Big Ten: Purdue Over
Purdue regular season wins - conference championships & bowl games do not apply - Saturday, November 28, 2020 12:00 PM
30861 Purdue total wins over 5? +125
30862 Purdue total wins under 5? -145
Why it's undervalued: The Big Ten West was deep in 2019 with Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa all winning 10 games. The Gophers and Badgers are likely favorites to win the division this year. Purdue, on the other hand, has enjoyed two winning seasons since Joe Tiller retired and the Boilermakers were devastated by injuries last season. Among the sidelined were wide receiver Rondale Moore as well as quarterbacks Elijah Sindelar and Jack Plummer, while the blown lead to Nevada in Week 1 helped set the tone for a disappointing year. Still, all things considered, that team wasn't far from bowl eligibility. Jeff Brohm coached his tail off, and while I wouldn't peg the Boilermakers for a West title, a bounceback season seems in order.
Reason for optimism: Getting Moore back is huge. He was the best player on the field against Ohio State in 2018. Without him, you've lost a major matchup for which defenses no longer have to account. Overall, Purdue gets a lot of younger talent that had to step into bigger roles last season. Sophomore receiver David Bell is one of them, tallying six 100-yard receiving games in 2019 and now serving as a nice complement for Moore.
Question mark: The defense needs shoring up after finishing near the bottom of the Big Ten in most major categories. Bob Diaco joins the program as the defensive coordinator, but how will the shortened offseason affect growth on that side of the ball? The Boilermakers could be one of those teams affected more by the lack of practice time in the spring.
Schedule: For not catching Ohio State or Penn State, it's harder than you'd expect. The Boilermakers are likely dogs for every game in September (at Nebraska., vs. Memphis, vs. Air Force, at Boston College). The good news is that Purdue gets Wisconsin and Iowa at home. The bad news is they get them in back-to-back weeks in a three-week stretch late in the season that also includes a road game at Minnesota. It's not an impossible schedule, but getting back to bowl eligibility is going to be an uphill battle. My guess is Purdue will be one of those teams that's a little better than its record indicates.
Purdue regular season wins - conference championships & bowl games do not apply - Saturday, November 28, 2020 12:00 PM
30861 Purdue total wins over 5? +125
30862 Purdue total wins under 5? -145
Why it's undervalued: The Big Ten West was deep in 2019 with Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa all winning 10 games. The Gophers and Badgers are likely favorites to win the division this year. Purdue, on the other hand, has enjoyed two winning seasons since Joe Tiller retired and the Boilermakers were devastated by injuries last season. Among the sidelined were wide receiver Rondale Moore as well as quarterbacks Elijah Sindelar and Jack Plummer, while the blown lead to Nevada in Week 1 helped set the tone for a disappointing year. Still, all things considered, that team wasn't far from bowl eligibility. Jeff Brohm coached his tail off, and while I wouldn't peg the Boilermakers for a West title, a bounceback season seems in order.
Reason for optimism: Getting Moore back is huge. He was the best player on the field against Ohio State in 2018. Without him, you've lost a major matchup for which defenses no longer have to account. Overall, Purdue gets a lot of younger talent that had to step into bigger roles last season. Sophomore receiver David Bell is one of them, tallying six 100-yard receiving games in 2019 and now serving as a nice complement for Moore.
Question mark: The defense needs shoring up after finishing near the bottom of the Big Ten in most major categories. Bob Diaco joins the program as the defensive coordinator, but how will the shortened offseason affect growth on that side of the ball? The Boilermakers could be one of those teams affected more by the lack of practice time in the spring.
Schedule: For not catching Ohio State or Penn State, it's harder than you'd expect. The Boilermakers are likely dogs for every game in September (at Nebraska., vs. Memphis, vs. Air Force, at Boston College). The good news is that Purdue gets Wisconsin and Iowa at home. The bad news is they get them in back-to-back weeks in a three-week stretch late in the season that also includes a road game at Minnesota. It's not an impossible schedule, but getting back to bowl eligibility is going to be an uphill battle. My guess is Purdue will be one of those teams that's a little better than its record indicates.
