I know the players are still in class, but with some time off of practice and Danny Hope on the road in Florida recruiting it has felt like a mini-vacation this week. Our bye comes earlier than many of our Big Ten counterparts, mostly because Notre Dame wanted next week's slot, but it is nice to have one after not having one between 2002 and 2009. It's a week to prepare for a game that could be a major turning point under Hope if we can pull off an upset.
Just because we're not playing this weekend doesn't mean there is nothing to do, however. There is still plenty of time to make the most of your weekend. Here are tips for the last non-Purdue football or basketball weekend until (hopefully) April:
1. Get out of the house and do something! - Okay, it's supposed to be 61 degrees and rainy on Saturday, so maybe not.
2. Go to the Feast! - The Feast of the Hunter's Moon is my favorite local area festival. If you're a student and you haven't been, this is the perfect time to go. Enjoy some authentic food and appease your inner history nerd.
3. Watch some other college football! - If it's raining and you're going to be inside with little to do anyway, why not enjoy the last weekend of non-conference play? San Diego State at Michigan starts off at noon and could be one of the most underrated games of the day. You also have Notre Dame at Pittsburgh as the Fighting Irish try to overcome their rash of turnovers against a team that choked away a sure win last week. 3:30 has Miami-Kansas State, Colorado-Ohio State, Florida State-Clemson, Oklahoma State-Texas A&M, and Arkansas-Alabama to give your remote a workout. Primetime has Vanderbilt-South Carolina (trust me, it's a good game) and LSU-West Virginia. There is even the west coast treat of USC-Arizona State and Oregon-Arizona.
4. Take in an MLB game! - Cubs-Cardinals in St. Louis should be pretty cheap, especially if the Cards are eliminated by Saturday.