Purdue was right where it was picked to be in preseason – first place in the Big Ten, standing 11-2 with seven games left -- then took halftime leads in six of those last seven games, only trailing by two in the other, yet collapsed badly, coming from ahead to snatch defeats in five of those seven.
And let’s not forget flipping a 16-point first-half lead into a late 9-point deficit against Ohio State.
The same players who generally dominated the first 20 minutes or more were the same ones who fell apart late. The personnel didn’t suddenly develop holes mid-game. No one caught an early bus. Blame can go on tighter rotations, tighter legs and tighter throats, leading to loose-stool defense, misfires and second-half loss after second-half loss. It was as if Rockne would appear at the break, pop corn and inspire them to “Gag one for the Gipper.”
But now that they’re done gagging away their Three-Pete, we’re seeing worse -- line after line by armchair coaches claiming “Well, I knew they’d suck all along.” Well, bullshit. With three starters and three top subs all back from a Final Four team, they were underrated nationally to start the year, if anything, and no self-respecting Purdue fan ever expects a kamikaze nosedive out of first place, not in the league we founded and own with 26 titles and series leads over everyone but UCLA, beaten there only because of our own superman alumnus. Better to gag than to barf and backfire.
Led for 35 minutes at Michigan, up by as many as 11, outscored 32-22 in last 10:00, lost by 2.
Led for 18 minutes vs. Wisconsin, up by as many as 9, outscored 58-47 in second half, lost by 10.
Led for 12 minutes at Michigan State, up by as many as 7, down 4 with 2:20 left, lost by 9.
Led for 13 minutes at Indiana, up by as many as 12, outscored 48-18 after halftime, lost by 15.
Led for 27 minutes at Illinois, up by as many as 10, up 4 with 2:00 left, lost by 8.
And let’s not forget flipping a 16-point first-half lead into a late 9-point deficit against Ohio State.
The same players who generally dominated the first 20 minutes or more were the same ones who fell apart late. The personnel didn’t suddenly develop holes mid-game. No one caught an early bus. Blame can go on tighter rotations, tighter legs and tighter throats, leading to loose-stool defense, misfires and second-half loss after second-half loss. It was as if Rockne would appear at the break, pop corn and inspire them to “Gag one for the Gipper.”
But now that they’re done gagging away their Three-Pete, we’re seeing worse -- line after line by armchair coaches claiming “Well, I knew they’d suck all along.” Well, bullshit. With three starters and three top subs all back from a Final Four team, they were underrated nationally to start the year, if anything, and no self-respecting Purdue fan ever expects a kamikaze nosedive out of first place, not in the league we founded and own with 26 titles and series leads over everyone but UCLA, beaten there only because of our own superman alumnus. Better to gag than to barf and backfire.
