Handsome Hour: 9/29/10

The Handsome-est duo ever is back...

And they're pissed.

Which direction will the season go from here, is now the question.

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Purdue v. Northwestern Predicto

All Over The Place
Tim says:

It's hard to be realistic when that realism is the exact opposite of what you want to happen and know can happen. I want Purdue to take out all of their frustration on Northwestern and beat them by 40. I think Purdue can beat Northwestern by 20 if the right Boilermaker team shows up. I expect them to win by about 8. I fear that they will lose by 10.

How can all of those things be for the same team? Maybe it's because of the growing pains. Maybe it's because of inexperience. It's been impossible to predict which team will show up for a quarter, let alone the entire game.

The running game has disappeared. Elliott has not settled in to the role as we hoped he would. The wide receivers seem to be better than expected. The secondary is worse than expected. The team in general is just all over the place.

So, what's my prediction? Who knows! Anything can happen this weekend.

For the record,

Purdue - 28
Northwestern - 20

No real analysis here
J says:

I'm not making my picks on real analysis much anymore. No, I'm going to just start picking based on weird things. Like the fact that it's Homecoming this weekend and I think Northwestern's beatable. Do I expect the Boilermakers to come out fired up and angry after last week's third consecutive frustrating loss? No, not necessarily. But I like to believe this sort of thing is possible. In my heart, I KNOW the Boilermakers can beat the Wildcats. But we've all seen what creative ways Purdue football finds to turn themselves into the coyote.

Based on the direction morale is potentially heading, we're running out of chances to see this team right the ship for 2009. Does that make this game even more critical? Perhaps. Losing this one puts the team at 1-4 and, really, the season will have truly felt like it will have slipped away. But win this one and you're 1-0 in conference. Not a bad place to be. Let's be optimistic and give some benefit of the doubt that the offense will continue to have solid pockets of performance and the defense will play like they did during their positive moments in the UND game -- that is, aggressive and confident, not back on their heels.
Purdue 31
Northwestern 27

Show me
boilerdowd says:

Northwestern's fanbase is shocked and perplexed- they were sure an 8-win season was in the cards...at the very least...but what they've seen is their beloved 'Cats falter and stumble to a 2-2 record...and one of their wins was by a thin margin v. a mighty squad from Eastern Michigan. They're a mirror image in a lot of ways, to our Boilers. They can't finish close games, don't tackle well and are pretty thin at the skilled positions. But, their quarterback, Kafka, is a mother this season...not with his legs, but his arm. He's completing over 70% of his passes. That's exceptional, especially for a guy who was known as a runner prior to this season. Last year, he rushed for 200+ v. Minnesota alone. But, this year, he's a bit off of that pace. He has ONE yard rushing. Sure, those numbers are skewed because of sacks, but, his biggest game running the ball was an explosion of 21 yards. Kind of hard to believe...But believe it!

So, the belly read option isn't working to well for the 'Cat...I know a cure for them- play Purdue. NIU's quarterback completely controlled the game running a similar style of game...but after a while didn't even have to run the option- he just got under center and handed the ball off. Oregon's Masoli ran the same offense brilliantly versus the Boilers for a few quarters and led the shaky Ducks to victory. And last week, while spelling Pickles, Dane Crist made Purdue's defense look like they thought it wasn't legal to touch the QB for the first 5 yards after scrimmage...at least for a quarter and one half.

So while Northwestern hasn't been able to finish of games, Purdue one ups them in that category and has lost three games in very creative fashion- (1) by giving away a lead, storming back and barely losing. (2) by letting a team kick their collective ass for 3 quarters and then fighting back to lose by a touchdown. (3) by fighting back from a 10pt deficit in the fourth quarter, to take the lead and hand the game to the opponent by playing a preventative base defense.

Purdue's team looks like it can cure what ails a lot of woes for their opponents...and while I think this team is good-enough to be 4-0, our Boilers stand at 1-3 heading into homecoming. I'll be there, I'll be cheering vociferously and hopeful they can finish...but until I see it with my own eyes, I don't believe they can close anyone out. Tackling will most-certainly be a problem once again this week.

Prove me wrong.

Northwestern 40
Purdue 39.5

To your call once more we rally, Alma Mater, hear our praise;
Where the Wabash spreads its valley, Filled with joy our voices raise.
From the skies in swelling echoes Come the cheers that tell the tale,
Of your vict'ries and your heroes, Hail Purdue! We sing all hail!

Hail, hail to old Purdue! All hail to our old gold and black!
Hail, hail to old Purdue! Our friendship may she never lack,
Ever grateful ever true, Thus we raise our song anew,
Of the days we've spent with you, All hail our own Purdue.

Purple Predicto: Purdue v. Northwestern

It's that time, ladies and gentlemen...Time for three low-IQ bloggers to make their prediction of how their alma mater's football team will fare in this weeks contest...

Tim says:
I think after two good defensive weeks, the D lets up against a weaker opponent. Until Painter gets pulled, I don't think the offense is going to do anything worthwhile either.

Northwestern - 20
Purdue - 10

J says:

After many of us giving up on the Boilers in recent weeks, the defense has honestly really shown up and played tough. Are they doing enough? No, and not just because the offense can't score at all anymore. They need to do more in terms of pressuring QBs and creating turnovers. I don't care if they need to make their girlfriends run through the house greased up and carrying a loaf of bread while they tackle and try to "strip" them. They need to do something -- more than they're doing. I know it sounds demanding but, honestly, if they'd had a couple of takeaways here and there and maybe one big play on defense (or special teams, for that matter) then they're truly IN both the PSU and OSU games with a legit shot to win them. It sounds like crazy talk but it's not. So yes, I'm pleased the defense still appears to be coming to work every day. The same cannot be said for the offense, but there are those out there who say "I expected us to be 2-4 at this point." Well, good-for-effing-you. Expect mediocrity, that's fine. But even if you did "expect" this, did you also expect Curtis' game to go into the can so badly? I bet you did not.

So Curtis and the Curtisettes need to get back on track. Tardy and Orton can be men among boys out there and Kory has repeatedly shown his explosiveness and is being wasted. Let's hope that Northwestern's porous D is enough to get the boys back on track. I think it might be. It's homecoming in Evanston and I have a feeling Cats fans are chalking this one in the win column, at least as much as they chalk anything into the win column in advance. Let's ruin their homecoming and maybe, just maybe, get the Purdue season sort of back on track. A win here gives at least a glimmer of hope for some fun the rest of the way. A loss here and there's the serious risk of only 1-2 more wins all season.

I'll switch it up and go back to being a positive thinker this week.

Purdue 27

Northwestern 24

boilerdowd says:
I've said it all along, I think Northwestern is a pretender. I've also said over and over that Purdue's team is flat- out not good at this point. It's a damned shame too...I think there is talent in the stable; this Senior class deserves more than a Motor City Bowl-type of season...but much better, at this point seems like pie-in-the sky.

My gut says Purdue loses and Sutton runs wild as Purdue's defense lets down and the offense finally gets clicking.

My head, ironically, says something completely different. It could be my lack of IQ talking, but I think Purdue is going to win handily. I've said it all along, Painter hasn't forgotten how to play the game...he may be poorly coached and ill-prepared, but the guy could sling it for 3 seasons...I doubt he's regressed so far that he no longer knows how to complete 60% of his passes.

The last two losses came at the hands of very good, very well-coached teams...their DBs are fast and smother receivers. I'm not as impressed with NU's corners as I was with PSU's and aOSU's...I am impressed with Purdue's receivers as I've said over and over. I think Painter will actually hit them quite often to the dismay of the 5,000-or-so NU screaming homecoming fans at Ryan Field. I also see Sheets busting at least one big run for a touch...perhaps Coach Z can help him by not calling draw plays on first down??? Or maybe, the coaches will try to get him in space? I know it's a whacky idea, but it might work.

Purdue's defense seems to have its feet under it...so I'm looking for big things from Kerrigan and Baker, specifically. If the three linebackers can do their job by keeping an eye on Bacher and Sutton, those guys will be able to contain the slippery Cat offense.

While Fitzgerald looks a lot like the handsome Drew Brees (I'm OK admitting I have a crush on a man), I don't believe he thinks Purdue's team is as good as he's been telling the press...Much like J, I think he and the rest of the Purdple nation think the Boilers will play dead for them tomorrow.

The ole formula of Tiller-coached teams scoring 30+ points comes into play Saturday...and the Boilers win the 5 game v. a ranked opponent in the last 4.5 seasons...

Purdue 35
Northwestern 24

What you said:
Just over 87% of you, the BS reader thinks Purdue wins this contest...

Purdue v. Northwestern Prognostications

No slump-busting SBF needed this week as the Boilers are coming off of a victory that stopped a two-game slide. But, can the Boilers keep a good thing going in spite of their woes under Tiller in the month of October?

The weather forecast doesn't look too good heading into tomorrow's contest between our Boilers and the 5-3 Northwestern Wildcats. In the past, Northwestern was more of a run-first spread option, sloppy, wet conditions used to favor those clad in purple. This season though, it's not the case since Purdue's offense is extremely balanced, especially with the re-emergence of one tough S.O.B., Jaycen Taylor...so, what will happen tomorrow in God's Country?

Here are our predictions:

J Says:

CJ Bacher could prove to be a thorn in the side of the Purdue defense. Neither team can stop the pass so this one really does have all the makings of a 45-42 shootout and NW has been involved in a few games like that already this season. That proves to me that not only can their defense not stop teams, but their offense doesn't get bothered by that and just keeps on coming. I have to believe that if both teams play their typical game that Purdue should win, simply because I think the Purdue offense is a little bit better and the Purdue defense is more than a little bit better. That said, it's not anywhere near out of the realm of possibility that Purdue plays weakly and is down 21-7 in the second quarter. But I don't think that'll happen. I think this year, more than any in recent memory, Purdue plays according to the script. As boilerdowd has said many times, we never win games we're not supposed to win and we very rarely lose games we're supposed to win. Purdue has played strong at home this year and last week was proof that the team still has focus and drive to win 9/10 games this season. Let's hope there's no looking ahead to PSU and that the Boilers come to play. I'm confident they will, despite the fact the NW has kind of had our number in recent years.

Purdue 38
NW 31

Tim says:

Cold. Rainy. Sucky offenses. Purdue eeks one out.

Purdue 18
NW 16

Ryan says:

I think Purdue's balance, and specifically an ever-healthier Jaycen Taylor will help Purdue control the game and put Northwestern in a position which they have to do some things they don't want to do. I think Purdue's lack of depth at free safety is a big concern, and might come into play during this one. But, Purdue's defensive front seemed to have pressure on Iowa all last week and should be able to do the same again this week since NW's offensive line isn't one of the biggest they'll face this season. I also think the Boilers' offensive line will control the trenches on the other side of the ball. On top of that, Northwestern has one of the worst kickoff coverage teams in the nation...Purdue is one of the best while returning the ball...look for Bryant and/or Tardy to make their mark on this game quickly. The 40-point rule is in effect this week as the Boilers roll and beat their first winning-record team in two seasons.

Purdue 42
NW 28