This week's Big Ten bloggers' roundtable discussion is all about gaining motivation and breaking downt he perceptions of the program you support. I can't think of a better way to celebrate Notre Dame week.1. Michigan turned to Russell Crowe (successfully). ND went with Regis (unsuccessfully). Imagine your team is in desperate need of a pregame pep talk (no imagination needed at NU). You can bring in anyone in the world. Who do you turn to and why?
I’m going to go way out on a limb here, but I would select Corey Taylor, the lead singer of the bands Slipknot and Stone Sour. I like the Norman Dale reference that the Hoosier Report used, but Mr. Taylor has a speech at the beginning of the Slipknot song Pulse of the Maggots that I listen to when I am on the treadmill and it makes me want to run through a brick wall.
This is the year where hope fails you
The test subjects run the experiments
And the bastards you know,
is the hero you hate
But cohesion is possible if we strive
There’s no reason, there’s no lesson
No time like the present,
telling you right now
What have you got to lose,
what have you got to lose
Except your soul...
who's with us!
I would really love to see Purdue come out of the locker room to this song this week and take absolutely no prisoners against Notre Dame.
Of course having Russell Crowe is a good idea. He's certainly more of a badass than Regis.
2. What perception about your program is perpetuated to the point where it is your pet peeve? Why does it bother you so much (no, the answer does not have to be an alliteration)?
Probably the fact that Purdue is all offense and no defense, when we have had some very, very good defensive players and units over the past few seasons. The 2003 defense was fantastic and if we had been able to get just a little bit more offense in a few games (notably the road game at Ohio State and the opener against Bowling Green) We would have been a top 10 program that season. So many players from that defense are in the NFL right now and I would love to pair that defense with some of our better offensive teams in 2004, 2000, and this season.
Because our defense has been so bad the past two years, however, the fans think that the slightest bending of our defense means we won’t be able to stop anybody at any time. I recognize we have a great offense and that it is built on playing no one, but it is really, really hard to stay jacked up on defense when you open up a four touchdown lead in the first half like we’ve done the last two weeks. Coupled with the fact that Central Michigan (they did drop 52 on Toledo like us) and Minnesota may stink, but they can move the ball a little bit means they were going to get yards. The defense is light years better this year, but everyone is in panic mode because of the second half the last two weeks.
This is a more recent development though. The perception of Purdue that bothers me equally is that we only have good seasons when we don’t play Michigan and Ohio State. Uh, then what happened in 2005? What happened in 2000 when we beat both and went to the Rose Bowl? True, we are only 3-9 against them under Tiller, but considering that we only have like 24 wins against the two combined in our entire 120 year history, at least the fact the losses for the most part have been competitive is a plus.
Coach Tiller had a great quote after the 1998 Alamo Bowl when we had just beaten #4 Kansas State in a game we dominated and the only reason it was close was because of two horrible snaps on punts that led to Wildcat touchdowns. Some reporter asked him if he thought things would be more difficult the next year when Ohio State and Michigan returned on the schedule. His reply was something like, "We just beat the #4 team in the nation, how much tougher can it get?" Unfortunately this perception will continue until we break through and beat a good team again. We have a shot next week against Ohio State to make a serious statement, our first since the game against Wisconsin three years ago.
3. It is only week 5 of the season, but you've been asked to create your team's highlight reel for the season. You get to choose one song. What is it and why?
I’d have to go with Pulse of the Maggots from above. Simply view the video clip and tell me you can’t get jacked up to that song.
