Carrying On About College Football (Sept. 14)

1.  DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH: OREGON 32, PURDUE 26 (2-OT) Every week, I select (with your help) a game outside the national spotlight to watch, analyze, and report on.  This week’s Diamond in the Rough was the Purdue/Oregon game I attended in West Lafayette, Ind. Being a Purdue fan is a lot like cheering for the Chicago Cubs.  I believe the correct word is “fatalistic” (if that’s even a word).  No matter how well your team is playing, in the back of your mind, you’re just waiting to see what will go wrong. Despite sending dozens of players to the NFL in Coach Joe Tiller’s 12-year tenure, the Boilermakers are known for not being able to win big games.  Purdue hasn’t defeated a ranked team since 2003, and many of the Boilers’ fans are every bit as rattled by the curse of “The Fumble” as Cubbie diehards are when you mention that Bartman guy.  For those of you who aren’t up-to-date on Boilermaker ... (link)