BS Predictorama Rankings - Week 10

I've run out of less than witty things to open with, so on with the show...

The predictions for week nine were

Tim says:
Iowa - 23
Purdue - 17

J Money says:
Iowa - 27
Purdue - 16

Boilerdowd says:
Iowa - 28
Purdue - 10

Final score? Iowa 22 - Purdue 17

We all picked Purdue to lose, and sadly, they disappointed yet again and lost. I swept the scoring for this week as I was closest to Iowa's score, closest to overall score, and closest to Purdues score.

The scoring for week 8 is

Tim : 4
J Money : 1
Boilerdowd : 1

So the tally for the season so far is

Boilerdowd : 18
J Money : 17.5
Tim : 17.5

It's a tight race to the finish. It all comes down to the final IU predictions... whose predictions shall reign supreme?

BS Predictorama Rankings - Week 9

Plenty of children were crying in West Lafayette, so let's just cut to the chase after 5 too many sucky games.

The predictions for week eight were

Tim says:
Michigan State - 31
Purdue - 20

J Money says:
Michigan State - 24
Purdue - 16

Boilerdowd says:
Michigan State - 35
Purdue - 22

Final score? Michigan State 21 - Purdue 7.

All of us had no faith and picked Sparty to win, and sadly (or predictably at this point), they did. It's a clean sweep for J Money this week at he gets the other 3 points for being closest to Michigan States score, closest to overall score, and another for closest to Purdues score.

The scoring for week 8 is

J Money : 4
Tim : 1
Boilerdowd : 1

So the tally for the season so far is

Boilerdowd : 17
J Money : 16.5
Tim : 13.5

Final Shot: MSU Prediction

Our Boilers head north to East Lansing tomorrow. MSU will be the last ranked opponent Tiller will have to...errrrrrr...gets to face as the head coach of my alma mater's football team. In the last 18 similar contests, his team's lost all of them. So this is it...a monkey can be knocked off of the old guy's back with a victory, and Purdue's razor-thin Motor City Bowl hopes can stay alive...but is it going to happen? Here's what we think:

J Says:
If Painter starts, we lose in a listless fashion. If Siller starts, I think we lose in a more exciting fashion.

The only reason I hesitate picking MSU at all is that they MIGHT be a little bit of a paper tiger. Consider how poorly they played last weekend, despite their win. Wisky is just not good -- let's get that out of the way. MSU rushed for a whopping 25 yards and Hoyer had a sub-50% completion percentage. Will they do this against Purdue's jelly-donut defense? Probably not. But it's worth keeping in mind if you happen to be watching and see potential.

In the end, though, as much as I want to be optimistic again, Purdue football doesn't beat ranked teams anymore. Until they do, how could you possibly pick them? Especially on the road?

MSU: 24

Purdue: 16

Tim Says:
I think Siller is a little shaky in his first road start. The defense will continue to hemorrhage points. The weather is expected to be cold and rainy, which could hamper both offenses. I think they'll still put up some points though.

Purdue has won the last two times in East Lansing and needs to win out to go to bowling. On the other hand they've lost 386 times in a row to a team that is ranked, might be ranked, once upon a time was ranked, or some time in the distant future will be ranked. So...

Sparty - 31
Rowdy - 20

boilerdowd says:
I'm excited to see guys like Siller, Bolden, Holland and Kerrigan continually getting better and develop toward next season. But, the more I think about last week, I just think Michigan was just that bad and Purdue really is still the same team with just a much more dangerous quarterback. Thus, I don't know if a Tiller-coached team can beat a well-coached, talented squad like the Spartans.

I've watched MSU play a few times this year. And what stands out to me is the fact that nothing stands out too much (except Ringer, of course). They just keep on beating on you, offensively and defensively until you submit. While I've liked out the interior defensive linemen have handled the inside running game most of the year for Purdue's defense, I think they too will wear down as Ringer does what he does...Plus, MSU's rushing attack will keep Purdue off of the field as they have done to so many of their opponents this season.

I look for MSU to give up a lot of yards, but not a ton of points...I also think Sheets will have a good day with over 100 yards rushing and at least one touchdown. But, for Purdue to win, I think Siller is going to need another dominant performance and I'm not so sure he is ready yet to carry a team, week-in, week-out. That said, I'm looking forward to seeing him try...plus, I think Orton will have another big game as they seem to really be on the same page.

MSU 35
Purdue 22

BS Predictorama Rankings - Week 8

Oh what a glorious day it was. Way back yonder on the 28th of October in the year of our Lord 2008. The flowers were in full bloom, bosoms were bouncing everywhere you looked, and Siller was starting at quarterback. The Cowboy named Joe rode into town for perhaps a final hurrah. Ah, the good old days.

The predictions for week eight were

Tim says:
Michigan - 22
Purdue - 10

J Money says:
Michigan - 24
Purdue - 10

Boilerdowd says:
Michigan - 3
Purdue - 2

Final score? Purdue 48 - Michigan 42. Who saw that coming? Apparently none of us. It was shocking. Terrifically shocking if I do say so myself.

Now on to our terrible predictions for that game. All of us picked the Victors to win, and win they did not, so we all gladly forfeit a point. J Money picks up a point for closest to Michigans score, a point for closest to overall score, and another half for closest to Purdues score. I get a half for being closest to Purdues score also. Boilerdowd gets nothing and likes it.

The scoring for week 8 is

J Money : 2.5
Tim : .5
Boilerdowd : 0

So the tally for the season so far is

Boilerdowd : 16
Tim : 12.5
J Money : 12.5

Clash of the Titans -- Purdue vs. Michigan

[Editor's Note: When I did a Google Image Search on "clash of the titans," this picture of Jennifer Connelly came up. Who am I to argue with Google? Those are indeed....titanic.]

The powerhouse that is the 2008 Purdue Boilermakers football program faces down the juggernaut that is the Michigan Wolverines football program this Saturday in Ross-Ade Stadium at Noon sharp in front of a sellout a packed house thousands of some fans.

We sat down with Maize n Brew to have a little discussion about it. Our questions and his answers are here. Check out Maize n Brew for the other half of the interview, when they got to ask us questions.

Boiled Sports: So here we are, two 2-6 teams, but from where we sit Michigan's 2-6 is really of the hard-luck variety, wouldn't you agree? A break here, a break there, and Rich Rodriguez has this team in national title contention.... right?

Maize n Brew: Well, the way I see it, Michigan might as well be 8-0, and I don't think a National Title bid is out of the question. I've come up with this gameplan to emphasize how Michigan could still win the national title, and really, I think it's possible... just replace "Australia" with "Michigan."

BS: Do you ever get tired of watching the singular awesomeness of Steve Threet? I mean, it's just amazing... he's like Terrell Pryor's twin. Am I right?

MnB: You might have Painter making a run at the Heisman, but for my money, there isn't a quarterback more exciting to watch than Steven Threet. Passes fly through the air like Monarch butterflies on the breeze of a rainbow, hanging....hanging....hanging up there. And have you seen this kid run? He's like the PETA approved version of Mike Vick, so much in fact that he often times drops the ol' pigskin just so he doesn't upset anyone. We've told him it's not really a pigskin, but the kid's got his head so screwed on that he does it anyways, just to be sure.

BS: I don't know about you, but I have to imagine UM fans are confident, perhaps to the point of cocky, going into this weekend's tilt against Purdue. Is there ANY way you guys lose this game?

MnB: Please, you're too kind. If anything, I think this is a blowout in Purdue's favor. I mean, look at the talent on that squad! Sheets, Painter, Running backs playing quarterback, cats and dogs, LIVING TOGETHER.

BS: Clearly, the national media has realized the significance of this game... we're in the primo, highly-desirable 12 noon timeslot. I assume you agree that the only better time to play is at 9 AM on a Tuesday morning... which is perhaps where this game should be.

MnB: I'm actually surprised that ESPN hasn't been running the countdown on the ticker. Blatant anti-Big Ten bias if you ask me.

BS: Michigan's players are used to playing in front of 109K fans every week. How will they deal with the deafening silence emitted from 40,000 fans at Ross-Ade? Hand signals? Clapping? Scoring touchdowns?

MnB: I'm not sure how Michigan's going to handle the raucous Ross-Ade crowd. I've heard they've been practicing to the sound of crickets overlayed on the jingle from Burger King's Steakhouse Shroom 'n Swiss song. Rodriguez never stops gameplanning, my friend. He's ready for you wastrels.

---------------------------------------------------

Tune in to Maize n Brew to read the other half of this enchanting interview... wherein we get to answer the questions.

Michigan Week -- Purdue Coaches Room

Coach Hope: Men, thanks for assembling. I know we're having fewer and fewer coaches meetings because A) the season is a loss and B) Coach Tiller is often very sleepy, so I genuinely appreciate you showing up. Here's the thing -- we have the maize and blue this week, who are also 2-6 and whom everyone is beating up on. We need to beat them. Brock, what do you think for this week's defensive game plan? You must have something up your sleeve.

Brock Spack:



Coach Hope: Ah, I see. You're truly a defensive wizard, Brock. But see, here's the thing -- we want to keep Coach Tiller in the dark on our opponent this week -- Shh! Don't say the name! -- because Joe is very... scared of this squad.

[Tiller begins to enter room]

Coach Legg Rock: You mean Michigan?

[Tiller freezes mid-stride, eyes widen]

Coach Hope: Dammit.

[Tiller runs from the room, grabbing Curtis Painter by the arm and fleeing]

Tiller: Come with me, Curtis! I'll save you, my little buckaroo!!

ESPN Thinks Purdue's A Basketball School, Too

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

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

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

Good times.

Purdue Takes Control!

Bench Celebrates another big play

In a race for the hotly-contested basement of the Big Ten, Purdue took a commanding lead. Placing space between themselves and IU, Michigan and Wisconsin, the Boilers were able to not score an offensive touchdown for the third time this season. Kory Sheets backed up last weeks talk by rushing for 73 yards and a fumble (inside the Gophers' 20). The passing game did its part as two Purdue QBs combined for an eye-popping 109 yards passing and an interception each. One of those was noteworthy as Senior Joe Whitest placed the ball on his shoulder and presented it to a Minnesota DB. Whitest commented, "Not everybody can fumble the ball...I got an opportunity to help, and I did my part. We have one goal this year, and we're all focused on that."

"The entire offense really wants this..." Curtis Painter said. He continued, "We're trying to do something that hasn't been done by a Purdue team since many of us were in pre-school..." The offensive line, now a patchwork bunch of players that have been moved around all season, all seem to know their role. Each time Painter or Siller received the snap, it seemed there was a Golden Gopher there to greet him. Purdue Senior Cory Benton said, "Coach Z had the perfect gameplan today...we're right in the position we want to be...We loved what we saw on both sides of the ball last week. Hopefully, the defense can get on the same page versus Michigan next week."

Much of the early season, the defense was razor-sharp earning an overall ranking in the 100s...Now, it seems, it's just not the case. Brock Spack said, "I have no idea what our linebackers and DBs are doing. I sent in the prevent nearly every down...and on other downs utilized the vaunted 5-2 that we used v. UND in the third quarter...But nobody was listening. From Ryan Baker stunting to Joe Holland persuing Minnesota's running backs, they just weren't executing. I feel like I've lost control of this unit." He continued, "I have no idea why Kerrigan intercepted that ball in the fourth. Thank God the offense and its play-calling was so crisp when it got back on the field."

Coach Tiller was his typical hilarious self during the press conference afterwords. "Justin Siller scrambled a lot today gaining big chunks of yards as the protection broke down. We'll work on keeping him stationary in the coming week. Let's just say he's got a long way to go."

"We're looking forward to seeing a healthy Curtis Painter versus Michigan...he doesn't do sh*t like that."

Purdue shot past both Michigan and IU to 11th place in the Big Ten Network's power rankings on the shoulders of its "Basketball on Acid" offense...and now holds a one-game lead on Wisconsin, IU and Michigan in the battle for the cellar of the conference (0-4, 2-6).

The Ross Ade Homecoming crowd of a MAC-esque 45,000 quiet fans ooohed and ahhhed at the preparedness of this Boiler squad. Senior in the school of Engineering, Ryan Van Lashen said this as he left the stadium (with 6:00 left in the fourth), "Not everybody was here during the '05 season...I was lucky enough to be in this student section that season too. So what we're watching is the culmination of four and a half seasons of thinking and playing right on the edge of poorly..."

He continued, "My older brother was here back when Brees played here- He never got to see this type of football. It's great because now I can talk to my Uncles about those great teams in the late-80s and early and mid-90s...I keep telling them, 'there's no way this team could beat the Purdue team from 1996'...I think everyone can see now that I was right."

Next up, Tiller's team faces a Michigan team that is playing the same type of football.

Tiller ended the presser saying, with a cigar in his mouth, "It's going to be my type of game- two poorly-prepared, finesse teams battling for 5-7 minutes and calling it quits after the first quarter...That's how we used to do it in the Mountain West."

BS Predictorama Rankings - Week 7

Simply getting out of bed and seeing how terrible our predictions are makes this hard to continue. It's getting ugly. Strike that. It IS ugly.

The predictions for week seven were

Tim says:
Northwestern - 20
Purdue - 10

J Money says:
Purdue - 27
Northwestern - 24

Boilerdowd says:
Purdue - 35
Northwestern - 24

Purdue didn't even bother to show up to that game. They got dominated by Northwestern. NORTHWESTERN! The final score of another terrible showing was Northwestern 48 - Purdue 26.

I picked up a point for picking Northwestern to win. Whoopty-do. Will Purdue even win another game? J Money and Boilerdowd split a point for closest to Northwestern's score. Boilerdowd picks up a point for being closest to Purdue's score and another for being closest to overall final score.

The scoring for week 7 is

Boilerdowd : 2.5
Tim : 1
J Money : 0.5

So the tally for the season so far is

Boilerdowd : 16
Tim : 12
J Money : 10

A Typical Day For The Purdue Football Coaching Staff

[Joe Tiller enters room where assistants are already waiting and sits down.]


Tiller: Hello, men. Sorry I'm late. I was just talking to a satellite plate installer out in Wyoming. Can you believe what they can get on those plates now?

Danny Hope: Coach, I think you mean satellite “dish,” not “plate.”

Tiller: Fourteen kinds of porn! It's amazing.

Danny Hope: Um, well, coach, shouldn't we talk about the team?

Tiller: Oh, Danny, when you're head man you can do whatever the hell you want. But you're not. You're my underling for five more games. Plus the bowl.

[silence, Hope grits teeth]

Tiller: I'll tell you what. I think we should talk about the team. Here we are, 2-5. And I'll tell you what I want -- I want two trick plays for this weekend and I want them decided on in the next ten minutes.

Hope: Oh, I see, cool. You're giving the staff a time limit so that they bear down and focus. Good tactic.

Tiller: What about Tic Tacs? No, I have a frozen pizza in the oven and it only has twelve minutes left on it. And then I'm taking a nap and watching Captain Kangaroo.

Hope: I see.

Tiller: Brock! What do you have for me?

Spack:

Tiller: Same as usual, eh Brock?

Hope: Do you think Curtis could handle a flea flicker?

Tiller: A what?

Hope: [calls Curtis Painter up, tells him to come to coaches room]

Painter: What's up, coach?

Hope: Can you throw a flea flicker?

Painter: hmmmmm.....

......no, coach, I don’t throw fleas. I don’t even think that’s possible. I throw footballs.

Hope: [sighs] A flea flicker is where you hand off to Kory and then he tosses it back to you…

Painter: Oh.

Hope: …and you then look downfield and go through your progression, pick out the receiver, and let fly.

Painter: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down. What’s a progression?


Tiller: That’s mah boy!

Hope: Curtis, it’s when you look at each receiver in the order of whom you’d like to throw to and decide on the best option.

Painter: Oh, right! I always just settle on the first guy. I’m that freaking good. I just laser it in there no matter what.

Hope: Yes, we know.

Painter: Watch me thrown a dead-accurate pass!

Hope: Hold on, let’s go to the aquatics center – I want to try something.

[at aquatics center]

Hope: Okay, Curtis, your target is there:

Curtis: [lets fly]

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

[ball sails over pool]

Hope: [sigh]

[back to coaches room]

Hope: Curtis, you need to work on your game.

Tiller: It’ll come around.

Hope: No, coach, it won’t. It’s more than halfway through his senior season – when do we begin to coach him?

Tiller: Do what now? I sure do like fly fishing. Curtis, you need to promise me you'll come visit in Wyoming and go fly fishing with me.

Painter: Of course, Coach. [looking at Hope] Look, I don’t need to be coached. I’m a Heisman candidate AND and a bowl-game MVP!

Hope: Argh. The bloggers you're afraid of are right, Joe. We have to do something about this team’s mindset and the culture we’re letting develop here.

Tiller: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Ghosts and Zombies of the Grid Iron

There's this guy who visits our site regularly who defends Tiller and really refuses to say how bad things have become...yet, he will fully admit that IU's football team is not good and is poorly coached. Our pals over at the Lafayette J & C printed an article that might be of note to the shrinking group of people that keep telling us everything's fine.

Make no mistake, the situations that both Purdue and IU are in are deplorable...and they both can be attributed to poor coaching and preparation. Last year, Lynch used the memory of a former coach to motivate the players...it took the same deceased coach's wife to help the Hoosiers get the win versus our Boilers back in November. Now, they're unmotivated...

In the same way, Purdue's head man has lost motivation...his team can see it, heck, about anybody can read it in his quotes and inconsistent answers given to the media. On one hand, Tiller is given credit for being an offensive genius...on the other hand, he refuses to call plays when his offensive coordinator doesn't call the game to his liking. One one hand, he says his team's effort has been lacking, on the other, he won't make personnel changes when they seem to be an absolute must.

Both IU and Purdue's fanbases thought at least a low-level bowl would be in their futures coming into this season. Now, just past the midway point, neither Purdue's once-feared, Senior-laden offense nor IU's Charmin-soft schedule could help either team to a winning record. In fact, they're both well-under .500 and seem to be on their way to a date with destiny...or a date with a trip back in time anyway. At the end of the season at Ross Ade, it looks like we'll all party like it's 1996...The only difference is, neither fanbase is as accepting of the sub-prime* efforts their respective teams have been showing this season.

Now, both teams will welcome two programs on the rise to their stadiums on Saturday for Homecoming...both opponents are ranked and both seem to be unworthy of being mentioned with the other 23 teams in the top-25. It seems like the opportunity is ripe for IU and Purdue to shake the cobwebs loose and remind the fans why they believed not-too-long ago. But they probably won't. Afterall, Lynch no longer can motivate his young men with the ghost of a leader of men, and Tiller seems to be a Zombie version of the man who used to inspire never-say-die effort from the Boilers...Kind of fitting in this ghoulish season, don't you think?

There is a silver lining, at least up North...While Purdue has looked like dogmeat this season, there is a definite change coming next year...and, our basketball team provides a diversion reminiscent of the mid-90s as well. Conversely, IU's football team is in a no-win sitation as firing Lynch seems imminent, but a buyout will once again cost the Hoosier athletic department...something they don't need as they continue to build the 10,000 additional perpetually-empty seats**...and we won't get into a lot of detail about the state of their basketball program. I will say this though, the NCAA has still not ruled about the punishment of the Candy Stripers in the wake of Kelvin's antics...Oh well.

The really bad news, if you're a sucker for Purdue football as I am, is not only will it be cool on Saturday in West Lafayette...it's also going to be rainy. I guess it's fitting though- the gray skies are a fitting backdrop for a horror story.

*yes, I just paralleled the crash of the market with the crash of Purdue's program

**except for games in which the Hoosiers host aOSU, aka photo day

Defend That, Tiller Defenders

Go ahead, you short-sighted, easily-pleased, easily-satisfied jacks. I dare you. Justify that performance and tell us again that we are out of line in questioning the preparation and coaching of this team. Do you think our talent is that bad? And even if it was... whose fault is bad talent? Perhaps those who recruit them? Nahhhhh, can't be Joe's fault! He's a good guy!

Whose fault is it when the team gets steamrolled, yet again, only this time by a team with not nearly the talent of a PSU or an OSU? We were told to lighten up. We were asked things like, "Did you really expect them to beat OSU/PSU?"

While that pussy mentality many Purdue "supporters" exhibit is inexcusable in itself (yes, I do think we should be beating those teams... sometimes), let's for sake of argument accept it. It's ludicrous, but okay.... poor old Joe. He just wants to retire and go fishing. We can't expect him to compete against the class of the conference! Not even at home! So okay, then, what's the excuse this week? Come on, I want to hear it. What's the reason that we shouldn't be coming down on the program -- and specifically, the coaches -- this week?

Do you find this acceptable? Or do you think Joe has "earned" this? I've heard that phrase a lot. He's "earned" the right to go out how he wants. Folks, he already went out. He's gone. Today's game was just one more indication of that.

And nobody earns the right to torpedo a program, no matter what he's done for it. Sorry, I don't agree. I'm f-cking furious and you should be, too. This is embarrassing. No, not that we lost to Northwestern on the road... but once again, it's HOW this team loses. Giving up 48 points?? To that team? All due respect to the Purple Warriors, but they still haven't played much of anybody and the one team they did play (and who beat them -- MSU) is getting dump-trucked by OSU as I write this. So why do the Boilers put up another listless performance?

Because the team has given up. I don't want to hear specific guys pointed out that you think were playing hard.... it doesn't matter. Overall, the team is seeing the record and the effort being put in from the top down -- and hearing the comments about the limitations of how good they can be -- and they're checking out.

As Tim says below, look at the way Matt Painter runs things and contrast that fire to the lazy-ass, disinterested, unemotional way Tiller is running things. And then he has the audacity to say those who would dare to question him are "low IQ." You want to talk about a lack of class, there it is.

Once again, I do appreciate what Joe did to put Purdue football on the map and to turn around a dormant and long-dismal program.

HOWEVER... This is unacceptable. I am pissed and disgusted. And you Tiller apologists should be, too. This is nothing to be proud of.

Here Kitty Kitty Kitty -- LTP Stops By

As is our occasional treat for your true fans of the game, one of the things we try to do sometimes is actually break down the games, matchups, etc. When that gets more frustrating than high-school dry-humping, we resort to childish tactics, such as pictures of boobs and photo-essays on the state of Purdue football. Well, this week we agreed to do a little Q&A with the biggest pussy Cat supporter in the blogosphere, LTP. Our answers to his questions are posted thusly.

So it's only fair that we got to ask some inane questions to him, which, as is his way, he answered seriously and with real analysis. God love him. Here we go....

BS: What do you make of the fact that more than one of us have referred to NW as "the worst 5-0 [now 5-1] team in the country"? Any truth to it, in your humble, impartial opinion?

LTP: Unless Duke and Iowa continue to win, yes, there is a grain of truth to it. However, I'm a little sensitive to the word "worst" (see pre-1995 football history) and would like to spin it to be more of a "least impressive 5-1." This weekend's outcome will go a long way towards modifying that statement. If we could beat Purdue and then Indiana to be 7-1 with MN, Ohio State, Michigan and Illinois left, I think the record would be vindicated. We have yet to win impressively against a Division I team, although I'll take ANY Big Ten win I can get. I think Northwestern fans have finally raised expectations to the point where we can actually be not overly joyed to be 5-1. Our struggles on offense are puzzling and downright unacceptable for such a senior-laden team. I also think our defense may be the underrated storyline of the Big Ten season, along with Minnesota's "resurgence".

BS: What do you see in Purdue that makes you optimistic for this week's game? Or what makes you concerned?

LTP: It is like holding up a freakin' mirror. I look at the horrid rushdefense statistics for Purdue and visions of Tyrell getting 200 yardsdancing in my head. Then, I actually look at what you've done against Penn State and Ohio State and get scared we're not going to break 20 points. This then makes me look at your similar inability to convert#2-ranked passing offense (yardage) into points and I feel good,because our pass rush has been phenomenal (tied with Penn State formost sacks). However, Painter is always a series away from regainingthe magic and based on recent NU-Purdue history sans Kyle Orton, I getscared that somehow history will come into play. Kory Sheets' gamewinning juke over CMU gives me trepidation as that is the exact kindof move that has us surrending big plays to good backs. Amazinglythough, most NU fans will tell you we feel much more confident in our defense's ability to win the game if the offense and special teams canrefrain from consistently giving you the ball at our 30 yard line.

BS: Are the Boilermakers that bad that we're your homecoming opposition? Why do you think this decision is/was made?

LTP: As Northwestern fans we are experts on homecoming analysis as we lead the free world in homecoming games planned. Once again this year, we lead the conference in homecoming games played on the road (3) with the lovely September homecoming at Iowa, which to me, is offensive. Homecoming games are meant to be played in October. We have two home games in October and the decision for these games are made two-to-three years in advance (see: on heels of last time we beat Purdue - 2004, 2005). It was either you or Michigan State. Likely coin flip. Don't look too much into it, because if we used history, we would've chosen Michigan State as we have a much better head-to-head record (5-5) since 1995 against them, then you (4-8).

BS: Will there be a Purple-out in Evanston this season? And on that subject, have you noticed that PSU bloggers and fans think they invented the whole "[insert-color-here]-out" concept?

LTP: Last week, the NU students had a Purple Haze which was the most impressive I've seen the section, in terms of size and color. EVERYONE was in purple which is rare for us. The estimates are that there were close to 6,000 fans in the student section, which, when you consider there are only 7,500 students is a remarkable turnout. The rest of the stadium was a joke as my grandstanding on (lack of) attendance has fallen on mostly deaf ears, except for the newspaper writers in Chicago who have picked up on it. Attendance will be terrible this weekend - expect 32,000-34,000 in a 47,000-seat venue. That INCLUDES the homecoming bump. Ohio State is sold out, but it will be 55/45 NU:Ohio State fans, but the school is planning a Purple "Out" for the Illini game, our last of the season, which is estimated to be close to sold out and will likely if we're both in position for a key bowl game. Bottom-line for Purdue fans, plenty of seats still available and this will be the most neutral crowd you'll face on the road all year long.

BS: If the LTP readership played the BS readership in a game of softball, who would win?

LTP: BS. As you mentioned, your fans are fat. Fat people hit the longball. However, LTP's readership would have much better statisticalanalysis and thorough, cogent rationales for how we lost the game.

Thanks for nothing, Mildcats.

I was kind of excited that a ranked Northwestern team would be hosting Purdue next week in Evanston. I thought, perhaps the 17-game streak versus ranked teams could end versus the over-rated Cats...Sadly, Northwestern predictably lost as soon as they faced a team with any nads...and proved what J said a few weeks ago- NU was the worst 5-0 Big Ten team ever...That's saying a lot; Purdue has been 5-0 quite a few times with teams that were simply hapless.

The good news is that Minnesota might be ranked since they have a bye week...they'll come into Ross-Ade 6-1 and will be favored as Purdue hosts them for homecoming. If (*read as "when") the losing streak continues v. Minnesota, Purdue's last chance to play a ranked opponent will come against MSU in East Lansing.

Let's all be real honest- All of Purdue's final six games are very winnable...Too bad only three will be victories for our Boilers...UNLESS SOMETHING CHANGES! Currently, our offense is a blend of horribly sad and hilarious. For those of you who love stats, dig this one- Purdue's offense scores an average of 4.5 points/game! Frickin' Great!

Here's how bad our Boilers currently are (the good news is it's a team effort):

-11th in scoring offense
-8th in pass offense
-11th in pass efficiency
-11th in rushing offense
-11th in red zone offense
-9th in time of possession
-11th in total offense
-11th in kickoff returns
-11th in punt returns
-11th in punting
-10th in field goals made
-11th in PAT kicking
-9th in turnover margin

Kudos to Wiggs...He hit a 53-yarder and nearly hit a 52-yarder...Sadly, this is what our offense has become. At least he looks angry at the ball when he kicks it.

Well-played, Tar Heels
UNC did as they were supposed to and beat a mediocre UND team on Saturday...Much like the other small, private school near Lake Michigan above, this Irish program is nothing more than a squad that can only beat lousy teams...Good news for the Manatee and co- They play a whole bunch of them this season! The question now is, will UND be ranked before they play at Chestnut Hill? Let's hope so.

Circling the Drain
I love to say, "I told you so, IU fan."

The Hoosiers join Maine and Fla. Int'l as the third team to allow 40-plus points by the vaunted Hawkeye offense. Way to go, Lynch! Clearly, the plan he followed at BSU of tearing down a program is well underway in Bloomington.

In a Funk: Purdue v. OSU Predicto

I'll admit it. I'm more down about my Boilers than I have been in a long, long time. Back when I went to class at Purdue, I never expected too much out of the football team. I had season tickets each season, as did my BS counterparts...and I think it's fair to say that we didn't expect to win on Saturdays, but were at least hopeful.

One game in particular comes to mind. In 1996, Purdue hosted aOSU. The Buckeyes were #1 in all of the land...but, Purdue fans were actually pretty up for the game...too bad a ton of nimrods with nuts strung around their necks were in the stands at Ross-Ade that afternoon. The Brian Alford-led Boilers flew out to an early lead of 14-0 on two vertical passes to Alford...Purdue lost 42-14. I can honestly say, I didn't leave the stadium angry...I didn't expect anything. The program was in the can and had been for about 10 years at that point.

Now, it's different, as opposed to being used to a lifeless team that never beats an opponent other than a lower-third conference foe, D-IAA team or MAC squad, many Purdue fans expected a bit more coming into this season. Tiller thought this season would be fun for the fans...he liked this team...yada yada yada. Purdue fans are not IU fans afterall...we come to watch the game, tailgating is just an added bonus. Football is the centerpiece of our Saturday afternoons.

What we've seen so far is sad...and I'm grieving, I guess. Guys that are hopelessly optimistic like J have been reduced to cynical realists. Pessimists like Tim have been rendered uninterested and overly-emotional types like myself are kind of in-the-dumps. It's not just that Purdue has lost more than it's won, it's the fact that this team simply can't or won't beat teams they're not "supposed" to beat...Furthermore, this same group of young men had no emotion v. UND, seemed pretty lethargic v. PSU and now has to play a juggernaut led by a young, stone-cold quarterback. Conversely, our QB, after being pulled last week, simply stood on the sidelines with a blank stare on his face. Where's the fire, yo?!?

Regardless if they're ready to play or not, our Boilers will be going to Columbus tomorrow...here's what we think is going to happen:

J says:

This week is perhaps the most "Put it in Sharpie" game we have all season... and has been since even before the year when we were feeling semi-optimistic about things. There is no way we win this game. It's that simple. Oh, sure, there's a game being played and it's not out of the realm of possibility that the Boilers could pull an upset. But, really, what are the chances? Did you SEE what Terrell Pryor did against Wisconsin? On the road? As a freshman?

Our Boston Kreme defense will be delicious for the Bucknuts. Playing soft coverage, allowing receivers 15 yards and having inexperienced, undersized linebackers who are not allowed to be aggressive (presumably, as per Brock Spack), is not exactly what you'd call ideal when going against a team with Pryor and Wells running like mad all over the place. I hear they're a little bit vulnerable up the middle, but that just makes me think they'll go to the outside and outrun the Boilers. And that's assuming the D can exploit the supposed up-the-middle weakness of OSU.

As I said, we're going to lose. The question is just by how much. If the defense comes to play, as I think they somewhat did against PSU, then they have a shot at holding down the OSU offense....a little. Another 20-6 kind of game wouldn't be surprising, since we know the offense will not be clicking.

But here's the thing... what if the defense from the UND game shows up? And it's possible since this is on the road and against a far, far, FAR better opponent than UND. Maybe the D was charged up for the Big Ten opener and maybe Penn State isn't quite as good as they think they are. And if those "maybes" happen, and they seem somewhat likely to me, then I think this can get ugly fast.

The Boilers lost 23-7 last year at home to OSU, in a game that the team and school and students were really, truly up for. Why should we think things will go better this year? On the road? At OSU? At a ranked team? When the team is looking this listless?

Curtis moves to 0-10 against ranked opponents. Sweet.

OSU 28

Boilers 10

Tim says:
OSU - 31
Purdue - 14

Boilerdowd says:
Greg Orton, Kory Sheets and Desmond Tardy have all been unstoppable during portions of each game this season. If the stars were to allign, and Curtis could remember how to run the offense, Purdue could give the Bucks a run for their money.

He won't, and the scheme seems prohibitive in the way of letting a player or players take over a game. Look for Purdue to strike first...and fizzle after a very early lead.

aOSU 35
Purdue 13

What you said:
95% of BS readers think Purdue loses this one...100% of the BS staff agrees. Purdue's winless streak v. ranked opponents is currently at 16 games.

Joe Is Curious; Curtis Thinks We're Doing Things Well

Sure, we're now hypersensitive to everything and we're downright pissed off about this season, this coaching staff, the fact that I ordered cheese fries at Ross-Ade last weekend and the guy filled the cup of fries to the brim with cheese and then gave me a blank stare when I asked if they had forks... I'm telling you, everything sucks right now.

I then read this story on ESPN.com about how Tiller is becoming impatient with Curtis. Fine, let's see what they say.

First, I like that ESPN bylines it with "INDIANAPOLIS" -- probably where they think Purdue is, or, more likely, they figure it's the only city in Indiana.

Anyway, it's a typical Purdue article -- we don't know what happened! (Hint: 3-stars often lose to 5-stars.) And it's getting old to see the coach completely clueless. Coaches are supposed to have answers, solutions, plans.... something. Being curious and wondering when everything will sort itself out is something that WE can f-cking do!

Joe?

"I don't think you can put your finger on one thing and say, well, he's [Painter] not doing this. He's doing what's being asked of him."

Maybe you need to be asking him to go through a progression rather than staring down one receiver and then firing a laser at knock-down-able heighth.

Painter knows he needs to deal with Tiller's most significant gripe, accuracy on the deep ball. Ironically, Painter took over for Brandon Kirsch in 2005 because Kirsch struggled to connect on long throws.

"I don't know that there's a solution," Painter said. "Just keep practicing, keep going for them. Sooner or later, you'll hit those."

Yes, much like chipping golf balls at a bucket, you should just keep sailing them out there... eventually, one might land where it's supposed to. Law of averages, right?

Joe must have then been asked about Painter on the road, against a ranked opponent, in a place where Purdue would have trouble winning if OSU had only 8 players on the field... so what's Joe's approach?

"You know, I'll be curious," Tiller said. "I'm like you guys. I want to see how he snaps back from this. I think that will give us an indication of where he's headed in the future and where we're headed."

*sigh*

No, Joe, you're not like us guys. You're the head effing football coach. You are supposed to have a plan to deal with things. For F's sake, just say you have a plan of attack! Say you're going to "try some new things." Do something to make us believe you're not just playing out the string. Make us fricking believe. We so desperately want to believe.

Meanwhile, Curtis is drinking kool-aid:

Painter said the Boilermakers aren't far from having the kind of potent offense their fans are used to.

"We've lost a few games, and we feel like we should have been in them a little bit more than we were," he said. "We're doing things well. I think we're just close. Hopefully we'll click soon."

Wait, I'm sorry.... we're....doing....things.....................well?

Sorry, I almost vomited a little bit there. It was hard to even type it. If Curtis thinks we're doing things well, then... well.... we're as screwed as we thought.

The view from the over-priced seats

That's true... now he's far worse than average.

From the BS section of Ross-Ade things looked bleak on Saturday. Far worse than I can remember them looking at any time in the past decade. I was able to see for myself how unprepared and unmotivated the team was. The players feed off the excitement of the coaches and of the fans. Well, for a while at least, the fans were excited. The coaches on the other hand; not so much.

Tiller used to breathe fire and could get a rotten sack of potatoes motivated to play a game. Now he could take the defending national champs and convince them that they're going to lose to North Dakota State. It appears to me that Tiller inherited a crappy program and is bound and determined to leave a crappy program.

Yes, Joe, you injected life into a long dormant program and I thank you for that. Now it's time for you to go though. We need a coach that actually cares about not only winning, but actually competing. As others have said, I could live with a losing outcome if the players bothered to show up for the game. If they left it all out on the field, then so be it. We lost to a better team. It happens. When the team shows no motivation what-so-ever, then it's completely different. Just like you benched Painter in the 4th quarter, it's time for the AD to bench you.

Weekend Wrap Up

"How about now...can I take over now??"

The Yearly BS Summit was a smashing success with the exception of the centerpiece of the meeting...but you already knew that. Our Boilers continue to underwhelm when faced with any opposition that is noteworthy. One of our readers continually reminds us that PSU was favored. I really don't give a damn about Vegas' line; but clearly Joe does...his teams simply don't beat teams they're not favored to beat. A horrible Hawaii team beat a respectable Fresno State team this weekend, aOSU beat an angry, cornered Wisky team at home, a fast-rising UNC team beat the ranked UConn squad pretty handily...all of these games have something in common- their systems trained and then allowed the players to make plays.

Unlike many of Purdue's faithful, I don't lay blame at the obvious targets following the game. Do you honestly believe Painter can no longer throw an accurate pass or that Summers has forgotten how to kick fieldgoals? I don't. But, I do believe both of these guys have been effectively neutered. Outside pressures have clearly crushed them...mentally, they seem to be out of the game. So, of course, Painter will get the start in Columbus Saturday...huh?

Look at the losses of importance over the last 5 seasons...you'll see a ton of them. It's not one player not making a play, it's a potpourri of poor execution and lack of mental toughness. From defenders missing tackles and dropping interceptions, to quarterbacks disappearing, to running backs fumbling, to kickers pushing or hooking key kicks, to wide receivers not being able to create space...the mediocrity that's woven into this program has been a team effort. If Brock Spack's defense shows up (like Saturday), SURPRISE, the offense and/or Special Teams are no-shows...if the offense starts to make noise (i.e. UND '08), the defense will wet the bed. Are you guys getting the point yet? All of these players and the units they're a part of are trained with the same mentality by the same mastermind.

It's not all negative though...I was happy to see Bolden playing. But wondered as I saw it, "Self, if Tiller says Siller is going to be one of the greatest RBs at Purdue by the time he leaves, shouldn't he at least play a few downs every game?" Tardy looked very good at times, when given the opportunity, as did Orton. Smith, to me, seems to be underutilized and would do well as a passing down tight end. Sheets also had some nifty runs, but seemed to shy away from contact...especially when the draw left/right was called and the PSU line seemed to know exactly when it was coming...freaky.

I was also impressed with the play of Ryan Kerrigan & DeVarro Greaves...they looked they the were "running downhill" unlike a few of the defensive linemen.

Colts
With the Colts down by 17 and 8:00 left on the clock, I was pretty sure the game was over. Plus, I was very tired...So I decided to take a nap with the game in the background. I awaken to the announcers talking about Reggie Wayne's miraculous grab...I looked at the score and dismissed it as a half-sleeping mind trick...But as the cobwebs were knocked loose, I noticed that I had slept through an amazing comeback fueled by Gary Brackett and the defense's amazing effort.
These Colts are still not right...the offense looks lackluster and Manning is not sharp. But, unlike my favorite college team, when one part of the team falls off, often, another rises to the occasion to seal victory. Refreshing. Conversely, the lowly Texans made sure someone was giving the game away. Bad teams make bad plays at key moments.

Cubs
Best regular-season team in baseball.

aOSU
I was very impressed with Terrell Pryor in the closing minutes of the Wisky game. After Wisconsin went ahead, he had a bit of a grin on his face as he put his helmet on...almost like he wanted to be in this position...Pretty remarkable, especially for a Freshman. And his final run, the option that seemed to have no space due to the sideline, looked smooth and effortless. He's a killer.

Really good. Against D-III

Spoilermakers?? Not a Chance.

The label of Spoilermaker became pretty popular in the Burtnett, Akers and Colletto years simply because no one really every expected Purdue to win...so when the did, it spoiled some unexpected team's afternoon and maybe even their season.

Now, expectations are back to being low, how low? Hear what Joe Tiller had to say about last week's effort v. UND:

"I told our team at halftime, 'Fellas you couldn't be in a more enviable position. You're sitting here at 14-all and could be up, but your not. Lets go out there and get up on them like we're capable of doing.' I thought I would get a great big, 'Yea,' but I got more like an, 'OK.'"


"After watching the tape on Sunday, I can understand why they were of that mood," Tiller explained. "Even though we were in the football game and actually were in position to be ahead in the football game, they were getting knocked around pretty good, they were getting manhandled pretty good in the first half so I could see why maybe at halftime they weren't quite sure how much more they had in them if they had to go out on the field and had to stay on the field. Of course, that's exactly what happened to us.”

So, Joe asked a few years ago for fans to manage their expectations. Now, he's got what he wants...no one has any expectations of his squad...not his players, not his coaches, not even himself. He got his record, smoked his victory cigar, what more does he have to prove, right?

I think regardless of how this season goes, Tiller will be remembered by the majority of the super-soft Purdue fanbase as one of the great coaches, if not the all-time greatest...I don't agree with the idea that this season doesn't affect his legacy.

He decided to leave the cupboard pretty baren following this season; he had faith in this team during camp...it's time to show why. Afterall, it gets even harder next week.

Painful But Imperative Rebuilding Process
Tiller doesn't like the idea of rebuilding, clearly. He came in and won right away with the group that Colletto couldn't seem to win too many games with. Then the Boilers got even better as a few recruits came in. But, after the Rose Bowl, Purdue probably should have focused on rebuilding toward another great team instead of accepting just another bowl game. Tiller wanted to go to a bowl game, no matter how lousy, each season. Now, it looks like the program is finally going to need to be rebuilt next season.

A watered-down spread offense with very few weapons remaining and a defense that hasn't been the aggressor in five years is what '09 looks like. Coach Hope has a tough road ahead of him in his first season as head coach. Not only does he have to pick up the pieces of three or four poor recruiting off-seasons, but also needs to re-install a sense of discipline and accountability among the team.

The system, the attitudes and the overall culture of Purdue football desperately needs an overhaul.

My Sources Say...
Here's what Purdue football has become, according to a few people close to the program.

Young players are afraid of Tiller...he's always quiet, doesn't raise his voice, doesn't talk a lot; and the young guys are worried about what he's thinking and how he's going to punish those who step out of line.

Conversely, the older players have seen that the coach won't discipline guys that have been arrested or have been involved in conduct detrimental to the team...So many of them take it easy. In fact, I'm told some players simply don't practice as the seasons wear on. As a result, team unity is pretty lousy because these vets aren't punished for their lack of effort and instead, are rewarded with starting roles or significant playing time...while a guy buried in the depth chart who busts his hump barely sees the field.

If this is what the program's become, it's sad...but it also makes a great deal of sense. As I talked about a few days ago, individual players and the greater program no longer seems to move forward from year to year.

Tiller came into Purdue and held Chike Okeafor accountable for his actions...and made him earn his way back onto the team. This showed who was running the show and earned immediate respect from the team. Keep in mind, Okeafor was one of the only members of the Purdue defense to have received accolades coming into the '97 season...his class and previous accomplishments didn't matter...there was one standard and he had to live up to it.

It's going to be hard for this Purdue team to turn around what we've seen so far. The culture of "you only have to win by one" and "never too high, never too low" is deeply engrained in the captains and Seniors. My hope is that someone is given enough latitude that they can smack their team mates around and bring this underachieving group back to life...It's not probable, but it is possible. I'm still holding out for Hope's sake.