Purdue Gets Big Four This Month

GAME OF THE WEEK

No. 11 Purdue (4-0, 1-0) at No. 4 Michigan (4-0, 1-0)

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Joe Tiller must have wondered what the big deal was about the Big Ten when he took the Purdue job three years ago.

Tiller has since led the Boilermakers to consecutive nine-victory seasons, and this year’s team is off to a 4-0 start.

Well, it’s payback time. After missing Michigan and Ohio State on the schedule the last two years, Purdue gets a full dose of Big Ten power, starting Saturday at Ann Arbor.

Then, Purdue goes to Columbus on Oct. 9 before closing the month at home against against Michigan State and Penn State.

“This is an unbelievable stretch,” Tiller said of the schedule.

These are also exciting times in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers seek their first 5-0 start since 1945 and boast a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate in junior quarterback Drew Brees.

In a conference renowned for its grind-it-out style, Purdue offers a stark alternative with its pass-happy quarterback and five wide receiver sets.

“You can’t beat throwing 50 times a game,” Brees said this week.

Safe to say, no quarterback coached by Woody Hayes ever uttered those words.

No offense, but Purdue is a Pac-10 team set adrift in the Midwest.

The Boilermakers have the nation’s No. 6 passing attack and a kitchen sink playbook.

“We haven’t seen an offense like this since the Rose Bowl two years ago with Washington State,” Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr said.

Carr survived that game, 21-16, and might expect a similar experience against the Boilermakers.

The shocker is that Purdue averages 23 more yards rushing than Michigan.

Michigan appears poised for another national-title run and wrecked one Heisman dream last week when the defense held Wisconsin back Ron Dayne yard-less after halftime.

The line: Michigan by 6 1/2.

5 THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1. A Conference USA takeover? The upstart conference deserves to do a little chest-thumping after victories over ranked schools: Cincinnati over then-No. 9 Wisconsin; East Carolina over then-No. 9 Miami, but let’s not get carried away.

After beating Wisconsin and losing to Ohio State, Cincinnati Coach Rick Minter actually said, “Our toughest games on our schedule are still remaining.”

At last reality check, Conference USA had 70 players on opening-day NFL rosters compared to 218 for the Pac-10, 206 for the Big Ten and 202 for the SEC.

2. A Rose Bowl showdown. We’re so excited about this, we can’t help but look ahead. No doubt, most of you had Oct. 16 circled on your Pac-10 calendar as a possible Rose Bowl decider. Oct. 16? Oregon State at Stanford, of course. Stanford last appeared in a Rose Bowl in 1972, Oregon State in 1965.

3. The Mount Union label. With last Saturday’s 56-24 victory over Ohio Northern, Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, is three wins shy of breaking Oklahoma’s collegiate mark for consecutive victories, 47, set from 1953-57 under legendary coach Bud Wilkinson. Should Mount Union win at John Carroll this weekend and at Heidelberg on Oct. 9, the three-time defending Division III national champions will try to break Oklahoma’s hallowed mark Oct. 16, in Alliance, against Otterbein.

4. The battling Bobs. Bob Stoops’ stock is soaring at Oklahoma; Bob Davie’s is on a bear run at Notre Dame. Saturday, the Bobs meet at midfield in South Bend. Under Stoops, in his first year at Oklahoma, the Sooners seek their first 4-0 start since 1993. Under Davie, Notre Dame hopes to avoid its first 1-4 start since, um, 1997.

5. Washington State catching a break this week against Cal? Fat chance. In the 1998 Rose Bowl, the clock operator cost the Cougars a last-second chance to beat Michigan. Last weekend, a Pac-10 official in need of an eye exam handed Arizona a gift victory when he ruled receiver Bobby Wade had caught a last-second touchdown pass. The replay showed otherwise. It was Washington State’s 12th consecutive loss.

RATING THE TV GAMES

**** Whoa, Nellie

*** Fix the car tomorrow

** OK to watch golf infomercials

* For WWF scouts only

** Illinois (3-1) at Indiana (1-3), 9 a.m., ESPN2

Quick, go get doughnuts now before the good games start.

Line: Indiana by 2.

** Oklahoma State (2-1) at Nebraska (4-0), 9:30 a.m., FSW2

Michael Johnson called in to help Cornhuskers with woeful running game.

Line: Nebraska by 27 1/2.

*** Oklahoma (3-0) at Notre Dame (1-3), 11:30 a.m., Channel 4

Barry Switzer speaks to Domers at Friday pep rally about “Crisis Management.”

Line: Notre Dame by 6.

*** Alabama (3-1) at Florida (4-0), 12:30 p.m., Channel 2

Week 2 of the “Save Mike DuBose’s Neck” march.

Line: Florida by 17.

** Missouri (2-1) at Memphis (1-3), 12:30 p.m., FSW

Distraught over tough loss to Tennessee, Team Elvis slips on fried banana peel sandwich.

Line: Missouri by 2.

*** Virginia Tech (3-0) at Virginia (3-1), 3 p.m., ESPN2

Memo to network chiefs: This game should always be played in late November in freezing rain.

Line: Virginia Tech by 5.

*** Hampton (4-0) at Southern (4-0), 4 p.m., BET

A great early-season showdown between Division I-A powers.

Line: None.

** Texas A&M; (3-0) at Texas Tech (1-2), 4 p.m., FSW

Tech wins at home in Lubbock without Ricky Williams? That’ll be the day.

Line: Texas A&M; by 16.

*** Auburn (3-1) at Tennessee (2-1), 6 p.m., ESPN

Brought to you by the network that uncovers the scandals and owns the broadcast rights.

Line: Tennessee by 19.

** Air Force (2-1) at San Diego State (1-2), 6 p.m., ESPN2

Force loses poll power in one engine after loss to Wyoming.

Line: Air Force by 2.

*** Oregon (3-1) at Washington (1-2), 7:15 p.m., FSW

Bad news for Ducks: Their coach was injured Wednesday in post-practice celebration.

Line: Washington by 2 1/2.

** Texas El Paso (2-2) at Hawaii (3-1), 10 p.m., FSW2

Hey, look what June has done with Hawaii in September!

Line: Texas El Paso by 4 1/2.