Boilers face IU in last chance
for Rose Bowl
 EAST
LANSING, Mich. — Purdue's disappointing loss to Michigan State
Saturday has set the stage for arguably the biggest game in the history
of Boilermaker football.
Purdue vs. Indiana. The Old
Oaken Bucket, the Rose Bowl and the Heisman Trophy are all on the line.
The Boilers (7-3, 6-2 Big
Ten) have a rare second chance to win the title in what is usually an
unforgiving conference.
Following the 30-10 Boilermaker
breakdown to the Spartans in East Lansing, Mich., defensive end Akin
Ayodele may have said it best.
"God is definitely looking
down on us," he said.
Maybe so.
Now that Purdue does have
a second chance, thanks to the 27-17 Iowa victory over co-Big Ten leading
Northwestern, the Boilers hope that He's still watching when the Hoosiers
come to town Saturday.
Because of the huge Hawkeye
upset, nothing has changed for Purdue. The team still controls its own
destiny. A win against the Hoosiers (3-7, 2-5) this weekend, and the
Boilermakers will still find themselves in only their second Rose Bowl
ever.
Now, however, the Boilers
have to take advantage of this opportunity.
"We're going to get after
it; that's all there is to it," said Boiler defensive tackle Matt Mitrione
following Saturday's meltdown in Michigan.
If they don't get after it,
the Boilers will have squandered their best chance of being in Pasadena,
Calif. on New Year's Day since the 1966 season — the only other
time Purdue represented the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl.
As down and dejected as the
Boilermakers were following the conclusion of Saturday's game, quarterback
Drew Brees said he could find only one positive thing to take away from
the losing effort.
"The fact is, though, if
we come out next week and beat Indiana, we're still going to the Rose
Bowl," he said. "I guess that's because we're really lucky."
Sometimes it takes a little
luck in reaching the ultimate goal and coach Joe Tiller said he'd take
it.
"We're very fortunate to
be in the position we're in," Tiller said in a teleconference Sunday.
The position couldn't be
bigger.
So big is this game, that
ABC opted to pick up coverage for Saturday's game, subsequently moving
the start time of the game to 3:30 p.m. in what will be a riotous Ross-Ade
Stadium.
The home field will come
into play Saturday afternoon, as it should be an atmosphere to remember
at Ross-Ade.
One can only assume, rather
hope, that both Boilermaker fans and Hoosier fans who make the trip
exhibit more class than a select group of Michigan State fans after
the sloppy Spartan loss. A fan threw a magazine at Brees as the quarterback
was attempting to board Purdue's bus. The fan, along with others, was
using profanity when reminding Brees that his Heisman chances were bleak.
Ayodele said he's aware of
what the atmosphere around West Lafayette will be this Saturday.
"Even if it wasn't the Rose
Bowl on the line, we know it's going to be a big game," Ayodele said.
But the big bowl is on the
line, and you can bet Indiana knows that too.
Brees also knows that his
Heisman Trophy chances took a blow on Saturday. But Brees doesn't care.
Sure, toting home the trophy would be nice, but he has other things
on his mind than winning the Heisman hardware.
"The Heisman's not up to
me," he said. "We're just playing to win."
The Boilers should come out
ready to play Saturday, which is exactly opposite of how they played
in East Lansing. If they are ready to play and are able to mirror the
Boilers of October when Purdue beat Michigan, Northwestern, Wisconsin
and Ohio State, then handling the Hoosiers won't be much of a challenge.
The way the Boilermakers
were feeling late Saturday afternoon is similar to the way they felt
after a two-point Penn State loss.
This isn't to say that you
shouldn't make Pasadena plans just yet, but make sure all Purdue travel
packages purchased prior to Saturday provide repayment options.
Yes, Purdue has experienced
losing; however, a letdown this Saturday would come at the hands of
the team Purdue despises most, in what is the most important game of
all.
It has all come down to this
for Brees and the Boilermaker seniors, who will be playing in their
final home game Saturday.
As they depart Ross-Ade Stadium
for the final time as Boilermakers, the last memory they hope to have
is of an Old Oaken Bucket full of roses.
Keith Thomas is a junior
in the School of Liberal Arts. He can be emailed at sports@purdueexponent.org.
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