Alamo Bowl Happenings

In a game that was the most lobsided point spread this bowl season (Mizzou -12.5), the Northwestern Wildcats are currently holding their own against Chase Daniel and Missouri. I was flying back to the West Coast yesterday, and didn't get a chance to do an Alamo Bowl Preview post...so I'll just direct you to Lake The Posts, an excellent blog dedicated to Northwestern Football.


LTP does an excellent job previewing the game and giving you some of the key matchups. Although, he did predict the Cats to lose this one.


As for the actual game that is happening as I type, the Cats are bringing the wood. Bowl Season in CFB (....hold on...RIDICULOUS TOUCHDOWN CATCH BY ROSS LANE FOR NORTHWESTERN...it's under review but should be held up. This thing is tailor made for Sportscenter....back now.) Bowl Season in CFB is where we finally get to see if these video game Big 12 offenses are legit. And watching this game, Northwestern seems to be proving that Missouri at the least is not. The Cats are flying to the ball on defense and laying some wood with every hit. They seem to be one step ahead of the Tigers and are giving the receivers no room for YAC yards.


Clearly, Pat Fitzgerald has his team fired up and mentally ready to play this game. About the only thing that has gone wrong to this point is a costly pick thrown by Bacher in the 3rd Quarter and a botched punt (supposed to be kicked out of bounds but wasn't) that Maclin took to the house. Other than that, the Cats are outplaying the Tigers in every respect and this is a great game to be watching. About the only thing I could use right now is that terribly awesome sound effect that NU plays at their home games.

Champs Sports Bowl Preview: My 100% Chance of Hating the Tomahawk Chop

Wisconsin kicks off the Big Televen bowl season today vs Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl. For those of you familiar with the Seminoles from their days as college football's national enemy #1 and/or Atlanta Braves you will know that one thing will happen every time they play, regardless of how much they suck...they will play that stupid Tomahawk Chop chant non-stop. I'm currently driving in a car on my way to a downtown Chicago Badger bar with my brothers and the Teradactyl, and I'm already preparing for the tomahawk chant to be the death of me this afternoon. If you want to get wasted today, take a drink every time you hear that played. And be prepared to drink about 35 beers.

All the analysts can talk about leading up to this game is the power vs. speed matchup...which has been the theme of every Wisconsin bowl game since I can remember. And call me a homer, but it is a tired argument. Speed isn't what kills the Badgers, and they have shown in their previous bowl games that it isn't that big of a factor. Auburn twice, Arkansas, and Tennessee all had speed advantages over the Badgers...and only once (1st Auburn game) did UW have trouble with the speed.

To me, the key to this game is the wide receivers and defensive backs. FSU will be looking to exploit the significant height advantage that their receivers have, especially in the red zone. Technique and positioning will be critical for the badger corners throughout the game, and that consistency has been an issue throughout this season. As for the UW receivers, this game needs to be their coming out party. They've quietly but surely have progressed greatly this season, and I think the opportunity to have a breakout game will be there for them today. FSU will be loading up the box with at least 8 guys today, and on obvious passing downs they will be keying on the TE's. Tight Ends are featured in UW's offense and have been a problem for the Noles all season. Look for them to be a focus for FSU, opening up potentially great matchups for the Badger receivers on the outside.

At the end of the day, expect both teams to try and do what they do best early on. Both defenses will be, or should be, bringing pressure on quarterbacks that haven't shown great ability to handle it yet. Both offenses will try to control the clock on the ground, and big plays will probably be the difference. We all know what that means...the tomahawk chop chant. As the final second ticks off, I predict that good ol' ON WISCONSIN will be playing loud and proud throughout Orlando. PJ Hill and that sexy John Clay will do enough to overcome the decided home field advantage the noles will have...and MY BOYS! Gilreath and Toon will make at least 3 big plays to get Bielema's record against coaches over 80 to 2-2.

Watching the Heisman

So I'm sitting here on a Saturday night watching the trophy ceremony for a college football award that used to mean something...the Heisman ceremony. I say used to because this trophy is officially a joke. Not only do they invite only 3 people this year, but they don't have any seniors at the ceremony. Absolutely terrible. I'm all for an underclassman winning the award, but it almost makes this thing a joke. It used to be an award that was given to someone who earned it not just over a season, but a career. And not a career putting up video game statistics against weak defenses (**cough*big12*cough**). Players earned it through performances in big games, leadership on and off the field, and an unrelenting competitiveness that made that person indispensable to his team. This year...it's a joke.

One year ago, there was genuine concern that a sophomore could win the award and what that would do to the integrity of it. Obviously, Tim Tebow deserved that award and put up ridiculous numbers to back up his performance. My problem comes directly after that happened. Almost immediately, the talk started of a repeat and the consensus was that if he didn't top his 2007 numbers...he couldn't win it again. Then the Big12 turned into a joke of a defensive conference, and all of a sudden players in a BCS conference were putting up huge numbers. They are Heisman locks right? Wrong.

If one player in that conference was putting up such huge numbers, then he clearly would deserve to win it. But in the Big12, at least 3 players (McCoy, Bradford, and Harrell) put up video game numbers...and a majority of the offenses were running up yardage totals. In a sense, you were the odd man out if you weren't putting up stats in that conference, rather than standing out for those stats.

If you can't tell by now, I don't think McCoy or Bradford should get the Heisman. But it's not all about their stats not being legit. It's just that, a certain player did something that none of the others did, he did this.... (feel free to skip to the 2:15 mark)


You don't see that leadership in many people...and you don't see that type of pledge get backed up as well as Tebow backed it up. The man dominated. He showed leadership and exceptional ability that was not matched this season. He deserves the Heisman...again.

F*** it Dude...Let's Go Bowlin'

A quick link to update you on the Big Ten Bowl plans for this Holiday season. Look for analysis later tonight/throughout the week as we dive into each and every Big Televen matchup...

Rose Bowl: Penn State vs. USC

Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State vs. Texas

Capital One Bowl: Michigan State vs. Georgia

Outback Bowl: Iowa vs. South Carolina

Alamo Bowl: Northwestern vs. Missouri

Champs Sports Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Florida State

Insight Bowl: Minnesota vs. Kansas

A few quick notes...the Big Ten did not fulfill all of its bowl relationships, as 7 teams were bowl eligible but 2 were selected for the BCS games...as expected, Iowa jumped ahead of Northwestern in the bowl selection process even though they had a worse record and won head-to-head...we should find out how the Big Ten stacks up against the two best conferences in the country this year, as BT teams play 3 games against the Big 12 and 2 against the hated SEC...Michigan, Illinois, Purdue, and Indiana all suck.

MAILBAG: Thoughts on BigTen Bball...No Thanks.

First, let me just say that Ross Gellar is an F&BT Mailbag All-Star. He consistently shares his thoughts on what he wants to see in the blog, and occasionally, will write an email funny enough to be posted in it's entirety. Here is his latest query in the mailbag...

Ross Writes:
Dude, good stuff with the Minnesota bathroom incident. Brings new meaning to the TDT mantra, "Gopher deez nuts".
I was wondering when the 'ol First and Big Ten blog was going to switch from the grid iron to the hardwood? Just change the graphic on top and go crazy. Clearly there's enough to write about in the basketball world right now...Indiana is playing with the equivalent of Edina's JV team...Wisconsin has a player named Keaton and he's actually not that terrible...the ACC owned us for the 10th year straight...Northwestern's "Princeton offense" and high school gym deserve serious mockery...all 12 of Iowa's black students are on the basketball team...there's some good stuff out there.

That Iowa line is good stuff that's hard to top, so I just went and posted the whole thing. Rest assured F&BT fans, we probably won't be delving into the world of college basektball all that often, as this is a football blog. With that said, we will take notice of the happenings on the hardwood, because, after all...we are normal human beings/sports fanatics. We even have an offer out to a new writer to give us a weekly post about the Big Televen basketball scene...so stay tuned.

In the meantime, look for some season review articles, lots of linking laziness, bowl previews, a full documentation of WildHawks bowl trip with the Hawkeyes, and a hefty amount of recruiting analysis.

UPDATE: Metrodome Sex Cougar Won't Let Story Go Away

As WildHawks so graciously informed us last week, a 38-year-old married cougar and a 26-year-old with a girlfriend sent the metrodome out with a "bang" at the Iowa v. Minnesota game a few weeks ago. As funny as the story was at the time, it's taken on a life of its own since then. Seriously, this story is like Mike Gundy press conferences on YouTube...it's a gift that keeps on giving.

Highlights include:

• Ironic Newspaper Headlines..."Dome Incident..." It's almost too easy.
• MySpace photos of the culprits hitting the internet (courtesy of SportsbyBrooks)
• One woman fired from their job as an administrator at an assisted living center.
• Allegations of a drug being slipped in a drink, without any...you know...details to back it up.
• And, one cougar who can't stop pumping out quotes to keep the story alive.

"I don't know who this man is. I just found out his name in the paper"

"I don't deny that it did happened, because, obviously, there are police reports"

"Everybody thinks something was slipped into my drink....Right, and that's what my lawyer and I are working on."

There's really only two people missing from this story, the guy having sex and the cop that found them. The guy hasn't spoken about it yet, but SbB has an idea where he may be...

Meanwhile, we haven’t yet heard from our hero, Ross Walsh. He’s probably too busy wading through the high-five processional outside his house.

As for the cop, well, the police spokesman in Minneapolis offered this little nugget regarding the woman-as-a-victim theory...

"All I can say is the actions went on for some period of time with many witnesses on hand and no one reported either party was objecting."

Touche, sir.

'Who is Leonard Taylor?'

I really had a hard time deciding to post about this or not, because it is certainly not too much of a laughing matter for Mr. Taylor and his family...but this conversation with Fuzz pretty much put it over the top...

Fuzz: Who's Leonard Taylor?
Buckingham: Ahh...former Wisconsin defensive back in the late nineties.
F: Slash...
B: Slash crazy former player who wants to kill Barry Alvarez...
F: ...and Maria Sharapova?
B: Yep, and Maria Sharapova.
F: I mean, talk about going off the deep end. The guy just threatened to kill two of your favorite people on earth, how you feelin' about that?


Well, I'm feeling like this...that's about the only time you'll ever hear "Barry Alvarez" and "Maria Sharapova" in the same sentence. All it took was someone going 100% bat-shit crazy to make it happen! Also, feeling sorry for Leonard Taylor, who apparently has been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic and stopped taking his meds a few months ago. When you think about it, that would be the only explanation for leaving 29 messages on Alvarez's voicemail last week....allegedly....and threatening to not only kill King Barry, but conveniently letting Barry know that he wanted to marry/kill Maria Sharapova and her family. Allegedly.


Threatening Barry is one thing (I'm confident in his ability to defend himself because he's a badass), but I WILL NOT put up with you threatening MY GIRL! Maria! No one messes with my top 5 celebrities and gets away with it.

Click on the comments to see my current Top 5 Celebs...

It's Never Overkill When It Comes to Firing Charlie Weis

For those of you who can't stand Notre Dame or Charlie Weis...you're going to want to pick up a copy of the Chicago Tribune today. Pretty much the whole sports page is dedicated to why the fat-ass coach should be fired. Read to your own delight here and here....and here.

Yet perhaps the most damning article about Weis was written by Teddy Greenstein a few weeks back. In describing how Wies has alienated pretty much everyone who cares about ND Football, Greenstein tells an absolutely absurd story of Weis trying to recruit Terrelle Pryor. Highlights of that trip include...

"Do you want to take a picture of my Super Bowl rings?"

"Why send him (to USC's QB camp)? If he's with me for one day he'll be good, two days he'll be great and three days he'll be incredible."

"He says to Terrelle: 'Call me tomorrow at 6. I'll be watching where Brady Quinn gets drafted.' "

Are you kidding me fat-ass? Taking a picture of your Super Bowl rings? How are these actions not supposed to alienate high school coaches? And if that is only one coach of the hundreds of thousands around the country, how many more has he pissed off? Do you honestly believe that coach will ever send a kid to play for Charlie Weis?

When it comes down to it, the fat-ass needs to be sent scurrying back to the NFL with his tail between his legs. The only thing he has done for that school is increase the number of people that hate Notre Dame. Sure, he has great recruiting classes, but ND is the epitome of why those rankings are a joke. Weis' 2006 class was ranked #8 by Rivals.com...and as Greenstein points out, it contains not one great player, and 7 are no longer with the program. Also, his 2008 class was highlighted by QB Dayne Crist...a player that won't have an impact on the program until his 4th year. Weis' classes may be ranked high, but they are lacking in impact players and the head coach has shown no ability to develop players. At this point, ND needs to cut its losses and admit they were wrong...a difficult task for most Irish faithful.

Enjoy the ND vs USC Beatdown Highlights!

F&BT Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving to all our loyal F&BT readers!  On behalf of WildHawks and I, we would like to wish you a safe and happy holiday.  It's been quite a football season thus far, and we've truly enjoyed ourselves with this little-known blog.  As we approach bowl season, I thought it would be a good time to step back and look at the life of the blog and the Big Ten season, and take note of everything that we're thankful for...

I'm thankful for February 5th, 2008, when we gloriously launched this little procrastination project known as First and Big Ten. 

I'm thankful for nearly four months later when we posted our first actual football-related post. 

I'm thankful for reserving the right to be lazy.

I'm thankful for Terrelle Pryor joining the Big Ten, even though that would come back to bite me in the ass when he beat UW.

I'm thankful for Mike Barwis turning into a celebrity in the offseason, only to have the players he made bigger, faster, stronger, and better conditioned suck when it came to...you know..."playing football". 

I'm thankful that the Big Ten started their Oddysey back to respectability.

I'm thankful that we linked to a real-life, respectable and big-time blog...SportsByBrooks.

I'm thankful that the Big Ten Network got picked up by major cable carriers across the country.

I'm thankful that The Journey followed the Illinois football team, even though I predicted it would show their fall back to earth.  It was a great show, and gave you every reason why the Illini struggled this year...not enough energy/urgency playing the game.  It came up every week, with coaches imploring/screaming at their players to get more excitement at halftime.  It also gave us J. Leman, BTN star!

I'm thankful for Joe Tiller's career, and it going out on the right note.

I'm thankful for MY BOY #85 David Gilreath.

I'm thankful for Big Ten running backs.  Shonn, Javon, Beanie, Evan, PJ, John Clay, Tyrell.  They reminded us weekly that this is a smashmouth football conference.  They are easily the best collective group of running backs in a conference.

I'm thankful for Joe Paterno, and his Nittany Lions putting him back on top...where he belongs.

I'm thankful for yearly doormats becoming respectable football teams...Illinois last year and the Minnesota Golden Timmays! this  year.

I'm thankful for Jim Delany respecting tradition and bucking the calls for adding a team to the Big Televen and a college football playoff.

I'm thankful for all the new, exciting coaches that have joined the Big Ten in the last few years.

I'm thankful for WildHawks joining me in this endeavor to write about college football.  His posts may have been few and far between at times, but he came through when I needed him to and he's definitely funnier than I am.

Finally, I'm thankful for you...the loyal F&BT readers.  Most of you are friends and family, and we certainly can't thank you enough for your support.  I wasn't sure how this would turn out, or what exactly I would write about for an entire year, but somehow this has worked out.  To all the people that I include in these stories, I apoligize if they have embarrassed you.  To all the commenters, it makes my day to see the emails pop-up when you leave your comments.  To everyone who calls me every Saturday and Sunday to see what I thought of the latest Big Ten news, thank you.  I was pretty sure that we would've failed by now, but as I look back, I can't believe where we stand.  We've been linked to a major blog, a small group of people read this thing regularly, we've written 72 posts, and since we started keeping track in Week 3...we've had over 1,000 page views.  

I'll never promise that I won't be lazy at times, and most likely the comedy factor of blogging will escape me, but I'll keep writing and giving you my thoughts on the Big Ten.  You keep reading...and make sure to tell your friends.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Does This Count as Halftime Entertainment?

The story speaks for itself.

[Insert punny comment] In the last UM game at the Metrodome, two Hawkeyes went out with a bang. Whammy.

First Team All-First and Big Ten Team

Don't be confused by the title of the post, Buckingham and I spent countless hours perfecting our all-conference honorees. Without further ado, here are the answers:

QB: Clark - PSU
RB: Greene - Iowa
RB: Ringer - MSU
WR: Benn - IL
WR: Decker - MN
TE: Graham - IL
OL: Bulaga - Iowa
OL: Miller - MSU
OL: Ohrnberger - PSU
OL: Kemp - UW
OL: Shipley - PSU

DL: Maybin - PSU
DL: Kirlew - IU
DL: King - Iowa
DL: Wootton - NU
LB: Laurinitis - OSU
LB: Brit Miller - IL
LB: Angerer - Iowa
DB: Davis - IL
DB: Jenkins - OSU
DB: Wiley - MSU
DB: Philips - NU

PK: Swenson - MSU
P: Mesko - UM
KR: Williams - PSU


Offensive POY: Greene - Iowa
Defensive POY: Laurinitis - OSU
Frosh: Pryor - OSU
Coach: Paterno - PSU


Notes: OL is tough to predict...just based on hype. Punter had to be Zoltan Mesko because of both name and amount of time spent on the field. Purdue sucks.

Both Sides of the Bowl Selection Coin

Growing up a Northwestern fan, I always resented the bigger schools with larger fan bases because they always screwed the Wildcats when they were fortunate enough to make a bowl. Take 2000, for example when NU beat Mighigan in one of the Big10's best games ever and earned a share of the Big10 title. At season's end though (and yes, I am still bitter), Michigan, loser of the head-to-head matchup, was selected for the Citrus Bowl. The teams had identical records, both conference and non. To make matters worse, OSU (a pseudo-institution of higher learning) enjoyed it's Aussie fries in Tampa despite finishing 5-3 in the Big10 (NU was 6-2). This chain of events sent a legitimate Big10 title team to the f-ing Alamo Bowl (only to get crushed by preseason #1 Nebraska, but that's neither here nor there).

["...probably because this whole world is against me" - Costanza...most likely a cynical Wildcat fan. Extra Credit: Elaine went to NU]







Many people assume that because of a school's size or the fact that it is a traditional powerhouse, it is more "bowl attractive". However, since 1995, Northwestern has had no trouble selling its full ticket allotment to the Rose ('96), Citrus ('97), Alamo ('00), Motor City ('03), and Sun ('05) bowls. NU's fanbase, while smaller and more distributed geographically, consistently splurges to see their Cats in the postseason.

Having said all that, being an Iowa fan makes things difficult this year. I've already made up my mind that (assuming we beat the Goophers), I'm going to the bowl because it'll probably be the Outback, and Tampa sounds a lot nicer that Chicago around Jan. 1st. In order to accomplish this though, I will have to sacrifice my Cats to the Alamo bowl again (assuming they beat Illannoy, which I believe they will, injuries or not). Because the Cats beat Iowa and will have a better overall record (again, assuming all goes to my plan tomorrow), I'll surely be labeled a hypocrite. And rightfully so. Perhaps I've sacrificed my juvenile idealism when it comes to bowl selection, but I can't get time off from work to go to an earlier game in San Antonio. Prioritizing work over fun...sounds like a life-lesson's "at work" here (pun intended). Is this what being a borderline-adult is all about? Anyway, to all you fans of the bigger school's (myself half included), remember, when you jump (literally screw over) Northwestern for a better bowl despite not having a better record and/or losing to the Cats, please take a moment to reflect on your good fortune and the fact that money and athletic reputation control the system.

Linking Laziness

It's not that I'm lazy...well, sort of, but I reserved that right long ago...it's just that I'm still sick and this has been one hellacious week for yours truly. With that, I fully admit that the posting has been lackluster, and I'm a little surprised that most of you (if any) are still coming back to read this blog. Let it be known, it is greatly appreciated.

So instead of rocking your world with some crazy insight, I'm gonna get lazy and give you some links. Two to be exact...but they caught my eye.

First up, the Joey T. farewell tour has commenced in West Lafayette. The guys over at Boiled Sports have each given their thoughts on the Joe Tiller era at Purdue, and they've got some good stuff. Personally, I can appreciate J's Perspective in Part 3 the most, considering that I am a Badger fan and was at the game. Without a doubt the greatest college football play that I have ever witnessed, and probably only because my team won. J brings to light the devastation it caused for the losing squad that night, and how that carried over into the remainder of the Joe Tiller era.

Second, something that I've noticed has been missing this week but couldn't put a finger on it. Lake the Posts nails it for me, in describing how little fanfare the Illinois @ Northwestern game is getting in the Chicagoland media. Granted, Illinois is down this year and Northwestern headlines will rarely sell papers...but it has been silent this year, and especially this week. Even though I'm on the West Coast now, I still read the Chicago Tribune every day, and I'm gonna agree with LTP that the hype machine needs to get revved up. Love fests for each other don't fuel a rivalry, so get the mouths going and get fired up for that Sweet Sioux Tomahawk!

AND DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME!!

For those of you still paying attention to the Inaugural F&BT College Football Pick'Em Challenge, the final week of the season is upon us and the race for first place is about as tight as you could expect after a 13 week season. Here's the leaderboard heading into the final week...

1) Whetst1 - 476
2) WildHawks - 472
3) Bobby Petrino - 435
4) Buckingham - 389
5) Kenny G - 361
6) Lil Bro #1 - 347

WildHawks is carrying the banner for the F&BT bloggers...even though he got a girlfriend and forgot all about our little blog and his priorities. Whetst1 is out to prove that Illinois fans actually can be smart, despite choosing to cheer for the Illini. And Kenny G is going to owe me $20 when he doesn't pass me this week.

Make sure to get your picks in this week and look for an interview with the winner next week!

Ruminations on Week 12

Sorry for the delay in getting this post up, I've been sick with a cold since Sunday. I wish I could say that I saw a bunch of the Big Ten games this weekend, but I really only saw 7/8ths of the Battle for the Axe in Madison. I spent my Saturday at the wine country bus tour of all bus tours, and have been paying the price since. It actually was a ton of fun, but it did cause me to miss most of the Saturday games. I did DVR the Badger game however, and I got to see most of it. But with all the injuries (thank the Lord that Kyle Jefferson is ok) and penalties, my DVR cut off the game with about 5 mins left on the clock. This frustrated me like crazy, because I purposely set the DVR to record for an extra 30 minutes...plus I didn't get to see if Bielema gave a repeat performance of last year. Anyways, here are some ruminations for the Big Ten this week...

1) Great Comeback for the Badgers. WildHawk (remember him?) texted me this while on my Bus Tour, so I knew the Bagers were doing something good on Saturday. Alas, their performance on Saturday was a great comeback, but it also signaled more than that. It solidified their comeback not just from a 21-7 halftime deficit, but from a season that looked lost just 4 weeks ago. The college football season really is a marathon, and it reminds us that all judgements on a season should be withheld until after the season. Four weeks ago, fans throughout the state were calling for Bielema's head. This week, they're feeling great about their Badgers and hoping that there's a way to get to the Alamo Bowl. Thank God I kept my pants on.

2) Penn State is in trouble if Daryll Clark doesn't shape up soon. I know that the Nittany Lions have more playmakers than VH1 does terrible reality shows, but Clark is the one that makes them click...and he hasn't been clicking for a few weeks now. In the beginning of the year, he was limiting mistakes and B'ing his L all over the competition's T's. Now, he's a turnover waiting to happen and taking the term "my own worst critic" to a whole new level in the press. The guy needs to calm down, let his playmakers make plays around him, and assert his leadership positively in the huddle. If he does, MSU is in for a sticky day in Happy Valley. If he doesn't and PSU falls behind, the hook could be quick this weekend.

3) How many times has Terrelle Pryor "established" himself this season? Yes, that is a serious question. I know that he was a crazy-famous recruit and was bound to live in the spotlight for most of his career, but this has really gotten ridiculous. Let me be clear, I think Terrelle Pryor has been great this year, and OSU wouldn't be as dangerous as they are without him. But this media lovefest is out of control. First, he proved that he "wasn't scared" in the USC game that was a blowout. Then, he proved how composed and "big-game" he could be in the comeback at Wisconsin. After his shaky performance against Penn State, he proved that he "can handle adversity" against MSU. This week, he had his "coming out" party against Illinois. Really? It's taken all season for his coming out party? I would argue that the UW game was his coming out party...and the rest has been a typical year for a college freshman quarterback. I think Pryor is ridiculous....but he's trumped by the media coverage that deifies him every week.

4) I'm not ready to say goodbye. Approaching week 13 means one thing...this season is almost over. For fans like me, this is always the hardest time of the year. On one hand, it it usually the most exciting. On the other, it means that my Saturdays will be empty for the next 7-8 months. And this year in the Big Ten, it means saying goodbye to the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Joe Tiller in West Lafayette, and possibly...though I sure as hell hope not...to Joe Pa in Happy Valley. The Metrodome is a shithole that most won't miss, but I had some great times there in college, they still served beer there during games, and my Badgers were crazy successful there. Tiller revolutionized the Big Ten by bringing back mustaches, introducing the Spread offense, and making Purdue relevant. And Joe Pa...well...we all know what he's done at Penn State. And it's not just Penn State, it's what he's done for the Big Ten, and more importantly, for College Football in general. We all can't thank him enough...and that's why I'm not ready to say goodbye. Here's to hoping JoePa gets a new hip and a new contract for 2009.