MADISON, Wis. - That Purdue lost 62-17 at 19th-ranked Wisconsin Saturday, giving up more points than it ever, ever had before in its football playing history, is one thing.
That it wasn't altogether surprising is another thing.
But I just know which of the two is worse.
From the moment Montee first touched the Ball, you got the sense that this game for Purdue was going to be much more about just managing the margin of defeat than it was competing. Even when Purdue was scoring, it was as if the value of those points lied in the fact that Wisconsin wasn't.
The final was 62-17; if it weren't for dazzling freshman return man Raheem Mostert and the kickoff return team, it might have been 70-something to a single digit.
Clearly, Wisconsin is head and shoulders, and arms and legs, the superior of the two teams and clearly a convergence of events - the Badgers losing back-to-back head-in-the-oven-type losses and Purdue getting besieged by injury on its lines on both sides of the ball - made for a combustible mix here.
But what happened Saturday in Madison, in front of a national television audience, much to ABC's chagrin, was embarrassing for Purdue.
It was not good, and if a similar outcome or anything close to it occurs next weekend against Ohio State in Purdue's much-anticipated rededication showcase-type weekend, then that would be really, really bad.
This is going to be a very short blog, because what do you even say?
Wisconsin just dismantled Purdue, as it would do to a lot of people, particularly when so inclined. And among coaches Bret Bielema can be the equivalent of that sadistic little kid with a magnifying glass, running around in the hot sun torching ants.
That's an unstoppable offense. It has everything. It's a shame that Wisconsin's out of the title hunt, because I'd love to see that offense go against one of those elite SEC defenses with a national championship hanging in the balance.
How could Purdue compete?
How could it have been expected to?
What chance did it ever have?
This is what it's come to, Purdue playing the role of IU in the Big Ten, at least for one week.
Hey, at least it wasn't 80.
You have to grasp the positives where you can.
And there's only so much you can say about Raheem Mostert.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2011. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited. E-mail GoldandBlack.com/Boilers, Inc.
Check out GoldandBlack.com on
This post was edited on 11/7 8:47 AM by Alan_GoldandBlack.com
