...OK, maybe not

I tripped on youtube videos of Mr. Mark Titus earlier today. If you don't know who he is, Titus is a walk-on at aOSU. Sure, Thad Matta still can't coach, Turner's a colossal jack and I think most guys who play in Buckeye unis get paid better than I do, but no matter.

Mark Titus is frickin' awesome.

I like this guy. Unlike some of his teammates, he doesn't take himself seriously...at all. Plus, he seems pretty talented. Hats off to aOSU for letting this guy dress in their Bron Bron jerseys and matching kicks...because he'll probably end up being a pretty great ambassador for one of the universities that I love to hate.

Granted, I'll still root against Matta's boys with great vehemence, but inside, there's a soft spot for #34 on the end of the bench.


If I could, Mark, I'd give you a one-arm embrace...if you're good enough for Buckets, Kramer and the Ostrich, then gosh-darnit, you're good-enough for me.

Thanks for nothing, vest.

I make no bones about it- I don't like Ohio State. I don't like the fact that the Buckeyes have more bandwagon fans than Notre Dame. I don't like the fact that "Hang on Sloopy" somehow is connected to the university and I don't like how OSU fans spell "O-H-I-O" but won't spell state...Ohio University is home of the Bobcats. I really don't like how you refer to yourself as "The" Ohio State University...Is there such a rivalry with Ohio Northern, Ohio Wesleyan, Ohio University, Shawnee State, Southern State Community College and The Cleveland State University, that you really need "THE" in front of your name?

My point is, it pained me to root for the scarlet and gray this evening...but I thought it would be a good thing to do. I even was yelling at the TV in excitement about how "slow" the Bucks were as Beanie Wells toasted the LSU defense for a 65 yd. TD. The Big Ten needed the Bucks to win...But I've said it before, and don't know why I abandoned the philosophy this evening- screw conference loyalty. I like Michigan because of the Michigan fans that I know...and I like Penn State because I really enjoyed their fans when I watched them shellack my Boilers back in '98. I have never liked tOSU and I went against my best judgment by rooting for them this evening. That's a night I can never get back...I feel dirty now and I can't come clean...Self, I'm sorry.

Vest, I'll give you this, your Bucks were ready at the beginning of the game...but much like my Boilers v. Georgia a few years back, tOSU folded when the pressure increased. Could tOSU have had any more motivation to win? I guess they needed more. Vest, why did you abandon the run when the Bucks were down by just two scores in the second quarter? Boeckman is not a good passer...he showed it over and over, yet you wanted to put the hopes of your team on his less-than-sound decision-making ability and his lifeless arm. I just don't get it. Plus, isn't the Big Ten supposed to be big and strong? Thus, shouldn't teams like OSU and Wisconsin be able to control the line of scrimmage? Guess not. Not even close tonight. Bo Pelini, Ken Dorsey and Frenchy Jean-Francoise were b*tch slapping Boeckman for the last three quarters of the game...and the Buck defense wasn't much better and even the special teams screwed things up on more than one occasion...At least the loss was a team effort.

Last year, you guys were upset because Meyer "complained" his way into the BCS championship...so, they didn't belong there, but they cleaned your clocks...This year, LSU was a the first two-loss team in the BCS championship, so they didn't deserve it either. What's worse, a team that doesn't belong in the championship, or one that thinks it belongs and gets bushwhacked by an underqualified squad?

OSU fan, I have a question for you, seriously. Is it better to be like Purdue...mediocre and nationally unimportant OR second best (by a lot) to Florida, Florida (basketball) and now LSU? When Purdue was on the national stage and had its heart ripped out by Wisconsin, it hurt...very bad, still stings. I can't imagine how I'd feel if it happened over and over and over. Second question, are you guys talking about getting rid of the Vest yet?

No Death Penalty?!?!

Purdue's women's basketball team (yeah, I know, it was news to me that they had one too) got some pretty bad news late Wednesday from the NCAA Rules Committee. Ex-Coach Katrina Merriweather was found to be guilty of both writing papers for an ex-player as well as making illegal recruting phone calls.

These violations were handled internally with the suspension of both player and coach when they occurred a few years back, but the NCAA didn't think that was enough punishment. So, Brand's people handed down a loss of 2 schollies for the coming year as well as some sort of probation...When you look at it, it's really not a big deal. BUT, the NCAA called the violations "Major."

I don't really care about the NCAA punishing the women's program. But I care about a couple of things in this story- here they are:

First, I'd like to never see a Women's basketball game again past High School. I find the game tough to watch and most of the women that play it tough to look at. Granted, Nicki Taggart was smokin' hot (played for the Boilers in '93-'94), and one of Purdue's PFs from the early mid 90s called me "baby" on more than one occasion while I worked in the cafeteria in Cary Quad (it was thrilling and scary at the same time)...So not all is completely lost. But, if Purdue never would have had a team, we wouldn't be having these problems right now.

Second, if we have to have a team, let's make sure the ladies aren't embarrassing the university. Cheating of any kind while representing my alma mater is bothersome, academic cheating is deplorable. Is it really worth risking your degree/job for women's basketball?

Lastly, if we're going to have women's basketball, and Purdue's team is going to break rules, and the NCAA is going to investigate and find the Lady Boilers guilty, they need to be even handed. The NCAA was clearly trying to make a big deal out of this when we know as a fact that bigger programs in other sports have made much larger violations without the NCAA squawking so loudly about it.

tO$U paid players, gave them goods and bent academic rules for Maurice Clarett and Troy Smith (and others). What happened? Clarett's case was viewed as isolated and he was thrown under the bus...good thing for them he proved to be a crazy person shortly after so they didn't look so bad. And Troy Smith was briefly suspended, the AD stepped down and it all went away. Why? Because programs like the Buckeyes help pay for Title IX and other non-profit garbage that needs to be funded by the NCAA. If they kill the cash cow, they kill the philanthropic movement and Miles Brand would have to actually earn his money outside of the scholastic-athletic arena. I get that...But double standards stink.