I remember, back when I was in college, I couldn't get enough of college football. This is prior to Joe Tiller's "Basketball on Grass" or Drew Brees' magical couple of years at my alma mater. Purdue was NEVER important on the national college football scene, yet that didn't stop me from eating up college football like a chubby kid eats the filling out of Oreos.
In 1997 my attitude changed as Purdue went to a bowl game and won 8 games...Years of being ranked and a few stints in the top-10 followed. My perspective changed during that era...I would watch games and ask, "Could Purdue beat that team?" or "Might Purdue play these guys in a bowl later in the year?" Well now, I'm pretty sure the elite of the nation can all easily beat my Boilermakers...and with the recent bowl performances, I tend to not wait with baited breath for the bowl like I did a few years ago.
All that said, the product, college football is still riveting to me. I know, J talks about how October is different for baseball...and it is- the games are actually interesting and worth something. But, every game is important in college football...and drama and surprises await us each Saturday.
Both #1 & #2 beaten on the same day...And, numbers 15, 18 & 19 all were upset. While upsets and parity seem to be trendy, the Big Ten's standings are pretty normal. The much maligned Michigan Wolverines are now tied with the Ohio State Buckeyes...Illinois and IU looked like they might be in the mix this season, but both proved today that they are still not worthy to be in that conversation.
Sure, I crave Purdue being nationally important and competitive at the highest level...But I don't have to have that to enjoy the rest of the nation's product. It's a darned good thing too- I don't have any reason to believe