I look around and see this week being called "hate week" in a lot of places. You've got PSU trying admirably to make their manufactured rivalry with MSU mean something. You've got Minnesota supporters resorting to rankings I've never heard of to bash Iowa, while Iowa slaps right back with some admittedly funny shots at the Minny football program. And, of course, you've got the slack-jaws from Columbus and Ann Arbor doing their typical strutting around, pretending anyone outside of Columbus or Ann Arbor really cares about their game (and, of course, throwing infantile tantrums when anyone has the temerity to report anything or opine on their program).

It's funny. It's been an exciting season and we've got a fiery coach who likes to rub people's noses in their own crap, and yet, I can't seem to summon the hate and fire I'm supposed to be able to summon. Here we are, us, H&R and Crimson Quarry, politely going along as if we don't despise one another. You'd expect this out of T-Mill at H&R, of course, as he's rarely one to tweak people, choosing instead to represent Purdue as Switzerland (don't ask me what Switzerland borders).

Us, on the other hand... well, we're jerks. You know this, of course, which is why you read this site. And we've taken our shots at Indiana before, but in recent years it has had a whole lot more to do with their embarrassing basketball program travails and, despite being eminently mockable, we've been sort of easy on their football program. Why? I don't know. Maybe we don't like seeing them fail as miserably as they've failed at times -- our joy in seeing others fail is more reserved for the wretched arrogance that emanates from South Bend. (Who, by the way, really doesn't have a rival to play during rivalry week. How sad.) Our hate tends to come out more for programs with poor leaders who refuse to focus on issues they should be focusing on (like, say, Michigan or, again, Notre Dame).

To me, the Bucket rivalry would be much more fun if both programs were "up," and thus the games meant more. We're at a point with IU where losing to them would be awful -- like losing to a MAC school. So if that's the most hateful thing we can say, so be it.

So what say you? Do you hate IU? Do you truly love seeing them scorched by 40-50 points?