The staff gets together and shares their thoughts.
With the season coming up on Saturday I wanted to give the staff one final chance to go on the record with their win total predictions for the 2024 season. The prompt is below along with the answers from the writers. Who do you think made the best case?
The season starts on Saturday, we know it’s going to be a brutal schedule and despite Ryan Walters has working hard to rebuild this roster, the consensus thinking is Purdue will struggle mightily this year. So I need to know a couple things from you. What do you think is the floor and ceiling in wins and what is your actual season win total prediction?
Jumbo Heroes:
I struggled with this even though I’m the one that sent the question out. I know that there have been a ton of improvement at various positions. I think the secondary very well could be the strength of the defense which isn’t something Purdue fans have been able to say very often. There are also a lot of units where I have questions. The wide receiver position continues to worry me. There’s talent there, but it’s certainly untested at Purdue. The offensive line will always be a question every season until proven otherwise. Purdue also lost a lot of talent in the transfer portal with one particular name heading to the state of Texas, but we don’t need to focus on who isn’t here.
Then there’s the schedule which is an absolute bear. I think the floor for this team is 2-10 and my goodness that’s depressing. Indiana State is obviously a win and there are enough winnable games on the schedule that Purdue surely couldn’t lose 11 in a row, but that’s still an awful low floor. For a ceiling though? I’m thinking 7-5 at the very best. I’m talking everything goes right for Purdue and they face opponents who are battered and bruised and can pull out some surprising victories.
If you listened to the Boiler Alert podcast that came out today you’ll know I predicted a 5-7 season. Some of that was because my co-host Ryan had already picked the other record I was weighing and you can’t always agree with each other. I think given the schedule a 5-7 record, and putting up a fight in the toughest games on the schedule, would show real improvement for this Boilermaker team.
Ryan:
Year two of the Ryan Walters era has potential to see a team get better on most if not all levels and yet lose more games than the previous season. Such is life when you’re not one of the perennial powerhouses in the Big Ten (+8). Here’s the really brutal part: Purdue gets 6 games at Ross Ade this season. 1 is against FCS Indiana State. The other 5 are against Notre Dame, Nebraska, Oregon, Northwestern, and Penn State. It’s not crazy to think that Purdue goes 1-5 at home this season. Believe it or not, Purdue may actually have an easier road schedule this season with games at Oregon State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio State, Michigan State, and Indiana. If nothing else, 3 of these teams are bringing in a new head coach this season.
For a floor, part of me truly wants to say that Purdue could potentially go 1-11 with an FCS victory in the opening week. The schedule feels that difficult. Surely, Purdue cannot lose 11 straight games, right?? I think in this worst-case scenario, Purdue at least catches someone off guard and goes 2-10.
Floor: 2-10
Now for the ceiling. I’m sorry to say that there will be no McMansions with 12 ft vaulted ceilings here. Think more of a downtown basement. I am penciling in Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State, and Ohio State as automatic loses. I understand the Notre Dame is a home rivalry game but it’s just not in the cards. That leaves Purdue with 8 coin flips and just like the worst-case scenario, there’s no way they can win all 8, right? Even in this best-case, Purdue extends the losing streak to Wisconsin and gets to 7-5, which I think everyone in old gold and black will gladfully take.
Ceiling: 7-5
Obviously, I need to choose somewhere between the floor and ceiling, but I have to gravitate towards the floor. There are absolutely no favors at all on the schedule. Oh, you just played Notre Dame? Let’s make you travel out to Corvallis to take on Oregon State. Then, we’ll make you go home and take on a Nebraska team with the top-rated QB in the nation. Next, you have to play in a cursed matchup before taking on a rival on the road. Then the gauntlet ensues with 3 top 10 matchups in a 4-game stretch with a scrappy Northwestern team sandwiched in. And to close it all out, go on the road twice more.
This Purdue team needs to improve just to reflect the same record as last season, let alone win more. It’s the nature of the new Big Ten and you have to play the teams in front of you, but it doesn’t leave much hope for wins and losses. I will try to show patience as a fan and hope Boiler Nation can too.
Prediction: 4-8
Jed:
This is going to be a better team overall but the wins and losses may not show it. The offense should be more explosive with more playmakers on the field. Card should take a big leap forward in year two and I doubt Mockobee struggles with holding onto the football. Jamal Edrine, CJ Madden, and De’Nylon Morrisette form an intriguing trio that are unproven at this point.
Theo defense will likely feature one of the better defensive backfields in the B1G but the front six could be a big question mark. If they can step up, stay healthy, and find two or three pass rushing threats, they can be good enough to hold on to win games.
Will they win enough to get bowl eligibility? If that happens, Walters has proven he is a capable head coach at this level for a program like Purdue. The grueling schedule probably leaves a ceiling of 7-5 and a floor of 2-10, but more than likely Purdue will end the season at 4-8 with two losses that could have led to a bowl game.
Kyle:
Coach Walters and his staff have worked incredibly hard to rebuild the roster over the last two off-seasons after the departure of Jeff Brohm. In particular, they worked hard to fix the offensive and defensive lines and bring in unproven talent from powerhouses such as Georgia to allow those great athletes to play at Purdue. But, there is no denying, that Purdue has one of the most difficult schedules in the nation, not only do they play the best teams in the new Big Ten, they also play the majority of the solid programs that are sitting in the middle, such as Wisconsin.
The floor could be low, like real low, if things don’t go well for the staff early in the season, like maybe only winning two games, Indiana State, and then pick em’ for the second victory. But, I am a bit more optimistic than that, I like the ceiling more than the floor, but I have the ceiling at six wins, and that is if everything goes great. That means Purdue would have to beat Indiana State, IU, Illinois, Oregon State, Michigan State, and most likely, Nebraska. I believe Purdue will end up in the middle of the floor and ceiling and have a 4-8 record this coming season.
Drew:
This is a tough one.
Purdue has 8 games I consider wins or reasonable toss ups (spread somewhere within 10 points either way). I guess that puts my ceiling at 8 games. Keep in mind, this is absolute best case scenario, and that’s generally not how football works.
The floor is tied to one player, Hudson Card. If, absolute worst case scenario, he goes down with a season ending injury on Saturday, the floor is 2. The backup QB spot is problematic.
My prediction:
Purdue gets to 6 wins and gets a bowl game. While the schedule is rough, this team has similar talent to the majority of Big 10 schools. That wasn’t the case last season.
Walters will be better at in-game management in his second year, Card has the weapons on the outside to go with his experience from last season and the Boilermakers will feature one of the more talented secondaries in the conference. It won’t be perfect, but it’ll be fun.
Garrett:
Floor? I hate to say, but 4-8. The schedule is brutal but this is a team that has re-loaded on talent with a solid o-line and front seven on defense. I think the ceiling, should everyone stay healthy and a new offense (with bigger receivers on the flanks) clicking, can be 8-4. Shock the world by going 9-3, but if I take my Purdue hat off, I don’t see multiple major upsets happening.
Ultimately, if I have to bet on it, I see the Boilermakers going a split 6-6 with a bowl win to give Coach Walters his first winning season in his second year at the helm.