With Purdue’s loss to Arizona in the Elite Eight, my brackets, and my remaining interest in this tournament, are officially toast.
Tag / Michigan
How Sweet It Is
The Sweet Sixteen kicks off today following an opening weekend light on upsets and heavy on top seeds, although I did manage to lose my champion pick. Three of my Final Four picks are still intact, which is better than usual.
A disappointing showing from the Big Ten in this region, leading to two of my three misses.
Purdue heads to its third straight Sweet Sixteen, which ties its longest streak in program history and is their seventh trip in the last nine years.
Put On Your Dancing Shoes
The nation’s attention turns to the college hoops scene for the next few weeks as the NCAA tournament kicks off later today. I’m not in any pools this year, so most of these selections have no ultimate bearing on my life, aside from personal pride. With the Final Four and the Championship taking place just down the road in Indianapolis, I may have to expend a not-insignificant amount of money should a certain school from West Lafayette manage to make it that far. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at this year’s selections.
Maybe it is personal bias, but I am expecting big things from the two Big Ten teams in this bracket, including one making their way to the Final Four.
Purdue followed up a disappointing end to the regular season with a spirited run through the Big Ten Tournament to capture the championship. Are they fixed? Well, I hope so since I have them coming out of this region and heading to Indy. Continue reading →
Braden Watch
With eleven assists in yesterday’s Big Ten Tournament championship clincher over Michigan, Braden Smith now sits just one assist behind Duke’s Bobby Hurley for the NCAA’s career assists record. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Smith should break the record early in Purdue’s first round matchup against Queens in the NCAA Tournament.
1,076 – Bobby Hurley
1,075 – Braden Smith
2025 College Football Kickoff
With a new coach and a revamped roster with nearly 60 transfers, the Purdue Boilermakers kick off their 2025 gridiron campaign today. With Danny having graduated last spring-ish, I did not make it to any games last fall, so my games attended total remains at 32, covering six different stadiums in a whopping three states, including one bowl game.
All-Time Team Records
| University | Won | Loss | Winning Pctg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse Orange | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Penn State Nittany Lions | 2 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Wisconsin Badgers | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Louisiana State Tigers | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 4 | 1 | 0.800 |
| Purdue Boilermakers | 19 | 11 | 0.633 |
| Northern Illinois Huskies | 1 | 1 | 0.500 |
| Illinois Fighting Illini | 2 | 7 | 0.222 |
| Indiana Hoosiers | 0 | 3 | 0.000 |
| Michigan Wolverines | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
| Michigan State Spartans | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
| Minnesota Golden Gophers | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
| Florida Atlantic Owls | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
| Northwestern Wildcats | 0 | 3 | 0.000 |
| Western Michigan Broncos | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
| North Carolina State Wolfpack | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
Oh So Sweet
The Sweet Sixteen kicks off today following an opening weekend light on upsets and heavy on top seeds. Three of my Final Four picks are still intact, which is better than usual.
Things look good here in the South region, as I have a clean bracket heading into this weekend.
A few picked upsets that didn’t happen mar the bottom half of this region, but the top half, including my reginal champion, is clean.
Dancing Time
The nation’s attention turns to the college hoops scene for the next few weeks as the NCAA tournament kicks off later today. I found myself joining a free pool at work this year, so while most of these selections have no ultimate bearing on my life, there is some personal pride on the line. Things are not looking good for me to attend any game should a certain school from West Lafayette manage to make another run this year. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at this year’s selections.
My selections here are mostly chalk, with a couple early upsets but with the top two seeds heading to the Sweet Sixteen. Michigan State is my pick to advance to the Final Four, though that may be some inherent bias towards the Big Ten.
Old friend Mason Gillis shows up with top seed Duke, who I have heading to San Antonio for the Final Four.
2024 College Football Kickoff
The Purdue Boilermakers, kick off their 2024 gridiron campaign today, starting a new era of Big Ten football with new member Oregon coming to town in October, for just their third visit to Ross-Ade Stadium. Now that Danny has graduated, my game attendance is likely to trickle back down to the once every couple of years pace I was on before he matriculated after attending an all-time high five games last fall. That said, it’s time to take a look at the results of the now 32 college football games I have attended since the 1993 season, covering six different stadiums in a whopping three states, including one bowl game.
All-Time Team Records
| University | Won | Loss | Winning Pctg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse Orange | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Penn State Nittany Lions | 2 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Wisconsin Badgers | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Louisiana State Tigers | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 4 | 1 | 0.800 |
| Purdue Boilermakers | 19 | 11 | 0.633 |
| Northern Illinois Huskies | 1 | 1 | 0.500 |
| Illinois Fighting Illini Continue reading → |
Record Breaker
Less than two and a half minutes into last night’s game against Michigan, Caitlin Clark broke the NCAA women’s scoring record, notching her 3,528th point with a deep three from the left side, surpassing Kelsey Plum. Clark had scored Iowa’s first eight points, getting the record out of the way early after failing to score in the fourth quarter of their last game, a loss to Nebraska. That wasn’t the end of her night, though, as she finished with a career-high, and Iowa record, 49 points along with thirteen assists, five rebounds, and a steal.
Finishing the game with 3,569 points, less than 100 points away from Lynette Woodard’s all time women’s record of 3,649, set in 1981 before women’s sports were administered by the NCAA. Pistol Pete Maravich’s overall record of 3,667, lies just beyond that. Both of those should fall by the end of this season.
2023 College Football Kickoff
My alma mater, the Purdue Boilermakers, kick off their 2023 gridiron campaign today, starting a new era with new coach Ryan Walters hoping to continue the momentum that led the team to the Big Ten Championship game last December. With Danny entering his final year in the marching band and the family having season tickets for the first time, I’m sure to make it back to campus for more than my usual allotment of games this year after tying my career high with three games last year. With that, it’s time to take a look at the results of the now 27 college football games I have attended since the 1993 season, covering six different stadiums in a whopping three states, including one bowl game.
All-Time Team Records
| Expr1000 | Won | Loss | Winning Pctg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State Nittany Lions | 2 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Louisiana State Tigers | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 4 | 1 | 0.800 |
| Purdue Boilermakers | 16 | 9 | 0.640 |
| Northern Illinois Huskies | 1 | 1 | 0.500 |
| Illinois Fighting Illini | 2 | 6 | 0.250 |
| Western Michigan Broncos | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
| Northwestern Wildcats | 0 | 3 | 0.000 |
| North Carolina State Wolfpack | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
| Michigan State Spartans | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
| Michigan Wolverines | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
| Indiana Hoosiers | 0 | 2 | 0.000 |
| Florida Atlantic Owls | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |