With No. 12 Ohio State preparing to square off with 16th-ranked Purdue for control of the Big Ten race Saturday, Buckeyes linebacker Joe Cooper fired a personal volley at Purdue quarterback Drew Brees.
“Anything legal, we’re going to hit him,” Cooper told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “If you don’t you allow a quarterback like him to stay completely aware the whole four quarters, keep his wind and everything and not get fatigued, he’s going to hurt you down the stretch.”
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Brees, a senior who became the Big Ten’s career passing leader last weekend, has passed his way into Heisman Trophy contention. But he also has hurt defenses with his scrambling. That’s fine with Cooper, a senior from Columbus, who said, “I’d like to see him run a lot. Then I can get more hits.”
Ouch.
“He gets rid of the ball quickly,” Cooper said. “I don’t think he likes getting hit as hard as we hit people. We’re really going to challenge him. Of course he’s going to challenge us mentally. We’re going to challenge him physically. It’s really going to be a war this week.”
Cooper’s comments didn’t go unnoticed in Purdue’s camp.
“I didn’t see the headlines, but I’ve heard about them,” Boilermakers coach Joe Tiller said Tuesday. “I don’t know what he really said or, furthermore, is it relevant to the game? I do know Drew Brees is a very competitive person and a very capable player.”
Hail to the Victors: Michigan caught another enormous break when the officials allowed a controversial Wolverines fumble recovery to stand against Michigan State Saturday in Ann Arbor. The fumble killed a Spartans drive deep in Michigan territory in the Wolverines’ 14-0 victory.
Michigan also benefited from two blown fumble calls in a 35-31 victory at Illinois Sept. 23. The Big Ten later apologized to the Fighting Illini for the errors, a move that provoked Michigan coach Lloyd Carr’s ire.
When a reporter Tuesday asked whether the Big Ten should release another statement this week, Carr said, “They have not made a statement and they shouldn’t make a statement.”
Some in the Big Ten are amused Carr is defending the officials because Michigan long has been known for its loud complaints about officiating. Most recently the Wolverines moaned about two calls that went against them in a 23-20 loss at UCLA Sept. 16.
Sidelines: Indiana meets Penn State in Indianapolis’ RCA Dome Saturday night. The Hoosiers moved a home game to Indy, home to the heaviest concentration of IU fans, in hopes of generating bigger crowds. Indiana drew only 30,882 people for homecoming last weekend. . . . Penn State coach Joe Paterno Sunday visited Adam Taliaferro, the Nittany Lions’ defensive back who remains in a Philadelphia-area hospital after undergoing spinal fusion surgery. Taliaferro was hurt in a game at Ohio State last month.
“He was able to shrug his shoulders,” Paterno said. “He was able to smile. He’s making progress all the time, so we’re very encouraged. But he has a long way to go.”
Amazing though it may seem, defending two-time Big Ten champ Wisconsin has to win three of its final four games simply to qualify for a bowl berth. The Badgers close against Iowa (1-7), Minnesota (5-3), Indiana (3-4) and Hawaii (1-5). But coach Barry Alvarez expects his players to stay motivated.
“They still are playing for something; it’s not the same thing that they’ve been playing for in the past,” Alvarez said. “My seniors have played in three straight Jan. 1 bowl games. That certainly isn’t the case this year.”