Know Your Foe - Mississippi State 2010

As hard as it is to believe, it really has been 34 days since the season ended with (another) humiliating defeat at the hands of the Buckeyes in Columbus. Believe it or not, It really has only been 34 days of "Is he going to get fired today?" -- to me it seems like 344 days. Tomorrow the 2010 Michigan Wolverines end their long and strange journey in Jacksonville at the Gator Bowl against Mississippi State. If someone had told me in August we would be playing in a New Years Days bowl - I would have smiled and signed up in a second. But somehow this rough journey back to college football mediocrity has not been as fun as I thought. Here are some essential facts about our foes from the deep south.

History: The school was created by the Mississippi State Legislature on February 28, 1878 as The Agricultural and Mechanical College of the State of Mississippi (or Mississippi A&M). As you would expect with a name like that, it was one of the national land-grant colleges established after Congress passed the Morrill Act in 1862.

This new university received its first students in the fall of 1880 under the leadership (and presidency) of former Confederate General Stephen D. Lee. Lee is famous for being the youngest Confederate Lieutenant General in the American Civil War. Lee was the officer that first delivered the "surrender and evacuate" ultimatum message at Fort Sumter to start the war. After the wars started he fought and led troops in many major battles including the Peninsula Campaign, Second Bull Run, and Antietam where his cannons played a prominent role in defending the ground near the famed Dunker Church. He was also taken as a prisoner of war after the fall of Vicksburg, was returned to the Confederate Army during a exchange and eventually wounded in the Battle of Nashville. He fought until the bitter end of the war, finally surrendering with Joseph E. Johnston's troops in April 1965.

Other important dates: In 1932, the Legislature renamed the university as Mississippi State College. In 1958 it was again renamed the university as Mississippi State University after Graduate programs had been established. In July 1965, Richard E. Holmes became the first African-American student to enroll at the school.

Location: Mississippi State is located in Starkville. It is the state of Mississippi's largest university and is also the largest employer of Starkville and dominates the city's economy. Artifacts in the form of clay pot fragments and artwork tell us that the Starkville area has been inhabited for over 2100 years. The modern European settlement of the Starkville area was started after the Choctaw inhabitants of Oktibbeha County surrendered their claims to land in the area in the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830. A mill southwest of town provided clapboards which gave the town its original name, Boardtown. In 1835, Boardtown's name was changed to Starkville in honor of Revolutionary War hero General John Stark.

The town is the birthplace of National Baseball Hall of Famer Cool Papa Bell. In 1965 Johnny Cash was arrested for public drunkenness, though he described it as being picked up for picking flowers, spawning a song and the Johnny Cash Flower Pickin' Festival which is held each year. In 2006, Starkville became the first city in Mississippi to adopt a smoking ban for indoor public places, including restaurants and bars.

Academics: The university offers 78 bachelor's degree programs, 59 master's degree programs, and 35 doctoral degree programs. listed among the "100 Best Values in Public Colleges" in Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine. The list recognizes institutions that are "noteworthy for their combination of top flight academics and affordable costs." Now listed at 88th, it is the only Mississippi institution included in the national publication's annual survey. Forbes magazine has ranked Mississippi State University among the top 20 of its top 100 best college buys in America.

Ask any SEC fan which school has the worst academic reputation in the conference, and more than likely you will get told: Mississippi State. According to the US News & World Report National University Rankings. the school is ranked 151st. This is good enough to make MSU the 2nd ranked school in the state of Mississippi, behind Ole Miss (ranked 143rd nationally).

Alumni: Famous Mississippi State people include WorldCom whistle blower and 2002 Time co-person of the year, Cynthia Cooper. Former DOW Chemical president Hunter W. Henry Jr. and Fred Carl, Jr., Founder and CEO of Viking Range. Mississippi State also educated former US Senator and reformed racist John C. Stennis. Notorious American gangster Machine Gun Kelly lived in Starkville and enrolled in the university to study agriculture in 1917.

Famous ex-MSU athletes include former baseball stars Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro, Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon and Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter. Former football stars D.D. Lewis and Fred Smoot and former basketball player Eric Dampier.

No former US Presidents or Astronauts.

Nickname, Mascot, Colors, Helmets, and Fight Song: They call themselves the Bulldogs, but MSU teams have answered to a couple of different nicknames through the years. The first squads were called Aggies. When the school officially became Mississippi State College in 1932 the nickname changed to Maroons. It wasn't until 1961 that Bulldogs became the official title for teams. Yet references to bulldogs actually go back to early in the century, and this nickname was used almost interchangeably with both Aggies and Maroons, since at least 1905.

As is the case with several SEC teams, there is some confusion with mascots (Ole Miss Rebels/Black Bears & Auburn Tigers/War Eagles comes to mind). Nonetheless, a live bulldog was first used official game mascot in 1935 when coach Major Ralph Sasse sent his team to Memphis to select a bulldog puppy. They named him Ptolemy and the Bulldogs Maroons promptly defeated Alabama 20-7.

A litter-mate of Ptolemy became the first mascot named 'Bully I' shortly after Sasse's team beat mighty Army 13-7 at West Point. This is considered the greatest victory in MSU football history. But "Bully I" earned other fame the hard way, in 1939 he was killed by a campus bus. Days of campus mourning followed, as Bully lay in state in a glass coffin. A half-mile funeral procession accompanied by the the Famous Maroon Band and three ROTC battalions went to Scott Field where Bully was buried under the bench at the 50-yard line. Even LIFE Magazine covered to the event. Other Bullys have since been buried by campus dorms, fraternity houses, and also at the football stadium.

On November 15, 1895, the first Mississippi A&M football team was preparing for a road trip to play Southern Baptist University. Since every college was supposed to have its own uniform colors, the student body requested that the school's team select a suitable combination. Considering making this choice an honor, the inaugural football team gave the privilege to team captain W.M. Matthews. History records that without hesitation Matthews chose Maroon and White.

Only once has a MSU team appeared in any other color combination. In 1938 football coach Spike Nelson secretly had cardinal and gold uniforms made, a selection that did not sit well with the team or the college at the first game. Neither the uniforms nor Nelson were back for the next season.

They currently wear maroon helmets with maroon face masks adorned with a simple block M/State ribbon combo. During the years 2004-2008 they wore white helmets with a similar logo. They have also used an interlocking MSU helmet logo in the recent past. In general, the MSU helmets are about as generic as you will find in the SEC and all of college football.

The words and music for the Mississippi State Fight Song called "Hail State" were written by Joseph Burleson Peavey in 1939.



Hail dear 'ole State!
Fight for that victory today.
Hit that line and tote that ball,
Cross the goal before you fall!
And then we'll yell, yell, yell, yell!
For dear 'ole State we'll yell like H-E-L-L!
Fight for Mis-sis-sip-pi State,
Win that game today!

What is the deal with these Cow Bells? Cow bells are a significant part of any Mississippi State University experience. The tradition began after a jersey cow wandered on to the football field in the early 1900s, disrupting a game. Subsequently, they won the football game, and the cow became a symbol of good luck. Eventually, the cow was replaced with just the cow's bell. Handles were welded onto the bells to ease ringing, and cowbells are now manufactured and sold specifically as athletic noisemakers.

Cowbells seem to be as important to MSU fans as winged helmets are to us. They decorate offices and homes of alumni and they are passed down through generations of Bulldog fans. These bells are not heard at Southeastern Conference games (not legally, at least). In 1974, the SEC vote 9-1 to ban them issuing a conference rule against 'artificial noisemakers' at football and basketball games. Don't worry -- Michigan will hear them loud and proud during the Gator Bowl.


Football: Mississippi State is a charter member of the Southeastern Conference. They have been playing football at Mississippi State since 1895 and the SEC has been around since 1932. In that time, the Bulldogs have won exactly one SEC conference title (1941). They also won the 1998 SEC West division -- but lost to Tennessee in the SEC title game.

Their primary rival is the University of Mississippi. They play annually in a trophy game called the Egg Bowl. Ole Miss leads the series 41-60-6. The Bulldogs also have a heated, yet lopsided rivalry with Alabama and their game is sometimes referred to as the "90 Mile Drive" or the "Battle for Highway 82". Alabama leads that series by an astounding 17-73-3 record.

Mississippi State has an all-time bowl record of 8-6, highlighted by wins in the 1941 Orange Bowl, the 1963 Liberty Bowl, and the 1999 Peach Bowl. Most recently, the Bulldogs defeated the Conference USA champion UCF Kinghts 10-3 in the 2007 Liberty Bowl. Saturday will be the first bowl appearance in for Head coach Dan Mullen, who in direct contrast to the Michigan coaching situation just signed an expensive extension.

Nick Bell: On Tuesday, November 2, 2010 Mississippi State defensive end Nick Bell died after a short battle with cancer. He was 20 years old. Bell, from Bessemer, Ala., was diagnosed in late September after experiencing headaches during football practice and had surgery in October to remove a mass from his brain. He had another emergency surgery a few weeks later after it was found that the cancer had aggressively spread throughout his body. Bell played in four games this season, starting two, including his final game against Georgia on Sept. 25. He made seven total tackles, including two for a loss. He played in all 12 games as a redshirt freshman in 2009, making 16 tackles.

Other Sports: Not many people think of this, but the Bulldogs are much more of a basketball school. They have had a lot more success on the hardwood, including nine SEC championships, ten NCAA tournament appearances, and a Final Four in 1996. They also have a pretty strong baseball program, making eight College World Series appearances, the last being in 2007.

I could not find any record of NCAA titles in any sport, but in 2009 the disc golf club won the National Championship at the Collegiate Disc Golf Championship in Augusta, Ga.

The Game: This will be Michigan’s third appearance at the Gator Bowl. Bo brought his Wolverines against Lawrence Taylor's North Carolina Tarheels and lost 17-15 at the 1979 Gator Bowl. In 1991, Desmond Howard had his coming out party as Michigan curb stomped Ole Miss 35-3.

I expect this game to be very much like many of our games this year. High scoring, entertaining, and ultimately resting on Denard Robinson's capable shoulders and our defensive ability (or inability) to make stops. I would not be surprised if Michigan comes out like we did against UConn: crisp, confident, and dominate the game. But then again we could come out and play like we did against the other "State" schools we played this year (Michigan State, Penn State, and Ohio State) causing me to start my annual New Years Day channel surfing early and dreaming about a new era.

End of the day prediction?

Michigan: Jim Harbaugh
Miss State: Dan Mullen

Know Your Foe - Ohio State 2010

It seems like just a few days ago we were cheering the our guys on to victory over UConn.  But this weekend, painfully or mercifully, the 2010 football regular season ends. As we have seen the previous two seasons under Rich Rodriguez, Michigan enters the all important Ohio State game as decided underdogs. To be blunt, our traditional old school rivalry has developed into a national joke and, sadly, we are the punch line. It hasn't always been that way. This is the 106th edition of THE GAME and Michigan holds a 57-43-6 historical advantage. The Buckeyes have won the last 6 games and 8 of the last 10. Anyway, here is everything you would ever want to know about the angry mob of poorly behaved mouth-breathers from down south.

History: The institution was founded as THE Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College in 1870 under the ever popular Morrill Act. Later that year, the first group of twenty-four students, including three women, started attending classes. Like most land-grant schools of the era, an internal battle was fought to determine the mission of the school. On one side was the "narrow gauge" crowd, looking to teach subjects strictly related to agriculture and mechanical functions. On the other side was the "broad gauge" crowd looking for a more diversified curriculum that included liberal arts and sciences. As was the case in almost all of these land grant battles, the “broad gauge” side eventually won. In 1878, in light of an expanded focus, the college permanently changed its name to "THE Ohio State University".

But that wasn't the only battle for OSU, because the school was also under fire from other schools within the state of Ohio. Both Miami University and Ohio University were considered more prestigious institutions at the time -- and they were justifiably upset to not be selected as THE state university and the recipient of government allocations. Former U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes lobbied hard for monies for TOSU and basically browbeat the state legislature to give the new institution a prominent position above the other schools. In the end, the state legislature settled the issue by declaring Ohio State as the only school that would be allowed to offer doctoral degrees. Miami and OhioU would be limited to Bachelor and Masters Programs.

Location: The school is located in Columbus, Ohio, the capital city positioned in the middle of the state. The city - named after the lost explorer and father of new world genocide - is the largest in the state of Ohio. Many find that surprising because the cities of Cleveland and Cincinnati are more well known and home to major league sports teams.

Nickname: They call themselves the Buckeyes. The Buckeye is the official state tree and a creative term of endearment for the pioneers on the Ohio frontier. Apparently, one of the first acts of the original settlers was to cut one of these stinky trees down and they’ve called themselves buckeyes since. The leaves appear in a five-leaf cluster, and the fruit (nut) resembles the eye of a deer, thus the name: buck-eye. As I have stated in the past, the nut is poisonous and should not be consumed by humans or cattle. Regardless of the danger, Ohio State fans love their buckeyes – and it is a very common sight to see them on game days wearing them around their neck as ridiculous tribal necklaces.

Mascot: In 1965, Ohio State students Ray Bourhis and Sally Huber decided Ohio State needed a “game day” mascot and persuaded the athletic council to study the matter. At the time, mascots were commonly live animals brought into the stadium or arena. A buck deer was contemplated but that idea was eventually rejected given the impossible logistics of keeping a deer calm in a large crowd. Instead, a simple (yet heavy) paper-maché buckeye nut was constructed by students and worn over the head and torso, with legs sticking out.

They named him Brutus Buckeye. He made its initial appearance at the 1965 homecoming football game against Minnesota. The heavy costume did not last long and it was soon replaced by a more permanent and durable fiberglass shell. Sometime during the 1970’s they added a baseball cap to the bucknut with limbs. Today Brutus looks like something out of a muppet nightmare, frightens anyone he comes in contact with and angers other mascots into an uncontrollable rage.


Colors/Logo/Helmet: The Ohio State official colors are scarlet and gray. This combination was selected by three students in1878, which happens to be the same year they changed the name to Ohio State. These colors were selected because they were viewed as a “pleasing combination” and they were not being used by any other college. The original suggestion of orange and black was shot down when the students discovered that Princeton also used those colors. This was the closest Ohio State has ever come to being confused with Princeton.

The primary athletic Ohio State logo from 1957 to 1987 was a simple, yet enduring block “O”. Since 1987 they have added a more modern “Ohio State” arched through the middle. They have a ton of secondary logos, the most common combining the classic “O” with a buckeye leaf and nut.
Regardless of what they have worn in the Michigan game for the last two season, the Buckeye's trademark is the distinctive silver bullet helmet design. Until Nike got involved, this classic had been basically unchanged since 1968, making it one of the longest-running continuously-used designs in the NCAA. About the only chance of the scheme is the size of the little buckeye award stickers for class attendance, good behavior and nice plays.

Fight Song: In 1915, OSU student William A. Dougherty, Jr., set out to write the perfect fight song for his school. Dougherty felt that something more exciting than the sad melancholy Carmen Ohio was needed for pep rallies and football games. As a result Fight the Team Across the Field was created. It debuted on October 16th 1915 against Illinois and has not stopped playing since. It is important to note that they had to wait another 4 years before they could play it during a win against Michigan.

This is the main buckeye fight song, although the Buckeye Battle Cry is played after touchdowns. Though the lyrics reference football heroics, the song is used by Buckeye teams of all sports. If you have ever been to an OSU game, their band plays an entire catalogue of toe tapping, yet kidnapped tunes, including the ever popular Hang on Sloopy.

Fight the Team Across the Field

Fight the team across the field
Show them Ohio's here
Set the Earth reverberating
With a mighty cheer
RAH! RAH! RAH!
Hit them hard and see how they fall
Never let that team get the ball
Hail! Hail! The gang's all here
So let's win that old conference now!


Academics: The US News & World Report rankings of undergraduate colleges in America currently places Ohio State as 56thin the country. This places them tied with Fordham, Boston U, Purdue, Georgia, Maryland, and SMU. With 39,000 undergraduates, Ohio State prides itself on offering about any academic or extracurricular opportunity a student could dream of: 170 majors, 800+ student organizations; 120 study abroad programs; internship and research opportunities in every college.
Other Sports: Few schools have the athletic tradition of Ohio State. They are one of only three universities (Michigan and Cal-Berkeley being the others) to have won national championships in the big three sports (football, men's basketball, and baseball).

Since the inception of the Athletic Director's Cup, Ohio State has finished in the top 25 each year. Ohio State has won 57 total college national titles; of these 22 are NCAA championships. Their women's teams have never won an NCAA sanctioned title, but they do have trophies in Cheerleading, Synchronized swimming (24 times) and pistol (2). In 2007, Sports Illustrated called Ohio State's athletics as "The Program" due to the unsurpassed facilities, unparalleled amount of men's and women's sport teams, success and the financial support of an impressive fan base.

Exceptional former athletes at Ohio State include Olympic Gold Medalist Jesse Owens, NBA greats John Havlicek and Jerry Lucas, college basketball coaching legend Bobby Knight, and golf superstar Jack Nicklaus (attended, did not graduate).

Football: It is in football that most people recognize and associate Ohio State. They’ve won five recognized national championships, including most recently the 2002 crown. They’ve won 34 Big Ten titles. They have a combined seven Heisman Trophies including the only two-time winner: Archie Griffin in 1974 and 1975.
They have produced many NFL stars and college and pro football Hall of Famers. Famous names you might recognize include Jim Otis, Jack Tatum, Eddie George, Chris Spielman, Orlando Pace, and Cris Carter. Recent NFL first round draft picks include Chris "Beanie" Wells, Malcom Jenkins, Vernon Gholston, Anthony Gonzales, and Teddy Ginn Jr.

Ohio State is most well known for it's former coach, Woody Hayes. Even to this day, he is worshiped as a god in the state despite an irascible personality and recurring episodes of poor sportsmanship, including the final spectacular explosion in which he punched a Clemson player after he had the audacity to intercept a Buckeye pass during the 1978 Gator Bowl. The identity of the school – and much of the state – is wrapped up in how the Buckeyes do on the gridiron. It is who they are and it unites them, much to the humor (and horror) of the rest of the nation.

Famous alums: As you would expect, Ohio State has a long and somewhat impressive list of famous alums. They have many successful CEOs and political leaders. They have produced two Nobel Peace prize winners and have accumulated 10 Pulitzers. Recognizable names include former UofM President Harlan Hatcher, Tuskegee Airmen Squadron Commander Harold Brown, WWII Medal of Honor winner Robert Scott, Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center co-founder Charles Kettering, Goosebumps author RL Stine, Windex inventor Harry Drackett, Shoney’s founder Alex Schoenbaum, ESPN SportsCenter director Vince Doria, Actress Patricia Heaton, annoying comedian Richard Lewis, Rascal Flatts lead singer Gary LeVox, country singer Dwight Yoakim, Baseball Hall of Fame sportscaster Jack Buck, and the co-founder of Wikipedia Larry Sanger. They also provided an education to serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. By far the most humorous and ironic name I find on this list is Teflon inventor Roy Plunkett. I can only imagine how many times Jim Tressel has gotten on his knees and thanked him over the years.

As much as Michigan fans don't want to admit it, Bo Schembechler has a graduate degree from Ohio State. He also has a pair of those cute little gold-pants charms they give out for beating Michigan. Barf.

I counted at least four NASA astronauts, there may be more. And although the state of Ohio has produced eight US Presidents (William Henry Harrison, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Howard Taft, and Warren Harding) -- but none of them attended or graduated from Ohio State.

The Game: For the third season in a row, I have no expectations what-so-ever for this game. If we win, I will be shocked and once again believe in a god that tosses miracles out when he is bored. If we lose, well.... I guess I will just go on like I have for the last decade.

Our defense is not well suited to face a talented and motivated team like the Buckeyes. I can only hope Jim Tressel shows his conservative nature and we score early and often. The reality is if both teams play to their potential -- it won't be close.

Michigan : Not enough
Ohio State : Too Much

Know Your Foe - Wisconsin 2010

We host the #5 ranked Wisconsin Badgers. They are coming off an 83-20 nailbiter against Indiana, while Michigan cruised to their seventh win of the season at Purdue. This will be the final home game of the season and the 64th meeting between the Badgers and the Wolverines. Michigan leads the all-time series by a wide margin: 49-13-1. You can't do a Wisconsin KYF without quoting our KYF founder Benny: What other school could possibly have a logo/seal that looks like a beer label?

History: The University of Wisconsin was born on the same day as the state on March 13th, 1848. The school was decreed in the Wisconsin Constitution, requiring a prominent public university “at or near Madison". Nelson Dewey (Wisconsin’s first governor) signed the act that formally created the new university, and its first class, with 17 students, met in an existing Madison school building on February 5, 1849.

Location: Madison is far and away the best college town I have ever had the pleasure to visit. Mad-Town holds a distinctive place in my heart because it was the first place that I ever bought and drank a beer legally (18 year olds were grandfathered when the state went to a 21 year old drinking age). Every person I know that went to UW holds Madison in very high regard, despite the brutal winters. Wisconsin was named the number one "party school" in the May '06 issue of Playboy. In 2007 the Princeton Review awarded Wisconsin the first place prize for beer consumption. For my tastes Madison has everything you look for in a college town: a great campus, many big trees, classic building architecture, a funky liberal political slant, serious tail-gating, quality restaurants, loads of entertaining college bars, and an easy to walk to the football stadium.

Nickname/Mascot: They call themselves the Badgers. The badger is actually quite similar to a Wolverine -- in that they both belong in the carnivorous mammals Mustelidae (Weasel) Family. Badger meat was once a main meat source in the Native American diet, but since Badger are now a protected species in North America – it is difficult to find their meat at a standard US grocery store.

The cute Wisconsin mascot is named Bucky the Badger (official full name is Buckingham U. Badger). He was first drawn in 1940 by a local artist named Art Evans. An actual badger from Eau Claire was used at the first football games that year, but the badger proved to be too much to handle and was retired to a zoo. After that, the school replaced the live badger with a live raccoon named Regdab ('badger' backwards). In 1949, a Bucky head-piece was created and a contest was started to properly name the mascot. In 2006, Bucky was inducted as a charter member of the Mascot Hall of Fame's College Division

Colors/Logo: Yet another opponent that wears variation of red, this one is cardinal and white. Their logo is a stylized “motion W”. Wisconsin actively protects their W trademark, even to the point of pushing the CLC taking other colleges and high schools to court and forcing them to change their logo. So far, they have been in disputes with schools in New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Iowa, Texas, and West Virginia.

Helmets: Wisconsin's helmets have evolved over the years from a strangely cool W on the front to a several versions of the W the sides of the headgear. The current “motion W” design was introduced in 1991 and has become the standard.
Wisconsin wore those 1960's funky W in the front “throw back” helmets in their 2005 game against Bowling Green. They won that game 56-42, which was the second-most points scored at Camp Randall Stadium, trailing only the 1890 shutout of UW-Whitewater by the score of 106-0.

Red helmets were used at occasionally in each year from 1967 through 1970, but not during every game. And during the 1969 season, one Wisconsin player was presented the "Savage Award" after each game, which entitled him to wear a black helmet for the rest of the season. Imagine the confusion of playing a team with players in several different color helmets ? The 1969 Badgers were 3-7.

Fight Song: "On, Wisconsin!" is the name the Badger's fight song. It is also doubles as official state song. That title originally gained fame as the battle cry that Lieutenant Arthur MacArthur, Jr. used to rally his US troops in the Civil War Battle of Chattanooga at Missionary Ridge. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions. He later became an Army General, and had a son named Douglas - who also became a General and won a Medal of Honor.

The tune was composed in 1909 by William T. Purdy, with the intention of entering it into a competition for a new fight song at the University of Minnesota. Carl Beck, a former University of Wisconsin-Madison student, convinced him to withdraw it from the contest at the last minute and allow his alma mater to use it instead. Beck then wrote the original, football-oriented lyrics.



On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Plunge right through that line!
Run the ball clear down the field
A touchdown sure this time. (U rah rah)
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Fight on for her fame Fight!
Fellows! - fight, fight, fight!
We'll win this game.

On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Stand up, Badgers, sing!
"Forward" is our driving spirit
Loyal voices ring.
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Raise her glowing flame
Stand, Fellows, let us now
Salute her name!

Academics: Considering the size of the Wisconsin student population (41,000+ enrolled) coupled with the volume of beer consumed, the academics here are not bad at all. Wisconsin is currently ranked #45 in the 2011 US News National ranking. This places them as the 3rd (or 4th) highest ranked Big Ten School (Behind Northwestern and Michigan). Students and alumni really pump up Wisconsin by saying it's a great combination of academics and a fun party school. And if you have ever been there, you would agree.

Athletics: Wisconsin competes in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's and women's ice hockey and crew. Before the 1990s, Wisconsin was a perennial Big Ten football doormat, competing with Northwestern for the distinction of favorite homecoming opponent. All that changed with the arrival of Barry Alvarez; they have won three football Big Ten titles, three Rose Bowls, and a Heisman trophy. They have consistently fielded quality football teams. This football success has spread to other sports. In basketball they have been to the NCAA tournament for nine straight seasons, and they made it to the Final Four in 2000. They also have a National Championship in basketball, in 1941. Their hockey teams have always been strong, and in 2006 they made history when both the men's (their 6th) and women's (their 1st) hockey teams were crowned NCAA National Champions. They have also won recent National Championships in Cross Country, Indoor Track & Field, and Soccer.
I can't mention Wisconsin sports without mentioning the 5th quarter. This tradition has become nationally famous. Win or lose, fans sing, dance and cheer with the band as they play fun stuff like The Bud Song. Originally, this post-game concert was designed to give the fans something to listen to on their way out of the stadium, but it developed into a huge post-game party. I know many students that would miss the game and show up late in the 4th quarter to enjoy the band.

Famous alums: The Wisconsin list of notable alumni is a solid mix of folks that includes 12 Nobel Prize winners and a 7 Pulitzer Prize winners. Famous names of note are aviator Charles Lindbergh, Harley-Davidson founder William Harley, historian and author Stephen Ambrose, MLB commissioner Bud Selig, 1970s rockers Steve Miller (left six credits short of a degree) and Boz Skaggs, Wizard of Oz munchkin Meinhardt Raabe, and architect Frank Lloyd Wright (he attended, but did not graduate).

Yes… Wisconsin has three astronauts the most famous being Apollo 13 hero Jim Lovell (attended UW for 2 years but then sobered up and transferred to the Naval Academy). No former US Presidents, but they have a kick-ass statue of Abe Lincoln and they did give US Grant an honorary degree in 1879. In addition, they can claim Iajuddin Ahmed, the most recent former President of Bangladesh.
Game: This could get ugly. Wisconsin has one of the best teams in the country, their only loss of the season came at Michigan State. Last week Badger Coach Bret Bielema has shown he has no problems in running up the score in record fashion against a bad defense. They scored 83 points and their best running back (John Clay) did not even play. Add in the still bitter taste Wisconsin has from their 2008 visit to Michigan Stadium... and this does not add up to a fun senior day.

Wisconsin 49
Michigan 21

Know Your Foe: Purdue 2010

We play at Purdue this week in West Lafayette. Historically, Michigan has dominated these guys, holding a 41-14 all time record. But like most of the Big Ten, we have lost the last two times we have played the Boilermakers. However, if there is one team and one coach that Rich Rodriguez would like to smash -- it would be Purdue and Danny Hope.

History: Like many of its Big Ten brethren, Purdue began as a land grant college. The school was founded on May 6, 1869 when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a $150K donation and 100 acres of land from Lafayette businessman John Purdue to establish a college of science, technology, and agriculture in his name. Purdue had built his wealth during the Civil War by selling dry goods to the Union Army. An interesting side note: in order to protect his assets during the war against southern sympathizers, he established the "Purdue Rifles," a volunteer protective force of about 100 trained, uniformed and armed men in and around Lafayette that guarded Confederate prisoners, rounded up deserters and maintained order. John Purdue’s grave is on campus near the Union Building.

Location: West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue is the flagship of the six campuses within the Purdue University System, one of the largest university systems in the United States. It is situated in Tippecanoe County about 65 miles northwest of Indianapolis. The place is named in honor of General Lafayette, a French military hero who fought with the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

I have known some nice looking Purdue grads, but this in no place to go looking for chicks. According to the 2000 US Census, for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 137.2 males in West Lafayette. This unusual distribution can be explained by Purdue's strong academic programs in male-dominated fields such as engineering.

Nickname: They call themselves The Boilermakers. I have family in Indiana, and for years I thought it was interesting the drink my Uncle Andy enjoyed was the same as the name of local college team near his house. It wasn’t until I got a little older did I realize Purdue had nothing to do with beer and whiskey.

Before becoming the Boilermakers, Purdue’s sports teams had a bunch of silly industrial/farming names, including the surreal “Clod Mashers and Lunch Punishers from the wilds of Tippecanoe County”. Other names were the Corn Huskers, Rail Splitters, Haymakers, LogHaulers, Blacksmiths, Sluggers, Hayseeds, Pumpkin-shuckers and my personal favorite: Cornfield Sailors.

The Boilermaker nickname dates back to 1891 when a local reporter referred to the football team as “Boiler Makers” following a 44-0 whitewash of Wabash College. The title of the story was called “Slaughter of Innocents” -- which is a decent description of the last three years of Michigan Football. The next year the student newspaper (still called the Exponent) began using the name and it stuck. As far as nicknames go, this one is a true original. Purdue is the only college known as the Boilermakers, and I would rank at or near the top of all college nicknames. The Boilermaker name is a marketers dream and has come to symbolize all things Purdue, from their sports teams to their individual alumni.

Mascot: The Boilermaker Special has been the official mascot of Purdue University since 1940. It essentially is a Victorian-era railroad locomotive built on a truck chassis. The Special was originally designed to demonstrate Purdue's engineering programs. It is "street legal" and can be driven on expressways at a top speed of 65mph and it attends all of Purdue’s football games home & away. Hats bearing the logos of defeated opponents are attached to the Boilermaker Special's cow-catcher. There is a smaller version (called the X-Tra) for indoor events. The Special is operated, maintained, and funded by the unfortunately named Purdue Reamer Club.

Not to be confused, the official mascot of Purdue athletics since 1940 has been Purdue Pete. He began as a logo for the campus bookstore. He made his first physical appearance as the athletics mascot at a pep rally in 1956. Pete has lost his head a several times, literally. They lost his original paper-mache head in 1962 on the way back from Iowa City. The head was in the back of the Boilermaker Special when a strong gust of wind blew it out into the road. The crew stopped the Special and searched for hours for the head without any luck. The only thing they found was little piece of the shoulder pad.

Obviously on the recommendation by some marketing firm the university introduced an inflatable 10 foot mascot thing named Rowdy in 1997. The 10-foot-tall alter ego of Pete was kept inflated by a battery-powered blower strapped on the student who portrays him. He was made of parachute material and was supposed to represent a young boy who hopes to become a Purdue Boilermaker. Frankly, he was pretty lame and retired at the end of the 2007 season.

Colors/Logo/Helmet: In 1887 Purdue University adopted its school colors, Old Gold and Black. These distinctive colors were inspired by the brass and iron found on the steam engine Lafayette that passed through the state. Unlike Big Ten teams Iowa and Minnesota, the Purdue gold is actually gold, not yellow.

They use a “forward moving P,” as their primary logo. This logo is nice clean and basic. They have also used various versions of a train engine as an alternative logo. Again, it is a uniquely Purdue symbol and there is no confusing it with any other college logo. Plus, my nephews love trains and these logos make them happy.


Considering they have not had a ton of success as a football program, they have a pretty stable helmet history. In the early 1950’s Purdue’s helmets looked a little bit like the Michigan helmets without the wings. They went to a “numbers on the side” period in the 1960’s until they went with the current gold with a black P in the early 1970’s. However, for some reason during the last two years of the Fred Akers era they had a two-year fling with black helmets (1989 and 1990).

When Drew Brees led Purdue to 2001 Rose Bowl they wore a special “Rose Bowl” version of the helmet. I think it looked great because it combined the classic Purdue style with the very special (and rare) occasion of the Rose Bowl visit. Not many teams could pull that off -- Purdue did. Unfortunately they lost to the Washington Huskies.

Fight Song: Hail Purdue! is the official fight song of Purdue University. The lyrics were written by James Morrison, to the tune set by Edward Wotawa in 1913. The song was initially titled "Purdue War Song" and was dedicated to the Varsity Glee Club, of whom Wotawa was a member. If you have ever played EA Sports NCAA Football you have heard this song, the menu system programmer has to be Purdue grad because it plays all the time.



Hail Purdue
To your call once more we rally,
Alma Mater, hear our praise;
Where the Wabash spreads its valley,
Filled with joy our voices raise.
From the skies in swelling echoes
Come the cheers that tell the tale,
Of your vic'tries and your heroes,
Hail Purdue! We sing all hail!

Hail, hail to old Purdue!
All hail to our old gold and black!
Hail, hail to old Purdue!
Our friendship may she never lack,
Ever grateful ever true,
Thus we raise our song anew,†
Of the days we've spent with you,
All hail our own Purdue.

When in after years we're turning,
Alma Mater, back to you,
May our hearts with love be yearning,
For the scenes of old Purdue.
Back among your pathways winding
Let us seek what lies before,
Fondest hopes and aims e'er finding,
While we sing of days of yore.

Alternate second verse (often sung by the Purdue All American Marching Band)
In the band we march and swagger
As we play for old Purdue.
At the halftime we do shows
No other band on Earth could do.
When we cheer the Earth will tremble
For we're known throughout the land
As the best in marching music,
We're the Boilermaker Band.

Academics: The reputation of Purdue as a top engineering school is well known. It was the first university in America to award an aviation engineering degree under the direction of the Wright brothers. Purdue was the first university in the country to offer college credit for flight training, and the first to offer a degree in aviation. Over the last ten years, Purdue has awarded more aerospace engineering degree than any other school, and awards more engineering degrees to women than any college in the country. It’s known as the cradle of astronauts, and has one of the largest international student populations of any public university in the U.S.

I find it interesting that even with it’s engineering reputation Purdue only ranks 56th in the most recent US News rankings. While not as lowly ranked as Michigan State and Indiana, they are still pretty low in the Big Ten. Go Figure?

Athletics: Purdue was a charter member of the Big Ten and played a central role in its creation. They have an intense rivalry with Indiana in all sports. The Boilermakers battle the Hoosiers on the football field each year to win the Old Oaken Bucket. Purdue leads the series by a wide margin. Found on a farm in southern Indiana, the oaken bucket is one of the oldest football trophies in the nation. The winner of game gets to add a bronze "P" or "I" chain link and keep the trophy until the next face-off. Ironically, the first competition in 1925 led to a 0-0 tie, resulting in the first link on the chain being an "IP."

It is good that they battle so hard with Indiana, because in over 100 years of Big Ten football the Boilermakers haven’t really battled anyone else. They have won only one non-shared conference championship (1929) and have only shared of seven others. Only two of those co-championships have taken place in the last 55 years.

But in basketball it is a different story -- Boilermaker Basketball teams have won more Big Ten Championships than any other conference school, with 27 (Men 21 and Women 6). The guys have been to two Final Fours and the ladies three. The Purdue Women won the NCAA title 1999 while the Men were voted NCAA Champs in 1932 (before the NCAA tourney).

The rest of the Boilermakers athletic teams are just plain weak. In this century, they’ve only won a handful of Big Ten titles. They show no historical conference dominance in any sport. Their only other national championships have come in golf (1961 Mens and 2010 Ladies).

Famous alums: Purdue alumni have headed corporations, held federal offices, founded television networks, and flown through space. Purdue’s distinguished faculty have won Nobel prizes, solved long-standing riddles in science, headed government agencies, and received countless awards. Famous Purdue people include: Russell Games Slayter, inventor of fiberglass; Harold Gray, creator of Little Orphan Annie; George Peppard, movie actor; Orville Redenbacher, popcorn king; and Ruth Siems, inventor of stove top stuffing. They have a nice list of famous athletes including John Wooden, Basketball legend; Hank Stram, NFL Hall of Fame coach; Ryan Newman, NASCAR driver, and Drew Brees, Len Dawson, and Bob (you can call me Brian's Dad) Griese, NFL pro bowl quarterbacks. I would be remiss without mentioning that former Lions QB and current SEC lobbyist Gary Danielson went to Purdue. It is sad to see that a guy that went to high school in Michigan and attended a Big Ten School can be such a blow-hard against his midwestern football roots.

As I mentioned above, Purdue is known as the "Cradle of Astronauts". They have graduated 22 NASA astronauts, including the first and last men to walk on the moon. Pretty impressive. The most recognizable Purdue Space Man is Neil Armstrong. So yes, Purdue beats Michigan in the race to space -- but they have no US Presidents... White House Bitches...

The Game: After hitting the six win mark last week, all the pressure is off. But this is a game that Rich Rodriguez needs for karmic balance. Last year Danny Hope made an ass out of himself after the game at Michigan Stadium and, although he won't admit it, RR was pissed. Someone needs to pay, and I hope it is the 2010 Purdue Boilermakers. I don't care if they have been wrecked with injuries -- we should beat the living crap out of them. But.... who the hell knows. I hope I wake up late on Saturday morning, eat a good breakfast, and watch Michigan hang 50 points on Danny Hope and the Boilermakers. I hope we beat them so bad the AD at Purdue realizes that Danny Hope sucks as a human being and fires him on the spot.

Michigan 55
Purdue 30

Know Your Foe: Illinois 2010

Previous Illinois Know Your Foe posts from 2009, 2008, and 2007

Michigan hosts the Fighting Illini at high noon on Saturday. It will be the 9th game of the 2010 season for both teams. Both Michigan and Illinois come into the game with identical 5-3 records, but don't let that fool you. Anyone who watches college football will tell you these teams are headed in opposite directions. Michigan has lost their last 3 games and Illinois has won their last two games. Historically Michigan holds a 66-23-2 advantage over the these guys, but Illinois has won the last two games in convincing fashion. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN, with former UM QB Brian Griese serving as the color analyst.

History: Spawned by the Morrill Land Grant College Act of 1862, the school was founded in 1867. The school was originally called Illinois Industrial University and their first president dreamed of creating the "West Point for the working world.". Classes began in the spring of 1868 with two teachers and a small number of students. As with most land grant colleges of the time the actual mission of the university was a hotly debated item between those interested in providing a classic liberal arts education and those seeking a trade focused school. Eventually that battle was decided in favor of the holistic liberal arts curricula, and the school was renamed as the University of Illinois in 1885. In 1982 the name was again formally changed to The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, indicating the flagship status within the University of Illinois system.

Location: The University is located in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana (total population 180,000) in east-central Illinois. Situated about 140 miles south of Chicago, 125 miles west of Indianapolis, and 180 miles northeast of St. Louis. Overcoming the "middle of no where" location, the campus has been identified as one of 50 college or university 'works of art' by T.A. Gaines in his book The Campus as a Work of Art.

Illinois is one of the few educational institutions to own an airport. Willard Airport is an integral part of their Institue of Aviation and they also recieve and launch commercial flights from American Airlines.

Nickname/Mascot: They call themselves the Fighting Illini. Today the school claims to the NCAA the name is used to honor the Illinoisans who fought in World War I. That has not always been the case.

From 1926–2007 Illinois also used the Fighting Illini moniker in reference to the Native American Indians that used to live in the area and had a mascot named Chief Illiniwek. In the 1980s this sparked significant controversy, with critics calling it a racist stereotype and a symbol of the oppression to Native Americans. Supporters claimed that it was inoffensive and a source of pride and reverence. The University remains deeply divided on this issue.

Some interesting facts on this name and mascot issue. Chief Illiniwek is a fictional name and not based on an actual American Indian chief. Additionally, there was never an indian tribe that went by the name Illini. The actual term is a used to describe the group of six tribes (Kaskaskia, Peoria, Michigamea, Moingwena, Tamaroa and Cahokia) that lived in the area. These Indian tribes were removed by the US government to settle in Kansas in 1832, then in 1867 when the US wanted to open Kansas to white settlers, they were removed to Oklahoma.

The NCAA is inconsistent in their application of this particular flavor of political correctness. I don’t understand how schools like Florida State and North Dakota can keep their Native American nicknames and mascots with the approval of the specific tribe, but Illinois was unable to keep their “made up word” nickname. Who exactly was Illinois supposed to ask for permission?

Colors/Logo/Helmet: They wear orange and blue. Over the early years of the school they used many different combinations including silver+cardinal, blue+white, yellow+black, and the ever popular crimson+olive green. In 1894, the university officially adopted blue (for steadfastness and stability) and orange (for freedom) as their official colors. If you hadn't noticed, the NFL Chicago Bears employ the same combination. This is not a coincidence, Bears founder and long-time coach and owner George Halas is an Illinois alum.

For my money, Illinois has the worst looking helmet in the Big Ten. The slanted "Illinois" is something my 9 year old nephew could create in Microsoft Word. I guess I just don't like orange as a primary color. If they could just ignore what the NCAA says about the use of native american symbols, it could be so much better. --->

Fight Song: The official Illinois fight song is called Oskee Wow Wow. The song was written by two Illinois students (Howard Green and Harold Hill) in 1911 – but only after they decided the official school song (Illinois Loyalty) was not very good for getting the crowd fired up during a game.

It is the only fight song I know of that refers to specific people like Teddy Roosevelt and three guys named Roberts, Artie Hall and Heavy.



Old Princeton yells her tiger, Wisconsin her Varsity.
And they give the same old "Rah-rah-rah! at each university.
But the yell that always thrills me, and fills my heart with joy
is the good old Oskee-Wow-Wow that they yell at Illinois.

Oskee-Wow-Wow, Illinois! Our eyes are all on you.
Oskee-Wow-Wow, Illinois! Wave your orange and your blue (rah, rah!).
When the team trots out before you, every man stand up and yell.
Back the team to gain a victory. Oskee-Wow-Wow, Illinois!

(There is also a second verse, which is rarely sung)
Teddy Roosevelt may be famous, and his name you often hear.
But it's heroes on the football field each college man holds dear.
We think with pride of Roberts, Artie Hall and Heavy, too.
Oskee-Wow-Wow for the wearers of the Orange and the Blue!


Academics: Thanks to Tom Cruise, Illinois has a national pop culture reputation as a "safety school" for midwestern kids that can't get into to their first choice college. The reality is Illinois is a pretty good school. According to the most recent US News' ranking of America's Best National Universities, Illinois is ranked as the 47th best school in the country, tied with Penn State. That ranking is a big step backwards from the 39th spot the Fighting Illini sat in last year.

According to the USNWR, Illinois ranks as the 4th (or 5th) best school in the Big Ten Conference. Only Northwestern (#12), Michigan (#29) and Wisconsin (#45) rank higher.

Football: The Illini started playing football in 1890. Over the years, the team has won 15 Big Ten championships, the last coming in 2001. They have been to 15 bowl games and won 6 of them. Their last bowl win was the 1999 MicronPC Bowl. They have won or shared five football National Championships, two of them before they were called the Illini. Their last national football championship was in 1951.

From an individual star football player perspective, it is hard to present better names at the top of the list. The Fighting Illini program has produced three of the greatest football players in the history of the game: Red Grange, Ray Nitschke, and Dick Butkus. For those of you that watch the Big Ten Network, current analyst Howard Griffith also wore the orange and blue.

Like many B10 teams, Illinois plays in several annual "trophy games". My favorite is the ever important IlliBuck trophy game with Ohio State. The Illibuck is the second oldest trophy passed between Big Ten Football programs (yep, the Little Brown Jug is the oldest). Originally the "trophy" was a live turtle picked for its long life expectancy as a symbol of the long life of the rivalry. Since the original turtle died, there have been nine wooden replica Illibucks carved with the scores from games on its back.

Up until 1933, Illinois was always Ohio State's last game of the season. Ohio State has since replaced them on that last spot on their schedule with someone else.

They also play Purdue for the Purdue Cannon and Northwestern for the Land of Lincoln Trophy (which was originally called the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk).

Athletics: Illinois is a charter member of the Big Ten. The university offers a surprisingly low number of varsity sports. There are only 10 men’s and 11 women’s sports teams. To make things a little more odd, they actually classify cheerleading as both a men’s and women’s varsity sport. I really don't care, but my friend T9 is pretty adamant that cheerleading is not a sport.

The Fighting Illini claim they have won twenty-five National Championships dating back to 1900. Surprisingly they have only won two National Championships in any sport since 1958 — Men's Tennis in 2003 and Men's Gymnastics in 1989. No women’s team has ever won a national title.

Most people think of Illinois as a basketball school. They have won 17 Big Ten titles and been to five Final Fours. Sadly, their basketball success seems to always end in ruin as they hold the record for playing in the most NCAA tournament games without a winning a championship. Most will recall the 2005 Illinois basketball team that went undefeated until the last game of the regular season (where they lost to Ohio State) and then lost again in the NCAA Finals game to North Carolina. Also, not many Michigan fans can forget how the Illini lost in the 1989 Final Four Semis – after they had beaten us twice in the regular season.

Famous Alumni: Famous former Illinois athletes include NBA stars Derek Harper, Eddie Johnson, Nick Anderson and Kendall Gill. Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Boudreau. NFL top pick Jeff George and Pro Bowler Simeon Rice.

The list of non-athlete famous people that attended Illinois’ is pretty impressive. They claim to have 21 Nobel laureates and 20 Pulitzer Prize winners. Names you may recognize include Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, actor Gene Hackman, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, Congressman and Presidential candidate John Anderson, Lincoln Memorial Architect Henry Bacon, Phoenix sports owner Jerry Colangelo, BET founder Robert Johnson, former GE Chairman Jack Welsh, and the creator of the Harlem Globetrotters Abe Saperstein.

It is safe to say that without this school our blog (all blogs for that matter) would not be possible: They produced the developer of the first graphical web browser Mosaic (Marc Andreessen) and the co-founders of YouTube (Jawed Karim & Steve Chen).

For those of you are keeping score… Illinois has zero presidents and five NASA astronauts.

The Game: After last week, I don't think our defense could stop the Ann Arbor Pioneer Junior Varsity offense.

At the start of the season, I had this game marked with a "W". Illinois was going to be bad and we were going to be better. Our last three games have caused me to rethink that prediction. Illinois has been improving all season long, they rolled Penn State in Happy Valley, and they have scored over 40 points in their last two games. This season, Illinois has 3 losses (Missouri, Ohio State, and Michigan State). All in all, they are not bad.

I have zero expectations. Nothing I have seen over the last month would lead me to believe we can beat a competent college football team.

Michigan 24
Illinois 49

On the bright side, I have already selected the healing pic.