Purdue is rolling out their freshman team against Penn State this weekend. Mostly because that's all they have left to play. Purdue's QB was making a case for being the best QB in the B1G. He's out. Rondale Moore is out. In fact, it would probably take less time to talk about who is still in at this point.
It's a disastrous situation for Purdue, but there may be a silver lining. They have recruited well, and they do have quite a bit of young talent. Further, there isn't much film out there for PSU to study and gameplan for.
Offensively, Purdue also matches up well with Penn State. They rely on a quick passing game, which should help to neutralize any advantage PSU may have against their O-Line. Penn State is vulnerable to the big play, and Purdue still has enough talent to exploit that.
Defensively, Purdue needs to be able to pressure Sean Clifford. Only Pitt has been able to get to the PSU QB consistently, and it certainly looked as if Clifford was rattled. PSU's offensive line isn't exactly full of All-Americans, so it is certainly possible.
I expect the Purdue freshman to keep it closer than many expect, but in the end the PSU talent and experience differential is too much. I expect Purdue to keep it close until the second half, but then PSU will pull away.
Penn State 38, Purdue 17*
*side note - Purdue can possibly win this game if Purdue can get a couple of key turnovers and can find offensive success. They also have an excellent coach who will have a great gameplan.
