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The Power Four => Big Ten => Topic started by: betarhoalphadelta on October 13, 2025, 12:58:59 PM

Title: Purdue (0-3, 2-4) at Northwestern (2-1, 4-2) Game Thread
Post by: betarhoalphadelta on October 13, 2025, 12:58:59 PM
A 2-4 team, winless in conference play, who hasn't beaten a P4 team heading on the road to face a 4-2 team who has two conference wins, including one over Penn State. Should be a laugher!

And yet... Vegas has Northwestern -3.5 right now at home, which when accounting for HFA (for whatever it's worth in Evanston) has them placing this in the "toss-up" category should it be played at a neutral field. 

Purdue is averaging 410 yds/g offensively and 26.5 ppg, to Northwestern's 365 and 23.3, respectively. On the defensive side, Northwestern is only giving up 306 and 17.7, and Purdue giving up 375 and 29.3.

Ultimately I think this is a Purdue team that isn't as bad as their record, and a Northwestern team that isn't as good as theirs. 

Neither team is very good, of course. But I think that's why Vegas has this as a close one. 
Title: Re: Purdue (0-3, 2-4) at Northwestern (2-1, 4-2) Game Thread
Post by: SFBadger96 on October 13, 2025, 01:49:44 PM
Yeah, what I've seen of Purdue makes me think that they are baseline competent. Not great, but not a train wreck, either. None of their losses are unforgivable or even uncompetitive. It wouldn't surprise me at all if they beat Northwestern. Northwestern, too, looks like a decent team. The loss to Tulane is a little hard to forgive, but since then, they've done some good things, if nothing especially impressive. We all thought UCLA was a pushover, but now that's not so clear. So even that win for the Wildcats was decent.
Title: Re: Purdue (0-3, 2-4) at Northwestern (2-1, 4-2) Game Thread
Post by: grillrat on October 13, 2025, 04:39:13 PM
Purdue has two major issues that has prevented them from being 3-3 or even 4-2:  big play pass defense and turnover margin.

They have been burned on deep pass plays.  ALOT.
The Minnesota game was better, but the refs let both sides get away with a lot of handsi-ness in that one.
The interceptions are the real killer though.  They've had something like 4 red zone interceptions already this year.  Purdue is 133rd of 136 teams in turnover margin.

You just can't win games by giving your opponents that many more possessions.
Title: Re: Purdue (0-3, 2-4) at Northwestern (2-1, 4-2) Game Thread
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on October 13, 2025, 04:41:57 PM
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/-ofEqk60L00r5D6U_T_u0ib6t6ieHAi_HJUlkyW-wg8QgXsohYGi5yg-jr1zl6j1Kbv-kee7UALIwQ1C6NK23IDfwOGcwEUboGc-Jod8HbpnkKHxpMiOjd5NgSprwxvH-SE)
Title: Re: Purdue (0-3, 2-4) at Northwestern (2-1, 4-2) Game Thread
Post by: ELA on October 13, 2025, 04:51:50 PM
Big weekend for beer goggles
Title: Re: Purdue (0-3, 2-4) at Northwestern (2-1, 4-2) Game Thread
Post by: betarhoalphadelta on October 13, 2025, 05:00:08 PM
You know, studies have shown a positive correlation between intelligence and physical attractiveness. 

And by "studies", I don't just mean the movies where the bookish nerdy girl takes off her glasses, lets her hair down, and suddenly the entire student body realizes she's been a smokin' hot babe the whole time. 

I mean real, actual, scientific studies. 

Granted, studies which are done by nerds, so they may have bias in reaching their finding. 
Title: Re: Purdue (0-3, 2-4) at Northwestern (2-1, 4-2) Game Thread
Post by: FearlessF on October 13, 2025, 05:08:01 PM
granted
Title: Re: Purdue (0-3, 2-4) at Northwestern (2-1, 4-2) Game Thread
Post by: ELA on October 14, 2025, 11:44:36 AM
Northwestern 30, Purdue 17