Let's see if we can do better this week for you vultures!

It's predicto time.....RIGHT NOW.

Thuff:

Purdue travels to Texas, the state with the fourth most Purdue Alumni, to play Rice. Rice is a team that recently matches our struggles - with only 3 winning seasons in this millennium. This being said, they didn't pay us $250,000 to stomp their faces into their own dirt. Rice will come out swinging, fortunately, I don't see them getting much done on the ground this week. The secondary has grown up a little bit this year as well, but some early bombs may end up leaving us going into the locker room behind. TerBush has had a taste of victory, chances are good in my mind that the entire offense wants to prove something on the road. Bolden blew up against Oregon in '09 and I'd like to think that will happen this Saturday. He'll record the first score with TerBush spreading the field keeping Rice on their toes. This will likely be late in the second; we still need that first quarter gel time. Halftime Score 10 - 17 Rice

The second half will be more consistent and TerBush will find a rhythm to keep the ball moving and sneak into the endzone once or twice (thrown, both). Rice won't have the fight after the third; they've just lost too many games in the last two years. Robinson will get late snaps; Wiggs may get a late 'Just for fun' field goal to set the record, but Purdue will walk away from Houston the victors, 28 to 17.

J Money:

Last weekend's prediction was a crappy feeling for a loyalist like me. Feeling bad about the outlook and then seeing it play out exactly as I expected was lousy, but the best possible result happened -- I was wrong, in the end. Unfortunately for those who believe in reverse-mojo, I am not picking the Boilers to lose again this week.

I've said all along that I thought they'd have trouble in one of these early games and I felt it would be MTSU -- and they did have trouble. But unlike a lot of times in recent years, they were able to overcome the troubles and produce a victory. I think the Danny Hope teams tend to set their sights on an early-season matchup and sort of build towards that goal. His first year, I think it was the trip to Oregon. The second year it was the opening game versus ND. And it both instances, when those wound up being crushing defeats, the team demonstrated how their souls and will had been damaged. I think this Rice game is potentially that game for 2011. I think Hope has been talking about this road trip with the understanding of how big road wins can be for a team, and knowing what a significant contingent of Boilers will be there to cheer on his guys. In fact, it's very possible that the Boiler faithful will own a road stadium -- how often can you say that?

Purdue could very easily lose this game. Rice is not the pushover they once were, though they are a beatable team. If the Boilers do not show progress from last week and exhibit some of the same jitters, it could be troublesome. However, I'm going to be optimistic this week and say that I think that last drive may have done wonders for Caleb TerBush's confidence and that we'll see that on display in Houston tomorrow.

Purdue should be able to control the ground game, severelly limit Rice's ability to throw the ball, and control the trenches. Those are some really basic and time-tested keys to victory, and I think they will carry the day tomorrow.

Boilermakers 28
Owls 13

Tim:

It's going to be another hot one at Rice. Maybe Purdue can wear black pants in addition to last week's black jerseys. That way the triple digit temps will be sure to impact them as much as possible. As for the jerseys, though, as long as they don't go Darth Vader or Princess Leia (white jerseys and white pants), I'll be happy. (May want to avert your eyes, then. Rumor percolating that the white on white may be happening. -- J)

The game will come down to turnovers (mmmmm, turnovers -- J). Whichever team holds on to the ball better will win. Rice hung in with Texas last week until the 4th quarter, though it was a Texas team that went 5-7 last year. Texas was able to rush for 229 yards last week. Bolden and Shavers should help the Boilermakers running game have similar success. TerBush just needs to manage the game and let the running game do its thing. The lack of defensive pressure on the QB is a concern, among other things, but I don't think Rice's QB Taylor McHargue is going to light the world on fire so that should help. I'm hoping that it was a combination of the heat last week and the fact that The MTSU is a repeat bowler. That said, I don't have a lot of confidence this week. There's definite positves, but it's been a while since Purdue has been able to use those positives without also shooting themselves in the foot.

Purdue 27
THE Rice University 24