College football week 8 thread - Austin Powers: The Horn Who Hooked Me

Nebraska was 5-1 entering today. Lost to Illinois. Those records were coming into today. Indiana moves to 7-0.

 

147 days until baseball season.

 

Trying to think of a season when, more than halfway through the Big Ten schedule, Indiana and Illinois were both at the top of the standings. In football, not basketball.

I can’t remember one.

 

Not really very much to do with today's football schedule:

https://www.mlive.com/news/2024/10/...eloper-joel-ferguson-dies.html?outputType=amp

Ferguson was a legit mover in the civil rights movement in the 1960s, made big bucks -- to put it baldly -- as a slumlord fron the 60s-90s, and in the middle of all that jumped into the Michigan State athletic program as the big money man behind the scenes.

Amazingly in the 1980s, despite his history as a very visible leader in civil rights and Democratic Party politics, Ferguson hitched his MSU Football wagon onto George Perles, who was about as white a guy as a white guy could be, in the process he hip checked Sherm Lewis and Jimmy Raye, both Black MSU legends from the historic days of Duffy Daugherty in the 60s, our of contention so Perles could get and then keep the job into the 90s.

In the 90s, Perles program which had a few decent years in the 80s, ran out of gas and ran afoul of NCAA investigations, and Ferguson jumped onto Nick Saban as his golden palomino to be kept happy at all possible costs.

After Saban skipped town and brief interludes with Bobby Williams (Ferguson's personal choice) and John L Smith, Mark Dantonio was brought in as the anointed successor to the programs of the sainted Perles and Saban. This became an ironclad requirement-- anybody associated with the program must meet with the approval of, or be connected with the program of, Perles or Saban.

When Dantonio ran his course and had to be replaced, by that time Ferguson was hard up on 80 years old and wasn't leading the way, but he was very much in favor of bringing in Mel Tucker -- it was dutifully pointed out that Tucker had worked for one season as a grad assistant for Saban in the 90s so he met the litmus test -- and attempted to save his ass for a day or two after the hog flogging scandal broke.

Incidentally, although they developed into big buddies through circumstances over the years, had it been Ferguson'a choice in the beginning, MSU would have fired Jud Heathcote a year or two earlier in 1992 or 93, probably sending Tom Izzo out the door with him -- and after his first couple .500-ish seasons as head coach in about 1997, Ferguson wanted Izzo fired and probably replaced by Kelvin Sampson.

Bsck to todays regularly scheduled action.

 

Lake of Fail.

 

Maybe 1967 or 1968?

 

You know it is TSIO when there’s someone hurt every 4-5 plays. Real injuries, not the Lane Kiffin Institute for the Dramatic Arts.

 

Doubt its ever happened. Indiana’s competition in ‘67 was Purdue and Minnesota. They split amongst themselves and IU got the Rose Bowl bid due to not having been before back when the Big Ten would not send the same team two years in a row. If you look at any metrics from that season, Minny and Purdue were both probably better, but the Hoosiers upset Purdue in the finale and made it.

Only time I can remember Indiana and Illinois being even vaguely good at the same time was the early 90s, but neither was Big Ten-title good.

Do they play one another this year? Of course not!

 

Well, now in the B18G Ten, you're going to play many teams only once in a given three year span.

 

Or …

 

Meanwhile back in 2024, Red Grange must be happy somewhere as Illinois is putting a healthy thumping on Michigan, 21-7 midway in the 4th.

 

There are just the two protected games each season. I think Illinois’ are Northwestern and … Purdue?

Anyway, big blocked FG and interception for the Illini to keep Michigan off the board.