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Purdue football Verdict: #TeamKyle vs. #TeamStacy

Brian_GoldandBlack.com

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Jun 18, 2003
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More: Stacy's and Kyle's rosters

So I have to play kingmaker here between these fantasy teams and decide not just what team I think is better, but which co-worker bridge I would rather burn.

Let's just rip the Band-Aid right off: I like Kyle's team better.

I don't think either fantasyland defense is good enough to win with, so that's a wash. Purdue's real-life defense is going to be riddled with questions after it's been a sieve for the better part of a decade, so what reason would anyone have to think either of my distinguished colleagues could split this roster in half and still come up with something that could stop anyone?

So this decision is made overwhelmingly on offense.

It's Team Kyle.

He has experience at quarterback, and if real-life Purdue can ever get to the point where that's a thing again, it'll underscore its value. Purdue, both whole in real life and divided in this exercise, is going to have to effectively throw the ball to beat anyone.

And Kyle has the most formidable weapon in DeAngelo Yancey and some speed to put alongside him. Unproven speed, but speed nonetheless.

It's going to be tough sledding for these theoretical split-squad defenses and so I believe that if this were real life, big plays would rule the day.

Yancey, Gregory Phillips and Jarrett Burgess are better suited to make those big plays. And I think Brycen Hopkins is interesting at tight end.

To me, the offensive lines are washes. Purdue's going to have a hard enough time putting together a solid five-man group in real life and the dearth of good options here is reflected in the open wound that is the right side of Stacy's offensive front.

It comes down to big plays. Kyle has the experience at QB and slightly better big-play capability in his offensive skill group. And even though I don't think either hypothetical defense would be very good, I think that of the two Kyle has the front seven best suited to take advantage of a vulnerable Team Stacy front and make big plays against an inexperienced quarterback. Stacy has the better secondary by a mile, but Kyle has the better front by a mile.

If I picked out what I considered to be Purdue's best six players - and best and most important are two different things, yes - I'd go in no particular order with Jake Replogle, DeAngelo Yancey, Ja'Whaun Bentley, Markell Jones, Jason King and Jordan Roos. Kyle has four of those guys, plus the only quarterback who's played in a game.

It's Kyle, and at the risk of piling on, I think it's pretty decided.

Kudos to Stacy, though, for the thought she put into this. She put her opposition in a bind at positions where the pickings are thin. Her secondary is far and away better and she has the center. But I don't know if the personnel there is so proven or so, well, good that it would be all that significant an advantage if this were real life.

Stacy clearly had a plan, clearly thought this through.

But Kyle, collectively, got better players.

Thoughts?
 
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