With the season only 5 months away I figured that it's time to start up the discussion again. Here's the basic update on Purdue.

1) It sounds like any QB competition in camp is virtually over. Robert Marve, the transfer from Miami and former Mr. Florida, has been as good as advertised. I would expect that by the end of camp that he's officially named the starter. He'll have two years of eligibility left.
2) Purdue's best player last year, Ralph Bolden, is likely out for the season with an ACL tear. It sounds like it happened in a non-contact drill and is just one of those freak injuries. Unfortunately, these freak injuries are becoming all too common for a Purdue fan after our basketball season was virtually ended by another one. The good news is that running back is probably the deepest position on the whole team. You can't replace a 2nd team all conference player easily but I'm excited to see what highly rated(for Purdue) RB Al-Terek McBurse can do.
3) It sounds like WR is returning to a position of strength for the team.
4) Injuries have been a big problem all around, so it's hard to get a good gauge on how the team is doing as a whole, especially on the defensive end. Reports are that the offense has looked much better than the defense so far especially with Marve at QB. That's what you would expect at Purdue though. There are some key defensive players who are out for the spring.

I'm really excited for the season already. I think they were close last year to being a pretty good team. If anything, it feels different and the malaise of the end of the Tiller era seems to be ending.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Hey, alright! I almost started a thread just like this yesterday but thought I was the only one excited about Spring Football.

Here's what's up with Zook-ball in Chambana -

1) Lots of new energy from the players trying to impress the new coordinators. Seems like competition is wide-open for spots and guys that may have felt on the outside have some new life.

2) 3-Headed QB Competition - Charest / Whitmer / Scheelhaase - Charest would have seemed to have the upper-hand going in, with the playing time from last year, but it seems Scheelhaase is the one that has really impressed and is mainly working with the first team. At 6'3", he's a big-time recruit from KC and a redshirt freshman with blazing speed. He's been ripping off runs right and left in practice. His passing is still a weakness though. An incredible athlete, great running the ball, but problems with accuracy....sign me up for four more years of that!!

3) Koenning's defense has generated a lot of ball-hawking and turnovers so far but that might just be because the offense is bad. He also has vowed not to put up with celebrations or displays that might lead to unsportsmanlike penalties, which I like. He says these aren't NFL guys and they should just do their jobs. One guy to watch might be Michael Buchanan a 6'6"-230lb-er who they've switched to a Simeon Rice-type end/LB. He wants to put on another 10lbs but has looked good in practice.

4) Mikel Leshoure, who I've been touting for 2 years, looks like a beast and could have a great season if they can get anything from the rest of the offense to balance it out.

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You know me like that.

How are things going around the program with the whole "Ron Zook was almost fired" thing? How does the mood of the program feel?

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Wow, I didn't realize that we are only 4 months away from me not caring about College Football

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Don't worry. The NBA playoffs should almost be over by then. It should fly by.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Notre Dame
INSIDE SLANT
It's as coaches in new places almost always say: It all starts with changing the culture.

That's what Notre Dame needs after a 6-6 season that was the final straw for coach Charlie Weis, who was fired with a five-year mark of 35-27. Coach Brian Kelly, plucked by the Irish from his successful stint at Cincinnati, had more than three months to work on the culture and his new team's collective mindset before spring practice, which started March 26.

"You can't start winning until you stop losing," he said.

"We had to take those things that were preventing us from winning and expose them, which we have. Now, we don't have to beat a dead horse. Let's move on, you guys know what you need to do, and they have been great at picking that up and moving to the next level."

As problems, Kelly cited his player's attention to detail and perhaps a sense of entitlement that comes from being a Notre Dame football player.

"I'm tired of hearing about the next NFL player coming out of Notre Dame, quite frankly," Kelly said. "We are creating an atmosphere that is a little bit different than what they are used to."

Kelly is used to a winning atmosphere. He had had 18 winning records in 19 seasons as a head coach -- at Division II Grand Valley State, Central Michigan and Cincinnati. His Bearcats last season were 12-0 when he left for Notre Dame.

On the field, he has to develop a quarterback, get more pizzazz from the running game and get tougher and more physical against the run on defense.

The work leading up to all that was no less important, though. The words from Kelly's introductory press conference are still true.

"It's getting your players to be accountable on a day-to-day basis," he said. "It's developing them as young men, and you have to do that through relationships. If you don't do that, you'll never get your players to go to areas that they can't go without you."

NOTES, QUOTES

SPRING OBJECTIVES: Dayne Crist, coming back from ACL surgery, has to do as much as he can and be a student of the new offense. Coach Brian Kelly said he and his staff would be smart in how much they let him compete in the spring, but he added that Crist will "play all our 7-on-7 routines, he'll be in all of our one-on-ones. We'll put a big funnel around him and make sure no one gets near him." Freshman QB Tommy Rees enrolled early, so he will get a long look as will walk-on Nate Montana, who left Notre Dame before last season at Pasadena Community College to get experience before returning to the school. More freshmen quarterbacks arrive in the fall.

An inexperienced quarterback and a young offensive line -- only two starters return (guards Chris Stewart and Trevor Robinson) -- could be a bad combination ... unless major strides are taken this spring.

Taking advantage of a good group of linebackers, Notre Dame will switch to s 3-4 front this spring.

BUILDING BLOCKS: The defense allowed nearly 400 yards per game (397.75) but does return eight starters, including linebacker Manti Te'o, who had 63 tackles, including 5.5 for loss, as a true freshman. RB Armando Allen is back after leading the team with 697 rushing yards, averaging 4.9 per carry. The receiving game features two of the best in the nation at their position -- junior WR Michael Floyd (five 100-yard efforts while being healthy for only six full games) and TE Kyle Rudolph.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "At the end of the day, you love the independent status as it relates to football. Being able to play on the West Coast and the East Coast and not have to always play at those same destination stops. I think it's great for everybody. Our fan base goes from coast to coast. If we can continue to do that, that would be a preference. But I'm a realist. We're going to do what's right for the University of Notre Dame." -- Coach Brian Kelly, on the possibility of Notre Dame joining a conference for football.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

2010 OUTLOOK: The immediate future would look much brighter if QB Jimmy Clausen and WR Golden Tate had returned for their senior seasons. As it is, new coach Brian Kelly will head into his first season with modest expectations as the offense regroups while the defense tries to improve. The schedule isn't filled with preseason top-10 timber, but it's also the kind of schedule that doesn't allow for too many Saturdays without Notre Dame's best effort. The Irish play only four true road games -- Michigan State, Boston College, Navy and USC.

TOP NEWCOMERS:

DT Louis Nix -- Nix (6-3, 315) has great size, but might not be asked to play as a freshman as Notre Dame switches to a 3-4 front, able to used senior Ian Williams in a starting role in the middle.

QB Andrew Hendrix -- It's always going to be a big deal when a quarterback signs with Notre Dame, and Hendrix was rated the 13th-best pro-style quarterback by Rivals.com. He completed 103 of 183 passes for 1,242 yards and eight touchdowns with four interceptions as senior at Moeller High School. "He's got a very strong arm," coach Brian Kelly said. "I think what stands out about Andrew is that he's only been a starter for a year and a half. He has not played a lot of football. His best football is clearly in front of him." Other quarterbacks in this class are Luke Massa from Cincinnati and QB Tommy Rees from Lake Forest, Ill. Rees is enrolled.



ROSTER REPORT:

--QB Dayne Crist is recovering from ACL surgery but will be ready for some action in spring practice.

--WR Theo Riddick (shoulder) will be limited during spring practice as he switches from running back. Coach Brian Kelly wants to use Riddick's speed and playmaking ability on the outside, able to make the switch because of depth at running back.

--OL Lane Clelland has moved to defensive end.

--FB Steve Paskorz will change to linebacker this spring, offering a bigger body in the middle.

--Five players enrolled early and will participate in spring ball: QB Tommy Rees, WR Tai-ler Jones, CB Stephen Boyd, CB Lo Wood, S Chris Badger

I want to know about NIU football!

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

From what I can tell, as far as the players go, it seems like they are embracing the new coaches. Petrino is a high-energy guy, running around the field clapping and yelling. His motto is FTS - Feed the Studs like Fayson, Jenkins, Leshoure. He's open to some different offensive possibilities, based on the personnel.

So, I'm thinking the kids think it's kind of a new regime already. Seems like Zook has basically been neutralized as a Manager of the two Coordinator coaches. It may work. I slightly more optimistic about it than I was 3 months ago.

I don't read the Illini boards but I'm sure they all hate everything. You know how message boards are.

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You know me like that.

Edited.

Tell me about it. Sometimes people seem to argue just to argue.

I think the Illini are going to be one of the most interesting stories out there. They could have a great surprise season or it could be an absolute train wreck with Zook being a coach just waiting to get fired.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

If only the NBA playoffs would last all year...

Less time for thuggery

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I'm not sure what to make of them either. For the most part, those talented recruiting classes are still there and have experience. I can't believe all those guys are busts so the potential would still seem to be there.

I was surprised they were able to get the level of coordinators that they did with Petrino and Koenning given the situation. Maybe they think it gives them an opportunity to step into the head coach role in a year. But, it is a very likely one and done scenario. That said, if they can turn things around, that's going to look good on the resume and the talent, it would seem, is there to be able to do that.

Risky moves on both their parts. I hope for the sake of my drywall that it works out for them.

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You know me like that.

I'm headed to the spring game this weekend in Iowa City. Here is the general take on Iowa:

They will be pretty good as long as the offensive line gels. The defense will be filthy.

Quick thoughts:
- The OL will have 3 new starters in 2010. Riley Reiff returns and based on last year results, he looks like the next great LT at Iowa, as well as Julian Vandevelde at right guard. The other 3 slots will be filled with some combination of Marcus Zurcevis at RT, Adam Gettis at guard and either Josh Koeppel/James Ferentz at center.
- Defensive Line will be among the best in the country anchored by all world DE Adrian Clayborn. The other 3 starters will be going into their 2nd or 3rd year starting. Christain Ballard might be the best overall lineman on the team, starting at DT.
- Linebackers will have some new faces with Angerer and Edds going to the Pros but the backups were pretty good - The backups all saw significant time due to injuries and multiple sets. Drop off is not expected.
- Defensive backfield looks to replace Amari Speivey who was a shutdown corner in a cover 2 system. Jordan Bernstine who would have started last year returns from injury.
- Kicker is the one place where there will be a huge compeition for starting. Last year's kicker Daniel Murray is on shaky ground after having a poor year. Trent Mossbrucker was a scholarship kicker coming in who lost his job the night Iowa beat Penn State 2 seasons ago.

They won. On the road. Next question.

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Why did they play a road game during spring football? Congratulations on the win though.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I'd try to erase it from my memory if I were in your position as well. It's part of the healing process. I wish you luck.

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You know me like that.

Why? It's not like I'm not used to Purdue losing. I just didn't realize that game counted as a loss this year.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

When you lose to a team from the Mac, it does.

Why should the Mac get treated differently than anyone else?

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Iowa is at Soldier Field again in 2012 against Northern Illinois

Christ - I can't type today.

They lost in the most current year on record. To NIU. At home. It still counts (and still stings a little apparently ).
The swelling should go down sometime this week.

How soon can you play basketball after the dislocation?

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It stings no more than the other 14 losses in the past 2 years. This is a new season. The players are different.

By your logic, the day before the first game of the season is still the 2009 season. Do you just argue to argue?

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Hoping to be back Thursday but it's not looking good right now since I couldn't run without pain from my car to the front door.

Were the cops after you?

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Just like someone returning from injury, an athlete has to test out the area and see how far they can push themselves.

So they were. What did you steal?

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Since MUD has dropped the ball . . .

The new signal caller at Quarterback U is Junior Dan Persa.

He repalces Kafaka who led the Big 10 in passing yards with 3,430 and total offense at 286.5 yards per game. No real experience. Dual threat. First Pennsylvania high school player to surpass 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a single season.

RBs, from mostly non-existent running game (except for Kafka last year), return.

NFL draft pick DE Wooten is gone.

McMannis, Phillips and Smith all gone from the secondary.

No one thought Kafka would do anything last year and by next week he'll be an NFL QB, so it will be interesting to see what Persa does.

Good tickets still available for all games.

Coach Fitz pledges to become even more arrogant this year (just to piss BR off).

On Purdue, their spring game is Saturday, first chance fans well get to see Marve, at least the ones who didn't see him at the U.

The Big 10 has now extended their deal with the Little Ceaser's Bowl, so if there is 8 or 9 bowl eligible teams, they get to go.

I'm waiting to see the Spring Game. Bringing all 4 MUD kids up to Ryan Field. Couple things I'll add are:

- Dan Persa is the heir apparent, but I still worry about that kid. He barely looks 5'10, but they say he is 6'. He can run and he has a decent arm for his size.

- NSJ, not you too? It's fucking Wootton!! D-line is hoping Vince Browne can become the Corey Wootton. Methinks not likely. D-line will sorely miss Wootton.

- Secondary is even in worse shape. How do I know that? Because Fitz is claiming it is shaping up to be one of the best competition areas... in short, he has no clue who is gonna start opposite Vaughn. Peters (Safety) should be good, but is out for spring ball with an injury.

- Wide receivers will be fine. Jeremy Ebert is growing into the role as the next slow, sure-hands receiver. But Sidney Stewart is the guy I'm most excited. Drew Moulton has surprised so far, but he is a red shirt frosh so his knowledge of the system is pretty low.

- Echo what NSJ says about Fitz (sorry BR). I wish the media would tone it down a bit. But I guess he's marketing to bolster our crap-tastic attendance stats.