Is anyone brave enough to pick the Boilermakers?
All Purdue needs to do to go bowling is win their next 5 games! Sure, they can do this right? Right?!?! I asked the staff for their predictions.
Ledman (7-0):
I’ve picked Purdue exactly one time this season and it of course was the one game that they won. As you can see I’m undefeated and already bowl eligible so perhaps it’s time to take some risks. Northwestern isn’t a good football team. Also, they have some bad injuries to some key players including star linebacker Xander Mueller who will be out for this one. They’ve also had problems at the QB position with a change being made in recent weeks. The Northwestern offense has been struggling to score and that’s something that Purdue fans can relate to.
The Purdue offense has not been able to find its stride with either Hudson Card or Ryan Browne. Maybe having the two of them together will result in some sort of magic elixir? Look, I don’t have a real reason to justify this choice but my gut is telling me this is possible. Plus, I’ll be in attendance and I’ve been lucky in my Purdue football attendance of late.
Purdue 24
Northwestern 14
Jed (7-0):
The thing that I’m most interested in seeing against Northwestern is how prepared Purdue looks coming off their bye week. The last time that occurred, Purdue got absolutely ransacked 66-7 by Notre Dame and it wasn’t even that close. Will they do better this time around? For Ryan Walters’ job security, he had better hope it does.
The consensus seems to now be that Walters is going to get the rest of the season to prove it when he wasn’t let go after the 35-0 loss to Oregon heading into the bye week. That means his best opportunity to get another win this season is against a Northwestern team that is very, very average. In fact, according to ESPN’s FPI (Football Power Index) this is Purdue’s best matchup the rest of the season with Northwestern being a 63.9% favorite to win. To give you a reference of where the other games are at, Ohio State (99%), Penn State (96.6%), Michigan State (84.5%), Indiana (97.3%) are all more heavily favored to beat Purdue.
It has already been shared that Ryan Browne is going to be splitting time with Hudson Card as he comes back from an injury he suffered earlier in the season. That doesn’t bode well for an offense that has already struggled and been consistently one of the worst in all of college football. Browne has more ability to make things happen when the pocket breaks down and can provide Purdue a legitimate running threat from the quarterback position. If they decide to split series just as they did last season against Northwestern, it’s likely it doesn’t go well for the Boilers.
In the end, this program is still being coached by the same group of people who haven’t shown an ability to diagnose problems, get the corrected, and improve the team from week to week and year to year. The defense has to lead the way for this group and outside of a single quarter against Illinois, that hasn’t happened. Unfortunately, this will be another difficult one to swallow for Purdue fans as the program stares directly down the barrel of a 1-11 season and what might be four consecutive bad losses.
Purdue 17
Northwestern 20
Ryan (7-0):
Maybe it’s the candy or maybe it’s the Fall breeze.
Gimme Purdue in their last decent chance to win a game.
Purdue 24
Northwestern 14
Drew (2-7)
What happens when an offense that can’t score, goes up against a defense that can’t stop teams from scoring? We’re gonna find out tomorrow. While the rest of the nation is watching, well, pretty much anything other than this game, the Boilermaker and Wildcat faithful will look on in horror as their teams find new ways to be bad at football.
I think Purdue has more talent. Don’t quote me on that, Northwestern has a couple super senior receivers that could pose a problem, but maybe this is finally a game where Purdue out talents a team? In theory Purdue’s running game could dominate this game. The Boilermakers have something that works on offense, and Northwestern doesn’t. Maybe Purdue’s defense makes Northwestern look good? We’re going into the 8th game of the season, and I still only have a vague understanding of this team.
When in doubt, go with the home team.
Purdue – 17
Northwestern – 10