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. 

2014 Big Ten Football Schedule Welcomes Rutgers Rudely

Rutgers has had its share of challenges and missteps lately. They have to get their sh-t together for a variety of reasons, one of the less top-of-mind being the fact that they have just over a year before they jump to the Big Ten conference -- assuming the conference doesn't excommunicate them before they even arrive.

The conventional wisdom has been that while RU basketball was going to be pummeled (just like being in the Big East, only worse), their football program had advanced to the point where they could compete in the Big Ten.

Of course, they don't have Greg Schiano any longer and the jury is really still out on Kyle Flood. I have RU alum friends who are convinced that there was a possibility that the RU athletics department was going to wait things out and then once they were officially a Big Ten school instead of an afterthought pursue more "big time" coaches. Who knows. Mike Rice's behavior then was made public and Rutgers made one disastrous move after another. For now, since Flood doesn't appear to have abused any of his players, he's probably safe.

What's not safe, though, is Rutgers in 2014. The Big Ten football schedule was released and RU gets welcomed to the Big Ten with a four-game stretch that could make any lower-tier Big Ten program shudder. From October 4 to November 1, they go vs Michigan, at Ohio State, at Nebraska, vs Wisconsin. Whee! They also have PSU and MSU on that schedule. Have a ball, Rutgers.

Purdue, incidentally, has a conference schedule that goes like this for 2014: vs OMHR (do we have to retire that now that it's no longer a protected rivalry?), at Illinois, vs MSU, at Minn, at Nebraska, vs Wisconsin, vs Northwestern, at IU.

Purdue gets neither of the newbies, so the BS New Jersey tailgate will have to wait. Also of note, RU and Maryland will play in their final conference games of the season against one another -- perhaps they will be each other's forced rival. 

We now return you to your regularly schedule sneaker and IndyCar content.

Not Everybody Is High On The Boilers

We continue sharing the previews we find from groups around the sports landscape by today directing you to Andy Staples' Big Ten preview at SI.

Andy is a good guy and does a very thorough job when he analyzes college football. Unlike others who have hopped on the Purdue bandwagon (and believe us, this is a weird thing to get our heads around), Mr. Staples has taken a different look at things and doesn't see good things for our Boilers.

He has them at 5-7, (2-6) which is actually what I dourly predicted a few weeks back.

He also has IU at 5-7 with a 4-0 non-con sweep, too, so I guess like everything, take it with the ol' grain.

An Early Look at the 2012 Purdue Football Season Through Pessimist Eyes

Obviously, it's very early for a look at the upcoming football season. And I'm sure I'll get at least one or two lectures from boneheads who will say that not being rah-rah enough means I'm not a real fan or some such nonsense like that. But I don't -- as of now in July -- have a good feeling about the 2012 football season. So let's just dive into it.

The schedule looks like this:

Sat, Sept 1 EKU
Sat, Sept 8 @ND
Sat, Sept 15 Eastern Mich
Sat, Sept 29 Marshall
Sat, Oct 6 Mich
Sat, Oct 13 Wisc
Sat, Oct 20 @OSU
Sat, Oct 27 @Minn
Sat, Nov 3 PSU
Sat, Nov 10 @Iowa
Sat, Nov 17 @Illinois
Sat, Nov 24 IU

A lot of you replied that you were optimistic for Purdue this year and seem to be expecting good things and an improvement on last year's step forward. What would another step forward be? 8+ wins? Show me where you find 8 wins on that schedule, because I simply don't see it.

I know there are games there that they should win, but one thing the Coach Hope years have taught us is that we will be subjected to maddening inconsistency. Yes, they'll "steal" a game when you'll have all but given up on them... but you'll have all but given up on them because they'll have lost a home game to a MAC team or a road game at a place like Rice. So let's play the ever-popular, win-win-loss-loss-win-loss-loss game.

Let's leave aside the "should win" games. Let's start with games I actually think you can chalk up as victories. Those would be EKU, Eastern Michigan, IU. That's it, that's the list. I don't think anything else on here is a gimme, and let's be honest -- has Purdue played a game that felt like a gimme at all recently? IU plays Purdue tough these days -- even against last year's hapless IU squad, Purdue didn't destroy them. And we all know how lethargic and sleepy the boys seem to look in early-season pushover games.

And let's also look at what I think are highly probable losses: @ND, Wisc, @OSU, @Iowa. Purdue doesn't win in South Bend -- once in the long lifetimes of your elder BS statesmen. They have not played Wisconsin well in recent years (the worst collective beatings that Hope has suffered -- the games mostly aren't even competitive), they always struggle out at Iowa (and couldn't beat them at home last year with a bowl on the line), and they aren't beating an Urban Meyer team on the road (or any OSU team on the road, frankly).

That leaves hypothetical "toss-ups" of Marshall, Michigan, @Minn, PSU, @Illinois. Of that group, I think they are highly likely to lose to Michigan (only on this list because it's at home) and Penn State (another team Purdue simply does not beat, even when you think the cards are in your favor).

I also have a serious fear that Marshall is this year's early-season hiccup. Regardless of whether you agree or not, it's going to happen. It does every year. For an improvement this season in terms of program development, fan sanity, job security for Coach Hope, etc., I think they really must start at least 3-1. Sure, they can of course overcome a 2-2 start in the non-con, but even if they do, people will remember that they continue to trip up early and put themselves in a position where even a strong finish dooms them to a middling bowl game.

So if Marshall, UM and PSU are losses, that leave @Minnesota and @Illinois on the docket. Even if the Boilers take both of those road games -- which is far from a sure thing right now because you have to assume Minny will be improved and we know Illinois has the talent from Zooker's recruiting prowess -- I'm still landing at only five wins for the 2012 Boilermakers.

You can accuse me of being a pessimist, but I can only judge/predict based on what I know. And what I know is that despite how much I like the man in charge of the football program, his teams are wildly inconsistent and unpredictable.

As of now, I'm calling 5-7 as their final record.



Boilerdowd's look at the upcoming season will be posted shortly...and it will please those wearing gold-colored glasses...a bit more.

Texas A&M Will Fit Right In -- They're Already Cheering For Other SEC Teams

Regular readers know how much we kind of loathe the SEC's brain-dead fans who rub it in your face when LSU wins a national title... or when Alabama does...or when Auburn does. Even when they're, like, a Georgia or Tennessee fan or something. As I noted to the site Saturday Down South via Twitter the other night, it's easy to have "southern pride," as they call it, when you have a dozen favorite teams. As I've often noted, this is no different than me rooting for the entire American League East. It makes no sense and makes you look like the opposite of an intense fans -- it makes you look like a stooge in a Buffalo Wild Wings commercial.

When Texas A&M moved to the conference, I actually did think that they were a good addition in terms of intense/insane fandom. If you're not familiar with Aggie fans, people in Texas refer to them as "insane." We all like to believe we're loyal to our schools, but A&M alums are truly nuts about their fanaticism. And if you're putting college football destinations on your bucket list, I highly recommend you put College Station near the top.

All that said.... the Aggies joined the SEC this week and put out the below ridiculous "welcome" video, wherein A&M student do the cheers of the other SEC teams. What....the....F?

After the jump, see a lame attempt at... I don't know....conference spirit?

ESPN B10 Guys Say Purdue Needs LB Situation To Solidify Because How Many Times Can They Say QBs?

ESPN.com's Big Ten guys have been doing a feature they're calling "home run summer" but which might as well be called "we're desperate for college football content in June." That's not to say it may not scratch your itch, because right now we're all looking at that mirage in the distance that is the delicious refreshment of college football.

Anyway, the Purdue segment can be viewed here and is just a quick hit on the fact that the linebacking corps at Purdue needs to improve if they want to have among the better defenses in the league. And let's be honest, with some unknowns on offense (with Coach Hope implying there will be no clear cut #1 QB until the season starts, if at all), the defense will indeed need to be stout.

Let's Welcome Nebraska

Well, today is Nebraksa's first day in the Big Ten, and we thought it would be neighborly of us to not only welcome them, but to show them around a bit.

So, welcome friends! We can't say we're big fans of your colors, but hey, at least you seem to call it just "red" and not something goofy like "crimson" or "scarlet." ("OOOh, scarlet! Do you like my lovely scarf! It's fan-TASSSS-tic! And it's scarlet! It makes me feel daring!")

We think you'll find the Big Ten a very nice home. We're mostly decent people and, as you're probably fairly used to, there's a lot of pride here. One thing about Big Ten people -- they are fiercely loyal to their school. And it's just that -- to their school, not necessarily to their conference. SEC dolts will cheer for other schools within the SEC and actually talk smack about it to people like us. That's something you won't find much of here. When OSU beats down another school, it's rare that a non-OSU'er would chirp about it.

So let us show you around...

Over there you'll see Northwestern. They're kind of like Kansas State. Oddly successful in a quiet way, but whenever they're on a bowl game stage, they make a sloppy mess of things. Last season: Played in a weird-ass, shared-sideline, one-direction football game in Wrigley Field.

Down there you'll see IU. They're kind of like Iowa State. Weakening program, listliss fan support, beating their rival (Purdue) sets off wild celebrations that make even us think, "Wow, for beating Purdue?" Last season: Took back the Old Oaken Bucket in one of the ugliest football games in recent memory. Still wasn't enough to save their coach, who threw his gum to the ground in disgust.

In that direction you'll see Ohio State. They might remind you of Texas. Kind of (unfortunately) the "crown jewel" of the conference, as the media likes to put it. And like Texas, they're always good and also always a lightning rod for criticism of the conference as a whole. Last season: Beat the SEC at their own games -- on the field and in improper benefits.

To the North is Michigan. They might remind you of Oklahoma. Loyal fanbase, proud tradition, packed house all the time, they also engender joy in others when they fall on their faces, probably because it doesn't happen all that often. Last season: Rode their coach out of town on a rail and brought in a slovenly doofus who will only call Ohio State "Ohio." Word has it the doofus can coach, though.

Michigan State might seem a little like Oklahoma State. Little brother syndrome, though often talented in their own right. Rises up and snatches big fish with some regularity, but also finds a way to fire a bullet through their foot, too. Last season: Tried to kill their own coach. Fortunately, a football team is no match for Mark Dantonio.

Way out East is Penn State, who is a little like Texas A&M in that they too have a proud tradition, a crazy loyal and vocal fan base... and there's a certain smug righteousness that eminates from there. Last season: Their coach turned 215 years old and has learned to Skype. Or at least stare at the talking picture box.

In the middle of nowhere is Iowa, who may remind you of Texas Tech. Other conference schools snicker at their education credentials and when it comes to football, they can certainly be good, but nobody really takes them seriously. On the basketball court, it's even more hilarious. Last season: Lost to Northwestern AND Minnesota, so how serious can their athletic programs be?

Wearing that creamsicle color over there is Illinois. They might remind you of Texas Tech during the Leach era. That is, sometimes potent offense, ability to beat up bad teams, completely insane coach. Last season: Muddled to a 7-6 record and the Zooker kept his job probably because everyone is worried about how he'll react if he's asked to depart. He's using the George Costanza patented "Look irritated and everyone will assume you're busy and doing great things" approach.

Up there playing in an outdoor stadium (and acting like it's a brilliant idea in Minnesota) is the Minnesota Golden Gophers. They refuse to admit they need to change their school colors and they may remind you a bit of Baylor: Once in a while, they're bowl-level decent, but never are they spectacular, except in creative ways to lose ballgames. Seriously, their fans will probably even admit this. Last season: Things got so bad their coach was fired after losing to Purdue.

Also way up North and playing outside is Wisconsin, who might remind you of Mizzou. Big, strong farm boys with annoyingly in-your-face alums, despite the fact that Wisconsin is always very close to contending on a national level yet never seems to get over the hump. When you and they play on Oct 1, it's going to look like one of your spring games, with color schemes remarkably similar, which might be confusing to Badger fans. Last season: Made some enemies around the conference after hanging 70 on Northwestern and 83 on Indiana, including a late passing touchdown. I think it's safe to say the rest of us will be pulling for NU on 10/1.

And us, well, we're Purdue. Some in our own conference don't even know where we are. Notre Dame tells us every year that we're not their rival, despite playing every season for 60 years. IU is technically our rival, though the Big Ten has decided that we hate Iowa as well, so we're doing our best to play along. We won't meet Nebraska on the field for a couple of years so you'll likely forget we exist, too. As for our football program, we only accept coaches with mustaches (a decree made in 1997 and continued to this day) and while our offense used to be referred to as "basketball on grass," right now we'd simply settle for slow pitch softball on grass. Last season: We don't want to talk about last season.

We will admit, at least for now, that we are in awe of the fact that Nebraska has had 19 double-digit win season since Purdue's last 10-win season in 1979. We also found it kind of amazing that from 1993 to 1997, NU went 60-3 (yes, that's right) including three national titles. Some point to Nebraksa having an "easy" schedule in many of those years and others intimate that there might have been some shenanigans going on under the revered Tom Osborne. Regardless, those numbers are nutty.

So again, welcome friends, we look forward to having you join us. And, in West Lafayette, we look forward to seeing you on the hardwood.

It's Fourth and Long and You're Looking At a Full Court Press So Watch Out for Any Curve Balls

I had a math teacher in high school who was from Sweden, I believe. She spoke with that thick accent and loved Trigonometry. And one of her favorite phrases was "curve ball." And I have no idea why she picked it up. I'm fairly certain she wasn't a baseball fan. But I remember noting how many times she'd say of an upcoming test, "I'm not going to throw you any curve balls." And "curve balls" would always be enunciated individually and carefully. Yeah, we get it, lady.

Anyway, the point is, this kind of overuse of sports metaphors has pervaded every part of our lives. There are the annoying terms everybody uses at work that aren't sports-related, but are completely meaningless:

"Let't table that."
"Segue"
"30,000 feet level..."
"Reach out to..."
"Valule proposition"
"I'll be out of pocket that day..." (What??)

And so forth. I have dozens written down in a notepad, trying to come up with the most ridiculous. Two favorites are plane-related: "This project is circling to land," and "We're building the plane as we fly it." Gosh, those make me laugh.

Anyway, Bob Katz has written an article about the overuse of sports metaphors in business and how lame it really is. If you're looking for some reading material and want to feel smart because you're reading Forbes, go for it.

Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon Wisely Invites Only One Lineman From Purdue

The Big Ten Kickoff Luncheon will be held in Chicago on August 4 and will feature Robert Marve, Keith Smith and Ryan Kerrigan, along with Coach Hope. (I never get tired of this picture.)

Whenever you're hosting a lunch and inviting football players, it's a good idea to invite quarterbacks and receivers, since they usually don't eat as much as linemen.

It's unclear who from IU will be allowed to attend as officials from the Big Ten are worried about sandwiches at the luncheon being fumbled at a critical juncture and Coach Lynch throwing his chewing gum across the table in disgust.

Purdue HOF Members Announced

Yes, the news is that slow.

The Purdue Intercollegiate Hall of Fame members for 2010 have been announced and will include Gene Keady, pictured at right. The amazing thing is Gene -- for maybe the first time ever -- has the best picture of the group. Seriously, those '70s and '80s photos are really..... something.

Other inductees include a track and field performer, a football player from the '60s, a broadcaster, and three guys from the late '80s basketball teams that should have been Keady's Final Four ticket but never made it.

Oh, and they were nicknamed for a popular movie at the time.

Two Months

So you've got just about two months left to wait until we get to see if Coach Hope and the boys can wipe the stupid smile off this sycophant's face.

I can't wait.

Four Months From Today

Four months from today, on September 4, our boys get to welcome Coach Kelly to his pedestal as the savior of Notre Dame football.

Since Purdue never wins at ND, what would it say about Coach Kelly if he began his career at UND with a loss to Purdue?


Looking forward to finding out.

Hey, Do You Hear Something Coming Down The Tracks?

We're close now. Very close. Do you hear something coming down the tracks?

We do.

Obnoxious Fan Bases

I'm not sure when this was written, but it was recently tossed around on the Big Ten Bloggers Google group. Two of our Big Ten brethren made the list of the ten most obnoxious college football fan bases, according to Fox Sports.

Of course, any time you make lists, there's always debate -- which is why making lists is so popular.

But it's hard to argue with a lot of these. In fact, are there any you'd put into the top ten besides those mentioned?

And, of course, you'll never guess who is number 1. Hey, at least they finished first in one ranking.

The Helmet Schedule Is Out: Football Nerds Everywhere Celebrate By Asking Girls To "Give Some Helmet"

The helmet schedule that we all get excited about every year is out for 2009 (actually, it's apparently been out a while but until BHGP announced it, I didn't notice -- I rely on BHGP for all my helmet-related and horse porn-related updates). It was definitely neat the first time we saw it but now it's becoming like the release of Madden for PlayStation -- kind of exciting but the hype is starting to outweigh the fun.

To combat this, the creators at SimonOnSports went a new route this year, using retro helmets for each team. For some, the retro looks just like the current. For teams like the Boilers, they chose a helmet, interestingly, that our guys barely ever wore -- it was for the 1969 season only, I believe.

As for the complete schedule, you can download it here.

Oh, also.....
Is this perhaps the most confused helmet you've ever seen? A big, muscular, apparently naked warrior being hugged by a rainbow. What's more intimidating than that?

BS Interview Series -- Black Shoe Diaries

And you probably thought you had heard the last of the BS Interview Series. What's that? You'd hoped you'd heard the last? Yeah, well, it's not yet over. Despite the fact that others are making an art of it. Hey, it's summertime again and we're passing the time in one of the best ways possible -- asking other people to write stuff for us.

This installment of the BS Interview Series is with Mike over at Black Shoe Diaries. It sounds kinky, like Red Shoe Diaries, but it really isn't. Erotic videos of Joe Paterno should never be seen.

Away we go.

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Boiled Sports: Admit it. The “Love ya Lions” thing they put on the board at the stadium is kind of girly, right? And what’s with that “roar” they play after first downs and whatnot? Honest thoughts?

Black Shoe Diaries: Well, we had to do something. And the World’s Largest Drum was already taken. Now pardon me while I ponder the concept of a Purdue fan mocking the Penn State football experience.

[Not exactly a denial that it's kind of swishy.-Ed.]

BS: Are PSU fans still basking in the glow of their national championship in the spring?

BSD: Still beating that drum, eh?

The NIT tournament was exciting, but Penn State fans aren’t delusional. We know it’s nowhere near the same level as the NCAA tournament. But for a program that not too long ago considered the Northwestern game the most important game of the year to keep from finishing last in the Big Ten, winning the NIT signifies a lot of progress. Don’t get me wrong. I’d rather play in the NCAA tournament. But if the selection committee doesn’t think you’re worthy, what are you going to do? If you have to go to the NIT, you might as well win the damn thing.

We’re excited with the direction the program is going. When DeChellis came on board we literally couldn’t even scrounge up enough players to hold a scrimmage in practice. Now we’re being invited to post season tournaments. We have some pretty good freshmen coming in this year with Tim Frazier and Bill Edwards. Next year we have a top 100 player in Taran Buie coming in. Ed is recruiting well and building some quality depth. And the schedule is beefed up this year to look more attractive to the selection committee. We’ve got a long way to go before people mention us as contenders for the Big Ten Championship, but we’re taking baby steps and getting better every day.

BS: When you think of Purdue Athletics, what do you think of?

BSD: I think there is tremendous potential at Purdue, but you’re in a tough spot geographically. I imagine every kid growing up in Indiana probably wants to play football for Notre Dame or Michigan. Or if they play basketball they probably want to go to Indiana or Kentucky.

I’ve always kind of liked Purdue going back to the Drew Brees and Mike Alstott days. But I don’t think the spread offense fits the personality of the school very well. You’re all about trains and hammers and for some reason really, really big drums. Scrap the spread and go with the wishbone offense. Power football would better suit your style.

BS: We (and probably many others) think JoePa is just a figurehead at this point and doesn’t do a whole lot (no headset, etc.). I know there are reports that claim otherwise. As a PSU fan and authority, what do you honestly think about him hanging around this long? Obviously, winning helps limit talk about how he should leave, but is the plan here to die on the field or something? We’re genuinely curious as to your take on Joe. When is enough enough?

BSD: Well, Bear Bryant never wore a headset either. Would anyone say he didn’t do a whole lot? Honestly, if he keeps going 11-1, winning Big Ten championships, and pulling in top 10 recruiting classes, he can coach as long as he wants in my book. I hope they clone him so he can come back and coach another 50 years.

But in my honest opinion I think there’s some truth to what you say. I wouldn’t say Joe is a figurehead, but he is a program manager. He delegates a lot of the daily duties of a head coach to his staff. Most head coaches keep either the offense or defense for themselves. Joe give the defense to Tom Bradley and the offense is split between Galen Hall and Jay Paterno. They organize and run the practices and put together the game plans, but I think everything still goes through Joe and he has the final say on everything. He’s there in practice getting in your face if you dog it on your assignment. He’s very much involved in the team operations, but he doesn’t work himself a hundred hours a week like most people think head coaches have to do these days to earn their million dollar contracts.

BS: Does the ongoing media perception that the Big Ten is second-tier bother you as much as some of the rest of us? Or do you not concern yourself with perception of the conference?

BSD: It doesn’t bother me that the SEC is the top dog in college football and the Big Ten is a few notches below them. That’s the reality of the situation. You can’t argue with the bowl records in recent years. The Big Ten just isn’t getting it done.

What bothers me is when I see people taking glee in it or suggesting an undefeated Big Ten team doesn’t deserve a chance at the title over a one-loss SEC or Big XII team. Maybe it’s the Penn State in me, but I believe you should win and lose with grace and class. Some SEC writers and bloggers don’t see it that way and they prefer to kick the Big Ten when it’s down. That’s fine. I know these things are cyclical and one day the Big Ten will be back just like Penn State came back after the first half of this decade. They make too much money to stay this bad forever.

BS: PSU is relatively new to the Big Ten (when you consider the conference’s long history) and doesn’t really have a hated rival the way UM-OSU, UM-MSU, PUR-IU, etc, do. So in your opinion, what program do you dislike the most and want to beat above all others?

BSD: Right now I would say Ohio State is the team Penn State fans love to hate the most. The Buckeyes are one of the two teams the Big Ten has assigned to never roll off our schedule. In 2005 and 2008 the game between our two teams has decided the automatic BCS bid for the conference. So we’re developing some history there, and lately the Buckeye fans worry more about us than their hated rival to the north.

It’s interesting though because up until last year if you had asked me I probably would have said Michigan was the team that Penn State fans hated the most. Losing nine in a row to the Wolverines including some real heart breakers made some Penn State fans start foaming at the mouth at the sight of a winged helmet. But we got over that hump and Michigan is largely irrelevant in the Big Ten picture for the next year or two so the hatred isn’t there anymore. But we still look forward to beating them up again this year.

BS: Best moment for you personally as a Lions fan? Worst moment for you as a Lions fan?

BSD: The best moment had to be the 17-10 win over the Buckeyes in 2005. I was there in attendance and it was my first whiteout. The stadium was literally shaking from all of the noise. And after the disappointing years from 2000-2004 it was a win over a top ten team that symbolized Penn State’s return as a relevant program on the national stage.

The worst moment had to be losing to Minnesota in 1999. We were the No. 2 team in the nation and looked like we were in the driver seat for a spot in the national championship game. But the Gophers hit a Hail Mary in the final seconds that set up a game winning field goal. After that the team went into a tailspin losing the next two games, and then they went on to have losing records four of the next five years.

Other bad moments include losing to Michigan in 2005 and Iowa in 2008. They all derailed national championship seasons. Getting snubbed in 1994 hurt too. Pick any one of them really.

BS: Do you have a college program other than your true love that you kind of have a guilty pleasure for and like to see do well?

BSD: When I was in high school I got to attend the 1991 Gator Bowl as a member of my high school marching band. Michigan beat Mississippi 35-3, so I kind of became a Michigan fan from that. I was still a diehard PSU fan as a kid, but this was a few years before Penn State joined the Big Ten so I didn’t see any conflict of interest there. Today I still kind of pull for the Wolverines when they’re not playing my Lions. Don’t tell the guys over at BSD I said that.

BS: You can have a national title (a real one) in football or basketball this coming year. Which do you choose and why?

BSD: Football. Easily. We’re long overdue and there have been too many times over the years where we either got robbed by the voters or came up just short. Plus I want to see Joe get one more.

BS: Most of those of us who write one of these blogsites have a steady list of sites they visit every morning. What are some favorite blogs of yours to read? List as many or as few as you’d like.

BSD: Honestly, there aren’t a lot of blogs I read every single day. That probably sounds pretty arrogant, but I just don’t have time. I have a family and a full time job. So when I sit down to the computer I’m just focused on finding material for my own blog. I mostly cruise the headlines looking for information to share, and most of it is Penn State related. Rarely do I ever read anything not related to Penn State or the Big Ten. Like MGoBlog says, pick a niche and dominate it. I have all of the Big Ten blogs in my reader so I scan through just about every post every Big Ten blog puts out. If I see something that looks interesting I’ll stop to read it. But I try to move on quickly. I used to get sucked into just reading blogs all day, and then at the end of the day I realized I hadn’t posted anything on my own blog. So I just try to focus on BSD as much as I can.

BS: Well-done on continuing the tradition of interview subjects who have yet to list Boiled Sports as a regular stop. *sigh* Love ya, Lions.

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Previous subjects of the BS Interview Series:

MGoBlog
Lake The Posts
Eleven Warriors

Drew, What Are You Doing?

Is it me, or does this look like a movie poster for Any Given Sunday 2?

Turns out, that lassie is Rita Benson LeBlance, the granddaughter of the Saints owner. She's 31, she'll probably be running the team one day soon, they're real and they're fantastic. Or so says Reggie Bush. Not really.

I do like that she's carrying the ball in thie photo, while wind blows her hair around and Drew and Reggie.... do what, exactly? Are they posing like New Kids on the Block or something?

The Joey Elliott Experiment

A couple seasons back, I was at a game and Painter had a minor injury and so Joey Elliott (as a frosh or soph) had to come in for a series, and a guy sitting near us shouted, "Welcome to the Joey Elliott Experiment!" I always found that amusing and continue to use it.

Why's it appropriate? Because we really don't know what Joey's capable of. He could be a very serviceable game-manager... or he might not be. He hasn't played enough for us to judge. But we do know that he wants to go into coach, as per this piece by the talented Adam Rittenberg.

Reading that and learning more about Elliott, I am cautiously optimistic about his chances. Sure, shoulder injuries are scary and one hard hit on it (like being driven into the turf) could shelve him, but putting injury aside, it sounds like he's going to work very hard to put on a respectable performance at QB this season.

And while there are no promises of him being the starter, he really should be. A team like this needs leadership and in the absence of experienced, talented playmakers, you have to turn to your seniors... especially if they act like a player-coach. Definitely a good thing.

Other tidbits from the story...

Joey Elliott wants to become the next Josh Heupel.

Sure, he wouldn't mind leading Purdue to a national title, winning the AP Player of the Year award and finishing second in Heisman Trophy voting. But Elliott is more interested in mirroring Heupel's rapid rise up the college coaching ranks.

Sure, we wouldn't mind that, either. Hells yeah! Elliott for Heisman '09! I assume his website is in the works.

"In my mind, he's the starter," Purdue offensive coordinator Gary Nord said. "At the same time, we haven't named anything, and anybody can beat anybody out. Nobody's guaranteed anything. The coaching staff doesn't know what the capabilities are, doesn't know the intangibles of them yet."

You know, "intangibles." Who's the best juggler? Who makes the best buttermilk pancakes after a night out with 19-year-old college girls? Who has the highest score on "Dance Dance Revoultion." That kind of thing.

Elliott even shares play-calling ideas with the coaching staff, almost like he's another graduate assistant.

"He's got everything you want in a quarterback, except experience," Nord said. "He hasn't played any."

Insert the wah-wahhhhh sound effect from The Price Is Right here. He's great! He's got everything you want! I mean, besides having played.

Elliott has appeared in only 10 games, completing 27 of 49 passes for 300 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

You know, this is interesting to me. If I was offered Joey Elliott going 27/49 for 300 yards and 2-and-2 every game, I'd sign up right now.

Wouldn't you?

Neither Chicago NOR Philly Are On This List

Lists are so dumb. 99% of the time they're created simply to foster debate, argument, etc. And that's annoying, because there's no way to win. Opinions are opinions and they're fun, but creating a defined 1-10 list is just so... official-sounding.

Anyway, Forbes loves to do the top ten [blank] cities in America (or the world, etc.). Fattest, fittest, hungriest, horniest, dumbest, smartest, handsomest, etc., it goes on and on. And while I've seen this one done many times before (who hasn't?), today I came across their 10 Most Miserable Sports Cities. And while I acknowledge I shouldn't even pay attention, some of it is just ludicrous to me.

Here's the list:

1. Seattle

Okay, I guess I won't argue. They lost a team and they've never really won anything.

2. Atlanta

This is more of a lame sports town. Nobody cares enough about Atlanta sports to feel tortured. Of course, the list is "miserable" sports cities, so I guess Atlanta qualifies. Though the Braves got to, what, four World Series and won one of them? I think most fans would take that.

3. Buffalo

Okay, again, hard to argue. But I might point out that they only have NFL and NHL -- no baseball or basketball, so if those two franchises aren't toeing the line, then you qualify as miserable? I would think you kind of need at least three major teams in order to suffer enough to make the list.

4. Phoenix

I get this one, but I just never got the feeling their sports fans cared much. It's like Southern California, always hot, there's other things to do, etc. Plus the Suns have been competitive and exciting for most of my life AND the Diamondbacks have been a contending franchise basically since their second season... and they won a World Series in 2001. I don't know, hard to be miserable, I would think. Oh, and how about the fact that many championships are held there? Super Bowls, Final Fours, etc. Doesn't that make it a decent sports town at least?

5. Houston

I live here now and so I have experience and can say it's not exactly "miserable." The fans are actually pretty good, very loyal and reasonably optimistic. The Rockets win 50+ games every year -- and won two titles in the '90s -- and the Texans are followed rabidly and appear to be improving. I don't know, I just can't see this in the top five of most miserable sports cities. People enjoy their sports here.

6. San Diego

Again, SoCal? Seriously? How bad is it? The Padres may not win World Series titles, but they contend seriously every 10-15 years. The Chargers have been consistently good for a while now, too. Oh, and they are another one (like Buffalo) with only two pro teams. And when the Chargers move to L.A. it'll only be one. Heh.

7. Denver

Come on. Seriously, this is where it goes off the rails. Denver is a pretty good sports town, with loyal fans and a good tradition. If you're a four-sport fan, you think of the Avalanche's dominance for a long run there, you think of John Elway, you think of the Rockies making the playoffs in their second or third season and then two years ago going all the way to the World Series. A lot of cities would take that. Oh, and the Broncos and Avalanche won four titles since 1996. Stupid to be on this list.

8. Cleveland

Okay, agreed. It's been painful for Clevelanders. We've all heard it many times and it's become a backlash creator -- when someone whines about Cleveland's lot in life, people are tired of it. But it's very legit. Do you think they'd take Atlanta's one title in 1995? Or Denver's history? In a heartbeat they would. They should truly be #1. Not only do they have a sordid history, but the fans are truly pained and are always -- always -- expecting the worst to happen. Optimism is nonexistent in C-town.

9. Minneapolis

Again, meh. The Twins won two World Series in the last 22 years and compete almost every year, which is a lot better than watching a sucky, losing, pathetic franchise. The Vikes have also competed and should have been in at least one or two Super Bowls over the last 5-10 years. And the hockey history is decent in Minnesota, despite losing a team.

10. Kansas City

I guess so. The Royals have been an abomination for years (though they have a title from 1985, which Indians fans would feel like was yesterday) and the Chiefs haven't done much in a while. But again, those are the only two pro teams -- so how painful can it be? Losing with three or four franchises would seem to be worse, but that's just my opinion.

So? What say you, dear readers?

BS Interview Series -- Jason from Eleven Warriors

[Sitting by a fire, looks up from book, removes pipe]

Welcome back to our latest installment of the BS Interview Series. You're likely saying to yourself, "Yeah, it sure is BS." And to that I say, yes, that joke is well-established. It's a pun we like to use sometimes. We're all about the BS here. And our readers are supporters of the BS. And many are BS artists themselves. But I digress.

Normally, Fridays around here are devoted to boobs. So what better day to share our interview with one of the gentlemen from an OSU blog? (I kid, I kid.) Without further ado, I'd like to thank Jason from the OSU blog Eleven Warriors for joining us for today's discussion. What follows will be hard-hitting, James Lipton-style questions and the answers from a kind chap who is a fan of a program that is beginning to make a habit of humbling everyone else all season and then getting humbled themselves in the title game.

Away we go.

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Boiled Sports: So let me ask right off the start here, what did you guys think of Carson Palmer’s anti-Buckeye comments? Is the guy obligated to tolerate the Bucks or is it fine because he’s never pretended to be anything but a USC guy?

Jason of Eleven Warriors: I honestly kind of liked it. I would be just as amped if I were in his shoes and shudder to think about what I would blurt out in front of a mic, so it's hard to come down on him. I think he made some people angry with the "those fans" and "that coach" comments, but it's not like many dual-fans are going to stop rooting for him or the Bengals. It'll be really fun if USC happens to get beat, though.

BS: Seriously, what’s the deal with the sweatervest?

J,11W: Buckeye fans are blessed to have Ward Beaver patroling the sidelines. I think it's just a reflection of his conservative nature. To him, it's probably just one step shy of throwing on leather pants, so for all we know, he believes he's living on the edge.

I know some opposing fans see him as arrogant, but he's just a guy that prepares hard, works hard and measures every one of his words when speaking. In other words, characteristics I'd love to emulate more.

BS: When you think of Purdue athletics, what do you think of?

J,11W: The first thought is of a school that's usually pretty good in both major sports within conference. There are only a few teams that are doing or have consistently done both sports well -- Ohio State, Wisconsin and Purdue. Illinois could be joining the club soon, but they look to be heading South in hoops.

I think of Joe Tiller, who will always be adored by Buckeye fans for calling Michigan's new coach a snake-oil salesman. I think of Glenn Robinson, who is still to this day the most dominant college player I've ever seen. I also think of Bob Griese and cringe thinking of all of the Ohio State/Michigan games he called while his son was on the field. He could have been talking about the weather and we were calling him out for being biased.

BS: What do you guys say to people who suggest the Big Ten is weak by comparison to other “power” conferences and use OSU’s National Title game losses as evidence?

J, 11W: 2007 was tough because it shouldn't have gone down like that. The Florida win brought out some of our more vocal SEC friends and the web became a tough place for the Buckeyes and the Big Ten. Most Buckeye fans don't sweat the LSU loss. Yes, a win would have been great, but that Tiger team was the best team in the nation -- especially with all of their guys back (namely Ricky-Jean Francois). Ohio State got a shot in that game because other teams failed to take advantage of their chances. Should we apologize for that?

I do think the Big Ten is going through a down cycle. It's not as bad as some are painting it, though, but the SEC has better coaching and the conference championship game is a bonus when prepping their teams for BCS bowl games. Still, the Big Ten matches up well with the PAC 10 and Big 12 and the addition of Rodriguez and the coming schedule extension will help.

Despite all of that, it's not lost on Buckeye fans that if OSU had beaten Florida or LSU, the conference perception wouldn't be what it is (though Michigan did the Big Ten no favors in 2007).

BS: In a paragraph or two, sum up Ohio State fans feelings, expectations and hopes going into 2008.

J, 11W: Fans are cautiously optimistic. If the Buckeyes had won even one of the last two MNC games, we'd be pretty damn insufferable right about now, but because of what happened, we have to just kind of hang low and hope for the best against the Trojans. I think this is the best Buckeye team we've seen in the last decade, but there's still a good bit of worry about heading West on 9/13. If they pull that one off and take care of business in conference, we could easily see another OSU/SEC matchup in the form of Florida or Georgia.

BS: What’s more fun – beating Michigan or seeing them lose to Appalachian State?

J, 11W: I had mixed feelings about the Appalachian State game. On one hand, it was awesome, funny and one of the greatest upsets I've ever seen in my life. On the other hand, you knew that the conference was going to take a hit on it. I want to see the Wolverines undefeated heading into that last game in November every season.

BS: Best moment for you personally as a Buckeyes fan? Worst moment for you as a Buckeyes fan?

J, 11W: The best moment was the last play of the Miami game in '03. Some big runs out of Wells against Michigan the last couple of years rank up there as well. As far as the worst moment, it's a tie between that moment in both the Florida and LSU games when I realized the Buckeye defense couldn't stop the opposing offense.

BS: Do you have a college program other than your true love that you kind of have a guilty pleasure for? For example, despite all the haters, do you have a soft spot another program?

J, 11W: There are a couple of teams I enjoy rooting for. I like watching USC light it up. I like to cheer for the new teams of guys that have been run out of town unjustly, like Willingham at Washington or Solich at Ohio University. I secretly cheer for Spurrier because I think he's funny and he needs to be in the spotlight more often.

Outside of a few teams, who I cheer for normally follows this order: cheering for teams to lose that move the Buckeyes up, rooting for the Big Ten and teams on OSU's schedule to boost that SOS and then it's a toss-up between pulling for an upset and cheering for the team with the coolest uniforms or player names.

BS: Did “Holy Buckeye” cement Tressel’s status as having balls of steel?

J, 11W: What's interesting is that Jenkins wasn't the primary option on that play. Tressel was just trying to get the first down and had to pass because the running game was non-existent that day. It was typical Krenzel -- pedestrian all day until something big at the end.

BS: Most of those of us who write one of these blogsites have a steady list of sites they visit every morning. What are some favorite blogs of yours to read? List as many or as few as you’d like.

J, 11W: All of the big sites like The Wizard of Odds, MGoBlog, EDSBS and SMQ. FanHouse CFB is also a must-read. I'm a huge fan of the Big Ten Blogger feed. I know so much more about other teams in the Big Ten than I did two years ago. A few of my favorite Buckeye blogs are Our Honor Defend, Buckeye Commentary and Dotting the I. Hey Jenny Slater, Get the Picture and Orange and Blue Hue are fantastic SEC blogs. Adam Rittenberg at ESPN is taking food off of our tables, but is great. Loser With Socks is comedy gold and Big Red Network is a fine Nebraska blog.

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Previous subjects of the BS Interview Series:

MGoBlog

Lake The Posts