The Little Train That Could: A Boilermaker Dynasty

[ZAN71789]

Alright guys, it's that time. I'm going to be starting another dynasty for the folks at VG to read. I hope you enjoy as Coach ZAN starts a saga of football in West Lafayette, Indiana with the Purdue Boilermakers. Here are the specs of my game:

Difficulty: Heisman
Console: PS2
Team: Purdue Boilermakers
Coaching Assistance: Off (I want to make this a very in depth dynasty)

Like it says, I will be doing all of the recruiting myself, and I will keep you guys updated as to what's important. That will include the recruits, who their top schools are, their level of interest in Purdue University, and much, much more!

This is going to be a very fun, but at times, rough dynasty. I'm expecting to turn around this team soon. Follow as I try to do it!

[ZAN71789]

Ross Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana

Home of the Purdue Boilermakers since 1924 (then called "Purdue Stadium"), Ross Ade Stadium has been the home of the gold & black for almost 83 years. The Boilermakers have had some pretty good teams go through the tunnels, but none have won the National Championship, though many will claim that the 1966 Rose Bowl was good enough.

Ross Ade can hold roughly 70,000 screaming fans on those chilly Saturday afternoons in Autumn.

The Bermuda grass in the stadium will sure get some wear and tear this season, as both the Boilermakers and a semi-pro football team will both call Ross Ade their homes.

[ZAN71789]

Purdue Boilermakers' 2007-08 Football Schedule

- September 1st: @ Toledo
- September 8th: vs. Eastern Illinois
- September 15th: vs. Central Michigan
- September 22nd: @ Minnesota
- September 29th: vs. Notre Dame
- October 6th: vs. Ohio State
- October 13th: @ Michigan
- October 20th: vs. Iowa
- October 27th: vs. Northwestern
- November 3rd: @ Penn State
- November 10th: vs. Michigan State
- November 17th: @ Indiana

* Teams in bold are games I predict to win. Italicized games are the key games of the year.

[ZAN71789]

AP Preseason Top 25 Poll

1. USC Trojans
2. Michigan Wolverines
3. LSU Tigers
4. Florida Gators
5. Texas Longhorns
6. West Virginia Mountaineers
7. Wisconsin Badgers
8. Oklahoma Sooners
9. Virginia Tech Hokies
10. Arkansas Razorbacks
11. Louisville Cardinals
12. Ohio State Buckeyes
13. Auburn Tigers
14. Nebraska Cornhuskers
15. Tennessee Volunteers
16. California Golden Bears
17. Penn State Nittany Lions
18. Georgia Bulldogs
19. UCLA Bruins
20. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
21. Florida State Seminoles
22. TCU Horned Frogs
23. Boise State Broncos
24. Texas A&M Aggies
25. Boston College Golden Eagles

2007-08 Heisman Projections

1. Darren McFadden (Jr.) ARKANSAS
2. John David Booty (Sr.) USC
3. Brian Brohm (Sr.) LOUISVILLE
4. Colt Brennan (Sr.) HAWAII
5. Steve Slaton (Jr.) WVU

[ZAN71789]

Meet Coach Zachary A. Neal (Coach ZAN for short)

Zac Neal was a 2 sport star in high school. The 6'2'', 215 pound athlete played tight end & center (basketball) in a small town in central Illinois. Though he never played in college, he did aspire to be a coach.

"I was a better basketball player than I was a football player," said Neal " but I know more about the game of pigskin."

Neal has gotten one of the most rare opportunities in sports; to coach a college football team as his first ever coaching job. To add to that, it's a D-1 (FBS) job!

"I really take pride in football. While I know my stuff, I still consider myself to be a student of the game. I love both the offensive & defensive aspects. This year, I'm going to try to make all the calls on both sides of the ball. I will still have offensive and defensive coordinators, but their roles will be to make sure that the right personell are on the field at the right times. It's very important, especially in the Big Ten, where each week is going to be full of bruising, to make sure that the bodies are fresh out there." said the new Purdue coach.

Coach Neal's high school ran a spread offense when he played for them. Will that reflect on how the Boilermaker offense is run this year?

"I'm looking to get a good variety of forms in there this year. I love to run the ball with a lead blocker, I love the playaction rollouts, I love the shotgun spread. We will have a system come September 1st, against Toledo.

What about defense?

"In high school, if you have 2 good defensive backs, that allows you to pack the box full of linemen and linebackers. College is different. Every wide receiver is a threat, or they wouldn't have gotten their scholarship. My high school ran the 4-2-5, but I don't see us running that. College football is a fast paced game, and only having one boundary safety won't do us much good against teams with speed spread offenses like Northwestern & Toledo. I reckon we will go with a conventional 4-3 defense, and allow our linebackers to sweep up the garbage that's opened up by our defensive linemen." said Coach ZAN

What do you predict in your inaugural season at Purdue?

"It's really tough to tell right now. We have so much untapped talent, that I can't really say. I think we will be above .500...."

What is your primary goal this year?

"Beat Notre Dame."

Coach ZAN really is looking forward to the first game against Toledo. It's his chance to prove that he is the man to turn Purdue into a Big Ten powerhouse. Can he do it?

Preview of Purdue @ Toledo: Coming Up Next!

[ZAN71789]

vs.

- Purdue is coming into the game with a new coach. It could go one of two ways. The players could rally behind the new general, or the first game nerves could kick in.

- Junior QB, Curtis Painter, will have to step up in this one. Coach ZAN will be bringing in a new offense. That means that Painter will be calling around 400 new plays this year, compared to the 400 others that he had under ex-Purdue Coach, Joe Tiller.

- Dorien Bryant is the real deal. While Michigan's Mario Manningham and Ohio State's Brian Hartline are considered the best in the Big Ten, Bryant has flown under the radar. He is going to be key for Purdue; not just in this game, but all year long.





- While Toledo sits in the Mid American Conference, they are one of the more elite and well known teams in that conference.

- Toledo boasts one of the original spread offenses in college football. Many schools have converted to it, but this team brought it into the limelight. Sophomore quarterback Aaron Opelt will be at the helm for the Rockets. Look for the Rocket Offense to air it out early and often against Purdue.

- First game jitters: Playing your first game is tough. Playing your first game against a Big Ten team is even worse. While the Big Ten isn't feared as the elite BCS conference, the teams in it are still considered the bruisers of the league. While Coach Neal on the other sideline may be a little nervous, look for the Rockets to come out somewhat flat on offense.

Lee Corso Says:
Boilermakers Win Close!