The News-Gazette.com Weblog

Turpin Time

The 2008 Bermuda Triangle of Big 10 Football

Posted by: Jim Turpin

Sunday, November 23, 2008 11:08 AM

The Bermuda Triangle is a very real place where dozens of ships, planes, and people have disappeared with no good explanation.

The triangle that runs from Champaign to West Lafayette to Bloomington, Indiana is a very real place where dreams of conference championships, high national rankings, or even bowl eligibilities have disappeared with no good explanation.

Why can a Rose Bowl team of just a year ago not win six games in 2008?

How can Purdue's basketball on grass suddenly become soccer in the mud?

How can Indiana's hoop problems be overshadowed this Fall by the pathetic showing of its football team?

How can any of these teams not make a bowl game when there are 64 spots? Seven of those 64 are in the Bermuda Triangle's own conference.

Like the missing ships, planes, and people of the real Bermuda Triangle - either they were never there in the first place - or there must be a reasonable explanation for their disappearance.

Want to hear a good explanation? Me, too.

The number of players on scholarship is the same; the number of coaches is the same; the number of practice days is the same; the uniforms, pads, cleats, helmets, shoes and other assorted gear are the same. Ohio State and Penn State have no advantages there. Why then?

Here's my thinking:

1. Some teams have better players than others - and more of them.

2. Some coaches - such as Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald - have an ability to convey their own personal passion for the game to the players.

3. Some coaches can recruit and not coach. Others can coach and not recruit. It is rare when one can recruit and coach.

4. Some coaches are able to develop chemistry. It's impossible to define - but you know it when you see it - and you darn sure know it when it isn't there.

The Bermuda Triangle moves around. Maybe next year the disappearing act will happen somewhere else. But, for now, this will be a very long Winter for these three teams and their coaches - searching their souls to determine what happened.

One joy this season has been watching the fall of the Mighty Men of Michigan.

Perhaps I should have made this the Bermuda Quadrangle.