Upon Further Review: It's a Team Effort
More than just a Ranking is on the Line
Your Purdue Boilermakers sit at #25 for the first time since 2007…that’s fun. If you listened to the Handsome Hour earlier this week, you learned that J and I have been making podcasts for a never-ranked program for well-over a decade before Aneesh jumped into the Handsome Hour pool and brought some new blood into the equation. Yeah, it’s weird to think Boiled Sports covers a ranked Purdue team…and it’s ironic that we haven’t ever done it in our decade and one-half year history.
We started the site back when we Purdue fans were still spoiled by Joe Tiller’s perennially-ranked Boilers. Little did we know, 15 years ago, that the idea of Purdue being among the ranked was about to become an antique concept akin to me with hair or J with a budget.
If Purdue loses this week as they host Wisconsin, it will almost-assuredly be the last time they’re ranked in the 2021 season, so we all want them to hold serve and stay in the national conversation. But more than that, the chance for Purdue to seize a very large gust of momentum is on the line. A win, as I spoke about on Twitter last Sunday, would give Purdue an inside track to seven, maybe even eight wins. That’s craziness, especially if you think about how we all felt after the Minny loss.
Watching the Film
Like many of you, I have enjoyed the afterglow of Purdue’s 24-7 win over the number two team in America. I’m on vacation with my family in SEC country, and have heard ‘Boiler Up!’ and ‘Hammer Down!’ all week while wearing my Martin Vintage gear. Another way of staying in those positive vibes was watching the game a second time on DVR…and I had a few take-aways while enjoying the dub a second time.
It Was Not Mistake-Free Football
There’s no doubt that our Boilers played well, but it was far from flawless. Purdue played a resilient brand of football though. Whether it was a missed short field goal, a long kickoff return allowed by the coverage team, a bone-headed, but ambitious reach-for-the-pylon touchback, conservative play-calling that led to three short field possessions in a row for Iowa (with the game still in contention)…Purdue had an answer. Whether it was offense, defense, STs or coaching; resilience ruled the day for our Boilers.
Dudes Made Plays
Much of the media (and those outside of the Purdue family) saw David Bell’s eye-popping 240yd performance as the only thing that mattered in Iowa City for your Boilers, but you and I both know #3’s big game was only a part of the story. Whether you look on defense at a front that stopped Iowa from gaining a yard on two successive plays (in the red zone, by the way), a defensive backfield that was suddenly hawkish when Petras tried to test them, Big George terrorizing the Iowa offensive backfield all game, O’Connell impersonating Drew Brees v. Minnesota in the early oughts (I mean, completing 75% of your passes and being responsible for three TDs is pretty special) or Ol’ Clever Jeff Brohm returning after a hiatus, there’s much more to the win than Purdue’s All-American receiver. Heck, the guys who are right behind him (Wright and Sheffield, specifically) didn’t drop a ball.
The superstar did superstar things and had an answer every time Purdue needed a play…But David wasn’t the only guy who answered the Bell and punched back. Who knows? Maybe these Boilers learned they’re pretty damned good at football, when they play to their potential.
Check off another Box?
A few weeks ago, prior to the Minnesota game, I thought it was time for Purdue fans to dream about a world in which Jeff Brohm’s squad doesn’t drop games to lousy teams, beats ranked teams on the road and even might be able to earn a victory over Wisconsin.
Coming into last week, it had been over 6,000 days since Purdue had beaten a ranked team (according to a poster on KHC) on the road…and Brohm’s Squad slayed that beast with relative ease. Iowa doesn’t suck, friends and Purdue controlled the game from start to finish. As we talked about on this week’s HH, Iowa might not lose again until they visit Indianapolis…11-1 is a real possibility for Ferentz’s team. Unlike when purdue beat aOSU a few years ago, it feels like this season might be a more complete effort and could become somewhat special, if they handle their business in God’s Country tomorrow.
For Purdue to return to the mindset that they’re a simply a good football team, they need to first exercise demons that are nearly a generation old…losing to Wisconsin is a part of Purdue football culture as much as dusty khaki pants and bad music before the fourth quarter in Ross-Ade…lots of changes are needed. A lot of heeling can happen if Purdue can vanquish the unlikable Badgers, and I think they should beat them. Even still, with Wisconsin’s weak offense and Purdue’s strong defense, I can’t get my head to match my heart and actually predict a Purdue victory tomorrow at 3:00p, LaLa Time.
To your call once more we rally…
