Warning: This is very long, you will think I am a loser after reading this.
Well, it appears that everybody has their solutions for the giant mess that is the BCS. I, myself, have a bunch of solutions and, apparently, listing them all here is more important than all of my finals and graduate school applications. So, let's take a look at a few of the arguments for and against the BCS.
For: It is better than the previous system, it makes the regular season incredibly meaningful, and it preserves the history and pageantry of the bowl system. Not to mention that many conferences, athletic programs, and University presidents stand to lose money if the system changes. So, for a new system to be successful, it will have to be practical, fair, and meet all of the requirements mentioned above. To recap, a new system will have to be better than the previous system, (which was pretty much all power teams play nobody of relevance, and the team that was most impressive in its blowout victories/has the biggest name becomes national champion) that shouldn't be too hard to top. It must also keep people who love the bowl system relatively happy, and it must generate revenue on the same scale that the BCS does. (Note: I am an accountant or an economist, so I'm just kinda hoping on that point.) Lastly it must keep the regular season meaningful, which shouldn't be too hard since most people still think the NFL regular season is meaningful.
Against: Basically, it sucks. It screws deserving teams out of the chance to play for a championship. That is pretty much all a new system has to do to fix this, don't screw any deserving teams. This is, however, probably going to happen in all practical systems.
Ok, let's get down to the nitty gritty here, each of these systems will be graded on a few factors:
Chances of it ever happening- This covers the money and practicality of the system, as well as keeping with the bowl tradition. This also accounts for if it keeps the regular season significant.
Fun Factor- This explains itself, but it covers if the system is better than the previous one.
Screw Factor- This rating takes into account how many deserving teams would be screwed by each system, thus ensuring a fair way to crown a national champion.
Before we get to the proposals (I told you this was long) let's meet our "deserving" teams. Basically, these are the teams that can really claim they have a shot to win the national title, and I will evaluate how "deserving" I think they really are. They are listed by BCS rank.
1.Alabama- No argument here, with the win over Florida they proved their the top team in the land, despite a lackluster performance against Auburn in the Iron Bowl. But there are systems where I do not see them winning it all.
2. Texas- No doubt Texas deserves a chance to play for a national title. They ran the table in the Big 12, no small task, but looked average against Texas A&M and Nebraska to close out the year.
3. Cincinnati- They ran the table, but I have a hard time considering the Big East any better than the Mountain West or even the WAC. Still, the Bearcats did what they had to do, winning close games home against West Virginia and at Pittsburgh, so they have to be considered. What sucks for them is their coach bolted for greener pastures. For arguments sake in these projections, I am going to pretend that didn't happen in for of my models.
4. TCU- The Horned Frogs, to me, are the only team that has a legitimate gripe under the current system. No offense to Cincy, but TCU beat as many teams that are currently ranked, and did it in more impressive fashion than the Bearcats did, beating Utah and BYU by a combined 58 points. They also scored a very impressive early season road win against Clemson, a team better than any team Cincy played not named Pitt or West Virginia.
5. Florida- In actuality, the Gators are probably the second best team in the country. Unfortunately, as the SEC title game showed us, it is a distant second. Florida will probably blow the Bearcats, who have been abandoned by their head coach Brian Kelly who left for Notre Dame, in the Sugar Bowl. That's rough because I would really have liked to see a fully prepared, not distracted, Cincinnati team play Florida on a neutral site, but that is not what we will get.
6. Boise State- This team really impressed me with their season opening win against Oregon at home. They absolutely man handled the Ducks (who are going to a more prestigious bowl than them) and looked like a team that could contend for a national title. Then I looked at their remaining schedule and said "not a chance." Oregon was the only ranked team they played all year and unranked Tulsa, Nevada, and Louisiana Tech were all able to give the Broncos fights. Sorry Boise, this year I don't think you could hang with the big boys. It is, however, a travesty and a cop out that they matched Boise and TCU up in the Fiesta Bowl. These two teams met last year in the Poinsettia bowl, and both deserve a shot at a BCS school.
7. Oregon- The Ducks, as I mentioned earlier, lost in Boise to start the season, but then caught fire, winning their next seven games before losing a tough road battle to an underrated Stanford team. Though my Boilermakers gave them a bitter fight in their second game, I really like Oregon's offense, and I think it gives them a puncher's chance against any team they play. Still, they have no real argument for why they should be playing for a title, much like our last team...
8. Ohio State- I'm sorry, but I watched this team come in to Ross Ade Stadium and get man handled by the Boilers, so I have a hard time thinking that they have any right to claim a shot at the title. They play great D, but turn the ball over too much, and are sometimes downright ugly to watch on offense. Also, their biggest win of the year was at home against an overrated Iowa team who was without their starting quarterback, and the game was still very close. They did score an impressively decisive win in Happy Valley against Penn State, so I will give them that credit.
Now, finally, without further delay, here are my proposals...
Pure Playoff- This is what everybody wants isn't it? It will also never happen, let's get that out of the way right now. First, let's look at the criteria for making this national tournament: I don't see why the Big East and ACC get automatic BCS bids and the MWC and WAC do not so, the winners of the six BCS conferences and the MWC and WAC all get automatic bids. I then think the country should be divided up in to East and West, with the MWC, WAC, Pac 10, and Big 12 making up the West, and the Big 10, SEC, ACC, and Big East making up the East. The top four seeds in each region are automatic qualifiers and they are seeded based on their BCS rank. So, it would look like this for 2009:
West
1. Texas- Big 12 1
2. TCU- MWC
3. Boise- WAC
4. Oregon- Pac 10
East
1. Alabama
2. Cincinnati
3. Ohio State
4. Georgia Tech
Next, four at large bids would be selected from each region based on their BCS rank. However, like in the current BCS, there can be no more than two teams from any conference. Sorry, but if you don't finish in the top two in your conference, I have a hard time believing you are the best team in the country. Also, team's from conferences like Conference USA and the MAC can be added in to either side if they are ranked in any poll and there is room for them. So, the at large's would go like this:
West
5. BYU- MWC
6. Oregon State- Pac 10
7. Oklahoma State- Big 12
8. Central Michigan- MAC
East
5. Florida
6. Iowa
7. Virginia Tech
8. West Virginia
The bracket is then put together with 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7 and so on. In the second round, it would be (1 or 8) vs (4 or 5), and (2 or 7) vs (3 or 6). The first two rounds, the higher seeded team gets home field advantage. The regional championships will be held at the Fiesta Bowl for the West region, and the Orange Bowl for the East Region. The national title game will rotate between the Sugar Bowl and the Rose Bowl every year. Out of the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl, whichever is not hosting the national title game, will get the two highest ranked teams to not make the tournament to play in their bowl game.
West
First Round:Texas def. C. Michigan, TCU def. Oklahoma St. Boise St. def. Oregon St. and Oregon def. BYU
Second Round: Texas def. Oregon and TCU def. Boise St.
West Championship played at Fiesta Bowl: TCU def. Texas.
East
First Round: Alabama def. West Virginia, Cincinnati def. Virginia Tech, Ohio State def. Iowa, and Florida wins at Georgia Tech.
Second Round: Alabama def. Florida, Ohio State wins at Cincinnati.
East Championship played at Orange Bowl: Alabama def. Ohio State.
National Title Game at Rose Bowl: Alabama def. TCU: Champion
Proposal Rating:
Chances of it Ever Happening- 0. Or about as much chance as Notre Dame has of winning the title next year.
Fun Factor- 10. Not only is the tournament idea awesome, it creates the possibity of interesting home field advantages. How would Florida cope if they had to play in Columbus in late December with temperatures around zero and snow coming down? Who knows.
Screw Factor- 10. You want a high number in all of them, so this should really be called the not screwed factor, but you get the point. No team left out has a legit argument to be No. 1.
Bowl Bonanza (The March Madness Model)- This is my favorite one because I happen to really like the bowl system and think it should stay in place. But, I also like for bowls to mean something, and here I think there is a happy median of the two. The top six bowl games will get to mean the most, so I am using the BCS bowls (Rose, Fiesta, Orange, and Sugar) and adding to them the Cotton Bowl and the Capital One Bowl. Those six bowls will host a national tournament of eight teams with the championship game being played at one of the four BCS bowl sites on a rotating basis, just like it is in the current system. So, the top eight teams, regardless of conference, are in a bracket like so:
1. Alabama
Orange Bowl
8. Ohio State
4. TCU
Cotton Bowl
5. Florida
3. Cincinnati
Capital One Bowl
6. Boise St.
2. Texas
Fiesta Bowl
7. Oregon
The Orange Bowl and Fiesta Bowl would get the top two ranked teams, and the Cotton Bowl would get the most intruiging matchup at 4 vs 5. Here, I think TCU upsets Florida because the Cotton Bowl is basically a home game for them. Lucky Horned Forgs. Next, the winners of these bowl games would meet in either the Rose Bowl or the Sugar Bowl, based on which is a better geographic fit for each game. So:
1. Alabama
Sugar Bowl
5. TCU
2. Texas
Rose Bowl
3. Cinicinnati
Now the winners of those two games play each other for the title, so Bama would play Texas. And I pick Bama.
But, that's not it. This is the March Madness Model, and the other part of March Madness is the NIT Tounrament. Does college football need an NIT? Absolutely not, but it would make a bunch of marginal bowl games very interesting, so I am going to propose an eight team NIT using up the next seven bowl games and boom, suddenly 14 bowl games actually matter, not one. I think you split the country in half again and include the mid majors. I think the MAC, WAC, Mountain West, and Conference USA, should all get automatic bids to this tournament, with the MAC and C-USA are in the East, with the MWC and WAC in the west, to go with their BCS counterparts. The seven bowls I would use are:
East- Gator, Outback, Chick-fil-A, and Liberty.
West- Holiday, Sun, and Alamo.
Title game in Gator Bowl. Here's the bracket:
West East
1. BYU 1. Ga. Tech
Sun Bowl Chic-fil-A Bowl
4. Arizona 4. E. Carolina
2. Oregon St. 2. Iowa Alamo Bowl Liberty Bowl
3. Oklahoma St. 3. C. Michigan
Sun Bowl Winner vs Alamo Bowl winner in the Holiday Bowl
1.BYU vs 3. Oklahoma St.- Winner Oklahoma St.
Chic-fil-A Bowl winner vs Liberty Bowl winner
1. Ga. Tech vs C. Michigan
Gator Bowl
Oklahoma St. vs Ga. Tech
NIT Champion- Oklahoma St.
This is what I love about this system. Even a team like OSU, who lost some disappointing games, can end their season on a very positive note.
Proposal Rating
Chances of it ever happening: 4. It's a complex idea, but it keeps the traditional bowl structure and turns it into a playoff at the top. It takes it from one meaningful bowl game to 14. And, you could still fill in the other 20 bowls after this, so yes, Purdue could go back to Detroit if they so choose.
Fun Factor- 8. You have to love that it gives the MAC and Conference USA champs something to play for other than a game against the worst team in the Big Ten or SEC. Plus it could set up some very interesting matchups in both brackets.
Screw Factor- 10. Again, nobody can really gripe about this one.
Re-rank system:
This proposal calls for the BCS to still exist, except for the championship game, and invite teams based on historical tie-ins plus current BCS qualifying rules. These game would be played, then a a four team playoff would ensue after those games were played and the teams re-ranked. For example.
Rose Bowl- 8. Ohio State vs 7. Oregon (Big Ten vs Pac 10)
Orange Bowl- 9. Georgia Tech vs 3. Cincinnati (ACC vs at large)
Sugar Bowl- 1. Alabama vs 6. Boise St. (SEC vs at large)
Fiesta Bowl- 2. Texas vs 4. TCU (Big 12 vs at large)
Now, I know what you are thinking; Where the heck is 5. Florida?? Well, according to BCS rules, if a team is undeafeated and ranked in the top 8, they must make the BCS. So, Boise St. gets in over Florida even though the Gators are ranked higher. Another note: The at large bid for the Orange Bowl almost always goes to the Big East Champ because they have no historical tie in, but have an automatic BCS berth. There is still hope for Flordia. For instance, if Texas were to beat TCU, Georgia Tech were to upset Cincinnati, and Alabama were to beat Boise St. the new rankings would likely be:
1. Alabama
2. Texas
3. Rose Bowl Champ
4. Florida
In fact, Florida could get in if only two of those things happened. This is all assuming Florida won their bowl game, which would likely be the Capital One Bowl against Iowa.
But, under my predictions Florida is not so lucky because I believe Oregon wins the Rose Bowl, Cincinnati wins the Orange Bowl, TCU pulls the upset in the Fiesta Bowl, and Alabama wins the Sugar Bowl. When re-ranked, the teams end up like this.
1. Alabama
2.TCU
3. Cincinnati
4. Oregon- Here the Ducks jump Florida because of a more impressive bowl victory and a conference championship.
Here is where it gets fun. The first two weeks of the second semester decide the champion.
Oregon travels to Alabama and Cincinnati travels to TCU. Both home teams win and a championship game is played in the brand new Cowboys Stadium where the Horned Frogs, riding their home field advantage, take home the national championship.
Proposal Rating
Chances it will ever happen- 6. Still not a great chance, but this one allows the BCS to do its thing, then rewards winning schools with an additional home game, where they will be the only game on TV, to earn more revenue.
Fun Factor- 8. It's a little less fun because less teams are included, but it involves bowls and home field advantage, so that's gotta count for something.
Screw Factor- 5. This one really screws Florida, but that's what happens when you try to stick to BCS rules; someone gets screwed.
Cut the BS Proposal
Ok, so, like the title says, let's cut the BS. This is all about the eye ball test, so a selection committee will be involved. For our purposes, I will be the committee here. Just like the NCAA tournament, 1 seeds, 2 seeds, 3 seeds, and 4 seeds will be selected and stuck in brackets.
My 1 seeds are Alabama, and Texas, TCU and Florida. 2 seeds are Cincinnati, Boise St. Oregon, and Ohio State. 3 seeds are Georgia Tech, LSU, Penn State, and Virginia Tech. My 4 seeds are Iowa, BYU, Oregon St. and Oklahoma St. Here are the regions and seeds.
East
1.Florida
2.Cincinnati
3. Georgia Tech
4. Iowa
West
1.Texas
2.Boise St.
3. Penn St.
4. Oregon St.
North
1.TCU
2.Oregon
3. Virginia Tech
4. BYU
South
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. LSU
4. Oklahoma St.
And yes, I am aware I dropped Iowa (they have no quarterback at the moment) and BYU (they are quite overrated, did you see them play FSU?) and completely left out Pitt and West Virginia (the Big East sucks). But, hey, when you're a one man committee, you gotta make tough decisions. Anyways, it plays out 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 with the winner playing each other in every bracket. The south winner then plays the north winner, and the east winner plays the west winner. Oh, by the way, all of these games are home games for the higher seed, even the championship game. If that doesn't make for an intense environment, I don't know what will.
So, the results, starting in the East: I like Florida to beat Iowa and Cincinnati in the Swamp.
In the West: Texas beats Oregon St. but Penn St. upsets Boise St. Penn St. then goes on the road an upends the Longhorns.
In the North: TCU beats BYU again convincingly, and wins a squeeker the following week against Oregon.
In the South: Alabama beats OK St. but LSU upsets Ohio State. Alabama then takes care of LSU again.
Semi-finals
Penn State @ Florida- Gators roll as Penn State fails to move the ball against the Gator defense.
TCU @ Alabama- A defensive struggle comes down to the wire but the Tide is too tough in Tuscaloosa.
Championship
Florida @ Alabama- Tebow has the troops fired up but, as we saw the first time, Alabama is the better team. Tide wins, but only by a score this time.
Proposal Ratings
Chance it ever happens- 0. As in, not an effing chance. This thing would go into the second semester, a major no-no to university presidents and cost the bowls all their revenue.
Fun Factor- 9. You lose a point because there is no bowl environment, but college football is really about the atmosphere of a home game, not a neutral site one.
Screw Factor- 9. Nobody is left out, but I may have screwed Iowa out of a higher seed, and Pitt and WVU would no doubt be pissed. Still, in the end, none of them can say they earned No. 1 with the way they played this year.
Plus One Proposal
This is what all the pundits have told us has the best chance of happening, so let's see how it works. It works the exact same way as the re rank system and you end up with Alabama vs TCU, and me saying Alabama wins the title this time around because the game would be in Arizona, not Dallas.
Proposal Rating
Chance it ever happens- 7. If it's gonna be any of them, this is probably the one.
Fun Factor- 6. I give it a six, because I give the current system a five, and this is slightly better. You get a more deserving champion, but it is such a vanilla solution.
Screw Factor- 2. The current system has a Screw Factor of 1 (the worst you can get) so this is a slight upgrade. Watch out because Cincinnati, and Boise St. will both have legit arguments to be No. 1 here. Oh well, at least that's one less team. Florida could gripe too, but they had their shot at Bama, and all of the other teams ranked highly have two losses.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Rivalry Game
Lately I've been reading some Michigan fans' blogs and I've come up with an idea. After I stopped laughing at their anger for us, I decided it's time to start a new tradition.
Purdue and Indiana have the Old Oaken Bucket, Purdue and Notre Dame have the Shillelagh Trophy, and Purdue and Illinois, the Purdue Cannon. Purdue and Michigan need something to battle over, besides receivers.
Now I know that you Michigan fans out there think that Purdue is a second rate team that shouldn't even be allowed into the sacred "Big House." The wining-est team in the nation should not even be bothered by Purdue, right?? Well over the last two years, some drama has gone down and some shots were fired both ways, but now that we have beaten you two years in a row and sent your coach crying, I believe you have been brought down a few pegs yourself. Hopefully your ego has, too.
My roommate and I thought long and hard about this. Our first idea for a trophy was based off of Rich Rodriguez's nickname, DickRod. Clearly this is not a good idea...unless it was awarded to the loser.
Given the last two years, we should award the winner of the Purdue/Michigan game with the Snake Oil Trophy. In my mind I see a jar with DickRod's face on it. The trophy will be a token of the history (recent and distant past) of the two programs, and will remind everybody not to be a douche bag.
We can even have mini-traditions for the game. Say that Purdue wins, every year Purdue wins the team will hoist Zack Reckman and parade him around the stadium. Imagine, if you will, in 40 years time, an old Reckman being carried around by students who barely know why they're doing so. That my friends is a tradition.
I see the winners proudly hoisting the trophy above their heads and thinking that next year the same team that you deem unworthy may make a grown man cry and put the final nails in your season's coffin.
-D
Purdue and Indiana have the Old Oaken Bucket, Purdue and Notre Dame have the Shillelagh Trophy, and Purdue and Illinois, the Purdue Cannon. Purdue and Michigan need something to battle over, besides receivers.
Now I know that you Michigan fans out there think that Purdue is a second rate team that shouldn't even be allowed into the sacred "Big House." The wining-est team in the nation should not even be bothered by Purdue, right?? Well over the last two years, some drama has gone down and some shots were fired both ways, but now that we have beaten you two years in a row and sent your coach crying, I believe you have been brought down a few pegs yourself. Hopefully your ego has, too.
My roommate and I thought long and hard about this. Our first idea for a trophy was based off of Rich Rodriguez's nickname, DickRod. Clearly this is not a good idea...unless it was awarded to the loser.
Given the last two years, we should award the winner of the Purdue/Michigan game with the Snake Oil Trophy. In my mind I see a jar with DickRod's face on it. The trophy will be a token of the history (recent and distant past) of the two programs, and will remind everybody not to be a douche bag.
We can even have mini-traditions for the game. Say that Purdue wins, every year Purdue wins the team will hoist Zack Reckman and parade him around the stadium. Imagine, if you will, in 40 years time, an old Reckman being carried around by students who barely know why they're doing so. That my friends is a tradition.
I see the winners proudly hoisting the trophy above their heads and thinking that next year the same team that you deem unworthy may make a grown man cry and put the final nails in your season's coffin.
-D
Monday, November 9, 2009
History and Controversy in The Big House
This past Saturday Purdue did something it hasn't done since LBJ was in the White House; win at Michigan.
The game itself was a fast paced thrill ride that had its fair share of drama, but that was nothing compared to the post game drama between Purdue coach Danny Hope and Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez. For sanity's sake, we'll start with the game.
Purdue started quickly, moving the ball down field at will. Ralph Bolden looked like himself from the beginning of the season as he bounced a handoff outside for 22 yards, then caught a 35 yard touchdown pass from Joey Elliott two plays later. The lead would be short lived, however, as Michigan established star running back, or, as he is listed in their program, superback, Brandon Minor. Say what you want about the title, Minor lived up to it, punishing the Purdue defense to the tune of 154 yards and three rushing touchdowns. The first half was also the coming out party for Michigan receiver Roy Roundtree, a redshirt freshman who you may recall was at the center of some bad blood between these two programs two years ago on national signing day.
The night before that signing day Roundtree, a long time Purdue verbal commit, reassured then Purdue coach Joe Tiller that rumors of him considering changing his mind and commiting to Michigan were totally false. The next day Roundtree was wearing a Michigan cap, Purdue has no one to offer that scholarship to as all their backup players had commited elsewhere, and Joe Tiller was claiming Rodriguez broke a Big Ten coaches gentelmen's rule about recruiting other conference school's commitments. Tiller then let out the quote of his career calling Rodriguez a "person in a wizard's hat selling snake oil."
That was bad blood between Tiller and Rodriguez, certainly new coach Danny Hope has no ill will towards Michigan's second year coach, right? Wrong. Hope apparently was a bit peaved about Rodriguez mentioning in one of his press conference's that Purdue tackle Zach Reckman's hit just after the last play of Purdue's loss to Northern Illinois was not a football play. Rodriguez brought the event up because one of his players had been suspended for throwing a punch in their game against Notre Dame. When asked about it, Hope basically said Rodriguez should mind his own business.
Ok, enough history, back to Saturday.
Purdue trailed 24-10 at the half but answered the bell when Brandon King tipped an option pitch from Tate Forcier and then recovered it himself, Bolden would score on a 19 yard touchdown run the next play. Michigan would then answer with a long drive capped off by a Forcier touchdown run. But, the Wolverine would miss the extra point, and then you just got the feeling the football Gods were giving Purdue a little redemption for the way they lost the Oregon game.
Shortly there after, the Boilers would blow the game wide open with what can only be called the most amazing 15 seconds in Purdue football history. A long drive ended with a Bolden 10 yard touchdown run pulling Purdue within six. Then, on the ensuing kickoff, Hope opted to go with a surprise onside kick which was executed perfectly. Kicker Carson Wiggs bounced it off the turf perfectly and corner David Pender ran under it exactly 10 yards down field. Purdue's first play after the kick, Elliott would roll left away from pressure and finding a streaking Cortez Smith for the 54 yard touchdown, giving Purdue a 31-30 lead. Making his first start in place of the injured Keith Carlos, Smith would go on to lead Purdue with four catches for 85 yards.
Purdue would later add to their lead with an Elliott touchdown run, and were clinging to a 38-30 advantage. Michigan scored great field position thanks to an excellent punt return and soon Minor punched in his third touchdown run of the day, pulling Michigan within two with just over two minutes to play. Unfortunately for Michigan, Ryan Kerrigan, or Superman as he is now known in the Purdue locker room, flew in off the left tackle and nailed Forcier for a sack and ended Michigan's hopes of evening the score.
Now, for the real drama. According to Rodriguez, Hope brought Reckman, his lineman who was suspended earlier this season, to meet with Rodriguez, telling the Michigan coach thankyou for what he did to Reckman. In his post game press conference, Rodriguez brought the incident up unprovoked, and said he did not think that was necessary. Hope, wisely, decided to keep the conversation private, and would not elaborate on what had happened. But this only took Michigan fans' minds off of the real issue, their big money coach is not getting the job done. An abysmal 3-9 record last year seemed all but forgiven when his team started 4-0 this season, including a home win against Notre Dame. Since that point the Wolverine have lost five consecutive Big Ten games, with their only win coming against Deleware State. While I do think Rodriguez is a bit of a skeez, he is a good coach. Unfortunately for Purdue, if the UM faithful give him enough time, he will have this team winning again. But for now, I'm going to enjoy the fact that Purdue is now under Michigan's skin, and that we have their coach fighting for bolw eligibility and, possibly, his job over the next few weeks.
The game itself was a fast paced thrill ride that had its fair share of drama, but that was nothing compared to the post game drama between Purdue coach Danny Hope and Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez. For sanity's sake, we'll start with the game.
Purdue started quickly, moving the ball down field at will. Ralph Bolden looked like himself from the beginning of the season as he bounced a handoff outside for 22 yards, then caught a 35 yard touchdown pass from Joey Elliott two plays later. The lead would be short lived, however, as Michigan established star running back, or, as he is listed in their program, superback, Brandon Minor. Say what you want about the title, Minor lived up to it, punishing the Purdue defense to the tune of 154 yards and three rushing touchdowns. The first half was also the coming out party for Michigan receiver Roy Roundtree, a redshirt freshman who you may recall was at the center of some bad blood between these two programs two years ago on national signing day.
The night before that signing day Roundtree, a long time Purdue verbal commit, reassured then Purdue coach Joe Tiller that rumors of him considering changing his mind and commiting to Michigan were totally false. The next day Roundtree was wearing a Michigan cap, Purdue has no one to offer that scholarship to as all their backup players had commited elsewhere, and Joe Tiller was claiming Rodriguez broke a Big Ten coaches gentelmen's rule about recruiting other conference school's commitments. Tiller then let out the quote of his career calling Rodriguez a "person in a wizard's hat selling snake oil."
That was bad blood between Tiller and Rodriguez, certainly new coach Danny Hope has no ill will towards Michigan's second year coach, right? Wrong. Hope apparently was a bit peaved about Rodriguez mentioning in one of his press conference's that Purdue tackle Zach Reckman's hit just after the last play of Purdue's loss to Northern Illinois was not a football play. Rodriguez brought the event up because one of his players had been suspended for throwing a punch in their game against Notre Dame. When asked about it, Hope basically said Rodriguez should mind his own business.
Ok, enough history, back to Saturday.
Purdue trailed 24-10 at the half but answered the bell when Brandon King tipped an option pitch from Tate Forcier and then recovered it himself, Bolden would score on a 19 yard touchdown run the next play. Michigan would then answer with a long drive capped off by a Forcier touchdown run. But, the Wolverine would miss the extra point, and then you just got the feeling the football Gods were giving Purdue a little redemption for the way they lost the Oregon game.
Shortly there after, the Boilers would blow the game wide open with what can only be called the most amazing 15 seconds in Purdue football history. A long drive ended with a Bolden 10 yard touchdown run pulling Purdue within six. Then, on the ensuing kickoff, Hope opted to go with a surprise onside kick which was executed perfectly. Kicker Carson Wiggs bounced it off the turf perfectly and corner David Pender ran under it exactly 10 yards down field. Purdue's first play after the kick, Elliott would roll left away from pressure and finding a streaking Cortez Smith for the 54 yard touchdown, giving Purdue a 31-30 lead. Making his first start in place of the injured Keith Carlos, Smith would go on to lead Purdue with four catches for 85 yards.
Purdue would later add to their lead with an Elliott touchdown run, and were clinging to a 38-30 advantage. Michigan scored great field position thanks to an excellent punt return and soon Minor punched in his third touchdown run of the day, pulling Michigan within two with just over two minutes to play. Unfortunately for Michigan, Ryan Kerrigan, or Superman as he is now known in the Purdue locker room, flew in off the left tackle and nailed Forcier for a sack and ended Michigan's hopes of evening the score.
Now, for the real drama. According to Rodriguez, Hope brought Reckman, his lineman who was suspended earlier this season, to meet with Rodriguez, telling the Michigan coach thankyou for what he did to Reckman. In his post game press conference, Rodriguez brought the incident up unprovoked, and said he did not think that was necessary. Hope, wisely, decided to keep the conversation private, and would not elaborate on what had happened. But this only took Michigan fans' minds off of the real issue, their big money coach is not getting the job done. An abysmal 3-9 record last year seemed all but forgiven when his team started 4-0 this season, including a home win against Notre Dame. Since that point the Wolverine have lost five consecutive Big Ten games, with their only win coming against Deleware State. While I do think Rodriguez is a bit of a skeez, he is a good coach. Unfortunately for Purdue, if the UM faithful give him enough time, he will have this team winning again. But for now, I'm going to enjoy the fact that Purdue is now under Michigan's skin, and that we have their coach fighting for bolw eligibility and, possibly, his job over the next few weeks.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
New Recruits
A bright spot to note in the otherwise bleak aftermath of Purdue's blowout loss in Madison is the major recruiting coup the Boilers made in Daytona, FL. Mainland High School star receivers O.J. Ross and Chevin Davis, along with their highly touted cornerback teammate Ricardo Allen, all commited to Purdue earlier this week after having been on campus the weekend of Purdue's monumental upset of then-No.7 Ohio State. In my post Ohio State post I said I believed the Ohio State game was the biggest one we could have won this season because of the national coverage and recruiting implications and I believe these commitments show that was the case. All three of the nationally recruited prospects cited the atmosphere in Ross-Ade during the victory as a deciding factor in their commitment.
As for who these recruits are and what they will bring to the table, that is obviously impossible to predict, but it is fun, so I'm going to give it a shot.
O.J. Ross: Rivals.com's No. 45 Player in Florida and No. 41 Receiver: 4 Stars - This kid is the stud of the class so far, and has vitals and combine numbers similar to that of another speedy Purdue receiver who was able to make a meaningful impact as a freshman, Dorien Bryant. Ross is still going to take at least one more official visit, to North Carolina, but has said that he is "pretty solid" with the Boilermakers. If he does make it to West Lafayette, his highlight video indicates that he certainly has the game breaking speed that Danny Hope and his staff have talked about getting since they took over. If he lives up to the hype, he could be an instant starter in the slot.
Ricardo Allen: Rivals.com's No. 58 Player in Florida and No. 27 Cornerback: 3 Stars- There are three star prospects, and then there are Ricardo Allen caliber three star prospects. Some three stars have offers from Ball St. and Indiana. Allen is not one of them. With an offer list that includes some of the nation's best programs, including Michigan, West Virginia, Clemson, and Ole Miss, Allen is certainly a huge pickup for the Boilermakers. His film shows he has great lateral movement with exceptional speed in and out of breaks. He is a bit undersized, as are most defensive backs when they first get on campus, but makes up for his slight lack of height (5-foot-9) with excellent leaping ability. He would really benefit from a redshirt year to bulk up, but a lack of depth at corner where only Charlton Williams, Josh Johnson, and Chris Quinn return could force him into playing before he is physically ready.
Chevin Davis: Not Yet Rated- I am no recruiting expert (who really is) but I do not see how Davis is not yet rated and ranked. If schools like Ole Miss, Illinois (can't win, but man they recruit well) Cincinnati, Michigan State, and Nebraska all want you, you gotta be pretty good. Nothing else I can really report on him because there is no film of him available(probably why he is not ranked), but you have to be exicted about beating Houston Nutt, Ron Zook, Brian Kelly, Mike Dantonio, and Bo Pelini all out for a recruit, considering their reputations as great recruiters.
As for who these recruits are and what they will bring to the table, that is obviously impossible to predict, but it is fun, so I'm going to give it a shot.
O.J. Ross: Rivals.com's No. 45 Player in Florida and No. 41 Receiver: 4 Stars - This kid is the stud of the class so far, and has vitals and combine numbers similar to that of another speedy Purdue receiver who was able to make a meaningful impact as a freshman, Dorien Bryant. Ross is still going to take at least one more official visit, to North Carolina, but has said that he is "pretty solid" with the Boilermakers. If he does make it to West Lafayette, his highlight video indicates that he certainly has the game breaking speed that Danny Hope and his staff have talked about getting since they took over. If he lives up to the hype, he could be an instant starter in the slot.
Ricardo Allen: Rivals.com's No. 58 Player in Florida and No. 27 Cornerback: 3 Stars- There are three star prospects, and then there are Ricardo Allen caliber three star prospects. Some three stars have offers from Ball St. and Indiana. Allen is not one of them. With an offer list that includes some of the nation's best programs, including Michigan, West Virginia, Clemson, and Ole Miss, Allen is certainly a huge pickup for the Boilermakers. His film shows he has great lateral movement with exceptional speed in and out of breaks. He is a bit undersized, as are most defensive backs when they first get on campus, but makes up for his slight lack of height (5-foot-9) with excellent leaping ability. He would really benefit from a redshirt year to bulk up, but a lack of depth at corner where only Charlton Williams, Josh Johnson, and Chris Quinn return could force him into playing before he is physically ready.
Chevin Davis: Not Yet Rated- I am no recruiting expert (who really is) but I do not see how Davis is not yet rated and ranked. If schools like Ole Miss, Illinois (can't win, but man they recruit well) Cincinnati, Michigan State, and Nebraska all want you, you gotta be pretty good. Nothing else I can really report on him because there is no film of him available(probably why he is not ranked), but you have to be exicted about beating Houston Nutt, Ron Zook, Brian Kelly, Mike Dantonio, and Bo Pelini all out for a recruit, considering their reputations as great recruiters.
A Ghastly Game
In a classic display of the Purdue ineptitude of the past, the Boilermakers faced off against the Badgers and lost by the mind-blowing score of 37-0.
In the first drive of the game, Wisconsin easily drove 80 yards down the field in a drive that did not feature a single pass. Wisconsin's running game was established early and would be used to spectacular effect as the Boilermaker's defense was not able to stop the run during the game, let alone properly tackle.
Not wanting to be left out, Purdue's offense also floundered and had many dropped passes and errant throws on the part of quarterback Joey Elliott. After the first quarter "TerBush Watch '09" was officially on and he was finally on the field late in the third quarter. Elliott finished the day with a 21.7% pass efficiency, while TerBush had 40%...not bad for a freshman being thrown into a game.
It was so bad that in the fourth quarter down by 37, I was thrilled at the prospect of a field goal as a showing of some offensive productivity on the day. The drive, like all others in the day, went nowhere and it looked like Purdue was going to kick. However, on the third down Wisconsin recovered a Jaycen Taylor fumble to close out the game.
As I cried my way back to West Lafayette, I came to realize that this game was just a bad week for the team....a very bad week. Dropped passes have plagued the team all year, but this week was especially bad and was combined with Elliott's errant passing.
Next week, I believe the team will bounce back and be productive offensively. The defense has actually been pretty good against the run this year, especially against mobile QB's so I believe they will get their act together for Michigan as well.
In the first drive of the game, Wisconsin easily drove 80 yards down the field in a drive that did not feature a single pass. Wisconsin's running game was established early and would be used to spectacular effect as the Boilermaker's defense was not able to stop the run during the game, let alone properly tackle.
Not wanting to be left out, Purdue's offense also floundered and had many dropped passes and errant throws on the part of quarterback Joey Elliott. After the first quarter "TerBush Watch '09" was officially on and he was finally on the field late in the third quarter. Elliott finished the day with a 21.7% pass efficiency, while TerBush had 40%...not bad for a freshman being thrown into a game.
It was so bad that in the fourth quarter down by 37, I was thrilled at the prospect of a field goal as a showing of some offensive productivity on the day. The drive, like all others in the day, went nowhere and it looked like Purdue was going to kick. However, on the third down Wisconsin recovered a Jaycen Taylor fumble to close out the game.
As I cried my way back to West Lafayette, I came to realize that this game was just a bad week for the team....a very bad week. Dropped passes have plagued the team all year, but this week was especially bad and was combined with Elliott's errant passing.
Next week, I believe the team will bounce back and be productive offensively. The defense has actually been pretty good against the run this year, especially against mobile QB's so I believe they will get their act together for Michigan as well.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Back to Back
For the first time since 2007, Purdue has won back-to-back games in the same season. If you would have asked me before the season to pick out where Purdue could have consecutive wins, I definitely would not have pointed to victories against Ohio State and Illinois, but that's why they play the games.
The Juice is good? No.- Wow, this kid Juice Williams is just flat out bad when he doesn't have Rashard Mendenhall in the backfield with him. I remember watching him when Purdue went to Champaign in 2006, his freshman year, and thinking that he was quick and had a strong arm and could become a real threat with a little bit of development. Well, his sophomore season was aided by a fantastic running back and veteran offensive line, but other than that magical Rose bowl run, Juice's time at Illinois is marred with failure. I never thought I would call a quarterback who led a "little 8" school to a Rose Bowl a bust, but this guy is a total bust.
Gettin' physical up front- For the second week in a row, Purdue's defensive line flat out dominated the opposing offensive line. Mike Neal is playing his way up NFL draft boards by fighting and beating constant double teams, and Ryan Kerrigan is making his case for the All-Big Ten team. This past week, though, the best of the line may have been sophomore Gerald Gooden who used his speed and balance to be a constant presence in the Illini backfield. Add in the fact that freshman Kawann Short has been better than solid starting oppositte Neal, and that sophomore Nick Mondeck has been coming off the bench and playing like a starter, and you have to be excited about what this line can do next year with experienced linebackers coming back behind them.
Halloween Horror Nights- Purdue's troubles in Camp Randell are not as well documented as their troubles in the Big House, where they have not won since 1966, are. In fact, Purdue went in to Madison and knocked off a Top-15 ranked Badger team in 2003 on their way to the Capital One Bowl. Still, this is one of the most difficult venues in the Big Ten to play in, and the Badgers have a style that fully takes advantage of a riotous home field advantage that should be even louder because everybody knows how nuts they get in Madison for Halloween. This style consists of a heavy dosage of the Big Ten's leading rusher, sophomore John Clay, to control the clock and wear out the opposing defense. The Badgers also do not make a lot of mistakes, but are very opportunistic on defense. This is where Purdue could get into trouble, much like they did at Autzen Stadium earlier this year against Oregon.
Prediction- This team needs this win in a bad way. A loss here would send Purdue to Ann Arbor with no margin for error, and effectively end any chance of making a bowl game. Look for Purdue to play with great energy, but also look for Wisconsin, who had a bye and two weeks to prepare for the Boilermakers, to make less mistakes and take this one 27-17.
The Juice is good? No.- Wow, this kid Juice Williams is just flat out bad when he doesn't have Rashard Mendenhall in the backfield with him. I remember watching him when Purdue went to Champaign in 2006, his freshman year, and thinking that he was quick and had a strong arm and could become a real threat with a little bit of development. Well, his sophomore season was aided by a fantastic running back and veteran offensive line, but other than that magical Rose bowl run, Juice's time at Illinois is marred with failure. I never thought I would call a quarterback who led a "little 8" school to a Rose Bowl a bust, but this guy is a total bust.
Gettin' physical up front- For the second week in a row, Purdue's defensive line flat out dominated the opposing offensive line. Mike Neal is playing his way up NFL draft boards by fighting and beating constant double teams, and Ryan Kerrigan is making his case for the All-Big Ten team. This past week, though, the best of the line may have been sophomore Gerald Gooden who used his speed and balance to be a constant presence in the Illini backfield. Add in the fact that freshman Kawann Short has been better than solid starting oppositte Neal, and that sophomore Nick Mondeck has been coming off the bench and playing like a starter, and you have to be excited about what this line can do next year with experienced linebackers coming back behind them.
Halloween Horror Nights- Purdue's troubles in Camp Randell are not as well documented as their troubles in the Big House, where they have not won since 1966, are. In fact, Purdue went in to Madison and knocked off a Top-15 ranked Badger team in 2003 on their way to the Capital One Bowl. Still, this is one of the most difficult venues in the Big Ten to play in, and the Badgers have a style that fully takes advantage of a riotous home field advantage that should be even louder because everybody knows how nuts they get in Madison for Halloween. This style consists of a heavy dosage of the Big Ten's leading rusher, sophomore John Clay, to control the clock and wear out the opposing defense. The Badgers also do not make a lot of mistakes, but are very opportunistic on defense. This is where Purdue could get into trouble, much like they did at Autzen Stadium earlier this year against Oregon.
Prediction- This team needs this win in a bad way. A loss here would send Purdue to Ann Arbor with no margin for error, and effectively end any chance of making a bowl game. Look for Purdue to play with great energy, but also look for Wisconsin, who had a bye and two weeks to prepare for the Boilermakers, to make less mistakes and take this one 27-17.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Boilers Bury The Buckeyes
Ok, now that I have written all that I need to write for the Exponent and done our new weekly segment "Water Break Live" I feel I can add to the blog. It was definitely a crazy celebration in West Lafayette this past Saturday and why not? Purdue finally got the proverbial monkey off its back by defeating a ranked oppoent having not beaten one since 2003, and defeated its highest ranked opponent since defeating No. 4 Kansas State in the 1999 Alamo Bowl. The game has been very well documented, but here's a few extra notes.
What a rush!- For the first time since I have been at Purdue (since the fall of 2005) the field at Ross-Ade Stadium was rushed by happy fans. The players were all clearly thrilled, Joey Elliott and Ryan Kerrigan most notably, and gave fans high fives and hugs until over 15 minutes after the band finished playing "Hail Purdue." Coach Danny Hope appeared to have stolen a few children and held them up with a big grin on his face, he may be running for president.
You take what you can get.- For all the talk of which games Purdue should have won this year, if you had to pick one, it would seem Ohio State would be the best one to come through on. Now, I am not talking about personal preference. Sure, some people just love beating Notre Dame because they are a hated rival, or some people really wanted to beat Oregon this year because of last year's heart-breaking finish, but when it comes down to it, the Buckeyes were the best team to beat. First of all, Ohio State is currently in a class of its own in Big Ten play. While that has not meant as much as usual lately, beating the 800 lb gorilla in your conference is a much bigger win than defeating a trendy pre season pick out of the Pac 10 or an overrated Notre Dame team. Had Purdue defeated Oregon it would have been attributed to the Ducks' downward spiral after the Boise St. debacle, and had they defeated Notre Dame it would have just been about Notre Dame once again underachieving. Add in the fact that it was a huge recruiting weekend, and you get the biggest possible win for the 2009 season.
Bowl hopes still alive- I spoke with senior corner Brandon King Sunday and he told me that bowl hopes are still very much alive in the Purdue locker room. While Saturday's game was certainly evidence that this team will not quit, is it really reasonable to expect Purdue to win at least four out of its last five to become bowl eligible? Though I'm very optimistic when it comes to this team, I don't think that is a realistic goal at this point. If they had two more wins I would say bowl eligibility is the main goal, but it seems like a bit too steep of a mountain to climb right now. This Saturday brings a very beatable Illinois team to Ross-Ade, but after that the schedule gets significantly more difficult. Nevermind the fact that there have been no "gimme" games for Purdue yet this season. On Halloween Purdue could walk into a literal house of horrors against the Badgers in Madison, and the next week brings an even tougher challenge as Purdue will travel to the Big House in Ann Arbor where they haven't won in over 40 years. The next week is a home game against a Michigan St. team that I cannot seem to figure out, but will still be a challenge no doubt due to their physical nature, and the last game is a road trip to Bloomington to face the hated Hoosiers. I think it is reasonable to expect wins against Illinois and Indiana, and maybe one of the other three games, but to expect four or five wins, I think that is asking a bit much of an inexperienced team.
What a rush!- For the first time since I have been at Purdue (since the fall of 2005) the field at Ross-Ade Stadium was rushed by happy fans. The players were all clearly thrilled, Joey Elliott and Ryan Kerrigan most notably, and gave fans high fives and hugs until over 15 minutes after the band finished playing "Hail Purdue." Coach Danny Hope appeared to have stolen a few children and held them up with a big grin on his face, he may be running for president.
You take what you can get.- For all the talk of which games Purdue should have won this year, if you had to pick one, it would seem Ohio State would be the best one to come through on. Now, I am not talking about personal preference. Sure, some people just love beating Notre Dame because they are a hated rival, or some people really wanted to beat Oregon this year because of last year's heart-breaking finish, but when it comes down to it, the Buckeyes were the best team to beat. First of all, Ohio State is currently in a class of its own in Big Ten play. While that has not meant as much as usual lately, beating the 800 lb gorilla in your conference is a much bigger win than defeating a trendy pre season pick out of the Pac 10 or an overrated Notre Dame team. Had Purdue defeated Oregon it would have been attributed to the Ducks' downward spiral after the Boise St. debacle, and had they defeated Notre Dame it would have just been about Notre Dame once again underachieving. Add in the fact that it was a huge recruiting weekend, and you get the biggest possible win for the 2009 season.
Bowl hopes still alive- I spoke with senior corner Brandon King Sunday and he told me that bowl hopes are still very much alive in the Purdue locker room. While Saturday's game was certainly evidence that this team will not quit, is it really reasonable to expect Purdue to win at least four out of its last five to become bowl eligible? Though I'm very optimistic when it comes to this team, I don't think that is a realistic goal at this point. If they had two more wins I would say bowl eligibility is the main goal, but it seems like a bit too steep of a mountain to climb right now. This Saturday brings a very beatable Illinois team to Ross-Ade, but after that the schedule gets significantly more difficult. Nevermind the fact that there have been no "gimme" games for Purdue yet this season. On Halloween Purdue could walk into a literal house of horrors against the Badgers in Madison, and the next week brings an even tougher challenge as Purdue will travel to the Big House in Ann Arbor where they haven't won in over 40 years. The next week is a home game against a Michigan St. team that I cannot seem to figure out, but will still be a challenge no doubt due to their physical nature, and the last game is a road trip to Bloomington to face the hated Hoosiers. I think it is reasonable to expect wins against Illinois and Indiana, and maybe one of the other three games, but to expect four or five wins, I think that is asking a bit much of an inexperienced team.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Football Mid-Season Report and Awards
Well, this is my (Joe's) first entry and I thought this would be a good way to get it started. If you happen to be a Purdue sports fan, you know that so far the boys from West Lafayette have been less than successful in securing football victories this season and are certainly not doing first year coach Danny Hope any favors by turning the ball over a Big Ten high 20 times. Still Purdue only lost games to nationally ranked Notre Dame and Oregon by a combined five points and had to go out of their way to blow a 21-3 lead against Northwestern at homecoming. The effort has definitely been there, but this inexperienced, note I did not say young, team will have to learn to take care of the football if they want to have any chance of making any noise in the Big Ten any time soon.
Game of the Year- I mean, you could take your pick of any one of Purdue's heartbreaking defeats here. I would say Oregon is the best moral victory, simply because Purdue went into a very hostile environment (I was there, place is loud man) and, despite numerous mistakes, played with the Ducks until the very end. The game was also the most entertaining to watch. Trailing by eight (due to a previously blocked extra point) Purdue quarterback Joey Elliott converted a third and eight with his legs. Then, facing fourth and 12, Purdue ran a Statue of Liberty pass which receiver Keith Smith threw perfectly to find Aaron Valentin in the endzone. Unfortunatley, and in the theme of this entire season, tight end Kyle Adams landed just out of bounds while making the catch on the two-point conversion that would have sent the game to overtime.
Play of the Year- It's hard to go against the aforementioned trick play. Not only was it a beautiful play to watch, it converted a fourth and long and put Purdue in position to tie the game. I remember watching the play unfold in the press box and just seeing the sheer disbelief on the faces of everyone who covered Purdue football. This certainly was not the Purdue play calling that they, or I, had grown accustomed to following the Boilermakers. Props to Joey Elliott, whom coach Hope credited with calling the play.
Worst Game of the Year- Another tough one. Do you choose the inexscusable loss to a MAC team (Northern Illinois) or do you go with the almost surreal barrage of mistakes that led to Purdue blowing a huge first half lead against Northwestern? I, for one, found the Northwestern game way harder to stomach. Big Ten teams lose to MAC teams, it happens. It's embarrassing and nobody likes to talk about it, but it happens. Now, leading 21-3 with just over two minutes left in the first half and losing? That shouldn't happen, especially the way Purdue did it. Purdue turned the ball over three consecutive times before the half ended, yes I said BEFORE THE HALF ENDED, yes that same half that had JUST OVER TWO MINUTES REMAINING IN IT. Crazy, I know, that's why I used all caps. An Elliott interception led to a touchdown, while fumbles by running back Jaycen Taylor and receiver Keith Carlos led to field goals. Suddenly a game Purdue had dominated was a one score game. Purdue then proceeded to do nothing offensively in the second half and fumble twice more, with a Northwestern punt bouncing off a Purdue player and being recovered by the Wildcats. Trailing by six the Boilers actually put together a nice drive down to Northwestern's six yard line, but Elliott badly missed a wide open Valentin in the back of the end zone for the win.
Worst Play of the Year- So many good (bad) ones to choose from. I'm gonna go with this beauty from last week's loss to Minnesota at the new TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis (which is quite posh if I do say so myself). Purdue trailed only by eight and was in position to pull the game within a score with a Carson Wiggs field goal try. Unfortunately it would turn into point for the Gophers as a whole swarm of them busted threw the middle and blocked the kick, then, with Purdue's great luck it's had all season, bouned directly into the hands of Minnesota's Traye Simmons who returned it 47 yards for a touchdown.
Best Coaching Decision of the Year- It would be easy to say the Statue of Liberty here, but as I already said, Joey Elliott called that play. I guess you could give them credit for listening to him, but I'm gonna go another direction with this one. Though it didn't lead to a victory, if it had been executed properly, Purdue may have a second win right now. On second and goal of Purdue's final drive against Northwestern, offensive coordiantor Gary Nord dialed up a bubble screen to Keith Carlos that had worked with great effectiveness earlier in the game. Had it not been for an errant Elliott throw, Carlos would have walked into the end zone allowing Purdue to escape with a win. But, like the Boilers season, Elliott's pass took a nose dive, causing Carlos to lunge into the turf after it. The worst part is he actually made the catch forcing Purdue to use their final timeout to stop the clock.
Worst Coaching Decision of the Year- I know most people are going to point towards the infamous "Timeout" at the end of the Notre Dame game, but I had no problem with that. In fact, I wish he would have used all of his timeouts, there were 42 seconds left, the Irish were gonna get two plays off anyways, and if Weiss would have spiked it (like he said he was going to) then he is dumber than I thought (which is pretty dumb). No, I go to the decision to pass at the end of the first half against Northwestern. You are up 21-3 in the shadow of your own goal posts with two minutes and change left. Hand the ball off and protect it so that you can go to the locker room with a big lead and all the momentum. Instead a turnover tornado like I had never seen before broke out on the north side of Ross-Ade Stadium and didn't die down until Purdue marked another in the loss column.
Offensive Player of the Year- You gotta love Keith Smith. He just flat out brings it every day and could win this distinction just for being the vocal leader of the offense, as well as one of the few guys who has yet to turn the ball over. But it's more than that. The guy plays the game with such passion and intensity. Just watch him after the catch, he will often run over or carry defenders for extra yardage. Unbelievable. He is also the heart and soul of the offense. He nearly single handedly woke up the offense in time to beat Notre Dame, despite constant double teams, and appeared to be the only receiver still playing when Purdue fell behind 35-13 against Minnesota. Again, you gotta love Keith Smith.
Defensive Player of the Year- Coming into 2009 there was a great deal of hype surrounding Purdue's defensive line. Well, it appears at least one member of the line is living up to that billing. Defensive end Ryan Kerrigan has become, maybe, the most complete defensive end in the conference. Now, he doesn't wow you with his athleticism, but his power and motor make him quite a hassle for opposing offenses. Add in the fact that senior defensive tackle Mike Neal has been eating up double teams all year, and the you get a big season from Kerrigan who leads the team with four solo sacks, which ties him for third in the Big Ten, and has 7.5 tackles for loss, second on the team only to the...
MVP- Despite all the negativity surrounding Purdue this season, you can't help but smile about the season Jason Werner is quietly having. After four injury plagued seasons dealing with nagging back problems, Werner is finally healthy and having an All-Big Ten kind of season. He has been all over the field, leading Purdue with 50 tackles, including three sacks, and been the Boilers' best linebacker in pass coverage. He also hasn't missed too many tackles, a major problem for Purdue in the early goings of 2009. Oh yeah, and he ranks third in the Big Ten with 11 tackles for loss.
Game of the Year- I mean, you could take your pick of any one of Purdue's heartbreaking defeats here. I would say Oregon is the best moral victory, simply because Purdue went into a very hostile environment (I was there, place is loud man) and, despite numerous mistakes, played with the Ducks until the very end. The game was also the most entertaining to watch. Trailing by eight (due to a previously blocked extra point) Purdue quarterback Joey Elliott converted a third and eight with his legs. Then, facing fourth and 12, Purdue ran a Statue of Liberty pass which receiver Keith Smith threw perfectly to find Aaron Valentin in the endzone. Unfortunatley, and in the theme of this entire season, tight end Kyle Adams landed just out of bounds while making the catch on the two-point conversion that would have sent the game to overtime.
Play of the Year- It's hard to go against the aforementioned trick play. Not only was it a beautiful play to watch, it converted a fourth and long and put Purdue in position to tie the game. I remember watching the play unfold in the press box and just seeing the sheer disbelief on the faces of everyone who covered Purdue football. This certainly was not the Purdue play calling that they, or I, had grown accustomed to following the Boilermakers. Props to Joey Elliott, whom coach Hope credited with calling the play.
Worst Game of the Year- Another tough one. Do you choose the inexscusable loss to a MAC team (Northern Illinois) or do you go with the almost surreal barrage of mistakes that led to Purdue blowing a huge first half lead against Northwestern? I, for one, found the Northwestern game way harder to stomach. Big Ten teams lose to MAC teams, it happens. It's embarrassing and nobody likes to talk about it, but it happens. Now, leading 21-3 with just over two minutes left in the first half and losing? That shouldn't happen, especially the way Purdue did it. Purdue turned the ball over three consecutive times before the half ended, yes I said BEFORE THE HALF ENDED, yes that same half that had JUST OVER TWO MINUTES REMAINING IN IT. Crazy, I know, that's why I used all caps. An Elliott interception led to a touchdown, while fumbles by running back Jaycen Taylor and receiver Keith Carlos led to field goals. Suddenly a game Purdue had dominated was a one score game. Purdue then proceeded to do nothing offensively in the second half and fumble twice more, with a Northwestern punt bouncing off a Purdue player and being recovered by the Wildcats. Trailing by six the Boilers actually put together a nice drive down to Northwestern's six yard line, but Elliott badly missed a wide open Valentin in the back of the end zone for the win.
Worst Play of the Year- So many good (bad) ones to choose from. I'm gonna go with this beauty from last week's loss to Minnesota at the new TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis (which is quite posh if I do say so myself). Purdue trailed only by eight and was in position to pull the game within a score with a Carson Wiggs field goal try. Unfortunately it would turn into point for the Gophers as a whole swarm of them busted threw the middle and blocked the kick, then, with Purdue's great luck it's had all season, bouned directly into the hands of Minnesota's Traye Simmons who returned it 47 yards for a touchdown.
Best Coaching Decision of the Year- It would be easy to say the Statue of Liberty here, but as I already said, Joey Elliott called that play. I guess you could give them credit for listening to him, but I'm gonna go another direction with this one. Though it didn't lead to a victory, if it had been executed properly, Purdue may have a second win right now. On second and goal of Purdue's final drive against Northwestern, offensive coordiantor Gary Nord dialed up a bubble screen to Keith Carlos that had worked with great effectiveness earlier in the game. Had it not been for an errant Elliott throw, Carlos would have walked into the end zone allowing Purdue to escape with a win. But, like the Boilers season, Elliott's pass took a nose dive, causing Carlos to lunge into the turf after it. The worst part is he actually made the catch forcing Purdue to use their final timeout to stop the clock.
Worst Coaching Decision of the Year- I know most people are going to point towards the infamous "Timeout" at the end of the Notre Dame game, but I had no problem with that. In fact, I wish he would have used all of his timeouts, there were 42 seconds left, the Irish were gonna get two plays off anyways, and if Weiss would have spiked it (like he said he was going to) then he is dumber than I thought (which is pretty dumb). No, I go to the decision to pass at the end of the first half against Northwestern. You are up 21-3 in the shadow of your own goal posts with two minutes and change left. Hand the ball off and protect it so that you can go to the locker room with a big lead and all the momentum. Instead a turnover tornado like I had never seen before broke out on the north side of Ross-Ade Stadium and didn't die down until Purdue marked another in the loss column.
Offensive Player of the Year- You gotta love Keith Smith. He just flat out brings it every day and could win this distinction just for being the vocal leader of the offense, as well as one of the few guys who has yet to turn the ball over. But it's more than that. The guy plays the game with such passion and intensity. Just watch him after the catch, he will often run over or carry defenders for extra yardage. Unbelievable. He is also the heart and soul of the offense. He nearly single handedly woke up the offense in time to beat Notre Dame, despite constant double teams, and appeared to be the only receiver still playing when Purdue fell behind 35-13 against Minnesota. Again, you gotta love Keith Smith.
Defensive Player of the Year- Coming into 2009 there was a great deal of hype surrounding Purdue's defensive line. Well, it appears at least one member of the line is living up to that billing. Defensive end Ryan Kerrigan has become, maybe, the most complete defensive end in the conference. Now, he doesn't wow you with his athleticism, but his power and motor make him quite a hassle for opposing offenses. Add in the fact that senior defensive tackle Mike Neal has been eating up double teams all year, and the you get a big season from Kerrigan who leads the team with four solo sacks, which ties him for third in the Big Ten, and has 7.5 tackles for loss, second on the team only to the...
MVP- Despite all the negativity surrounding Purdue this season, you can't help but smile about the season Jason Werner is quietly having. After four injury plagued seasons dealing with nagging back problems, Werner is finally healthy and having an All-Big Ten kind of season. He has been all over the field, leading Purdue with 50 tackles, including three sacks, and been the Boilers' best linebacker in pass coverage. He also hasn't missed too many tackles, a major problem for Purdue in the early goings of 2009. Oh yeah, and he ranks third in the Big Ten with 11 tackles for loss.
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