Written by Patrick Duffy
With last week’s myriad of upsets behind, the Wisconsin Badgers look to take care of Big Ten foe Purdue, on the road, to keep their College Football Playoff hopes. The Badgers control their own destiny when it comes to their conference championship and are currently on the outside looking in at a top four spot in the nation for the Playoff.
The Purdue Boilermakers are looking to play the role of spoiler as they enter their eleventh game of the season. The Boilermakers are at the bottom of the conference standings but a win this weekend would give the team, and fans alike, a much needed lift of spirits. The Boilermakers last win against a top 10 team was in 2009, when they took down Terrelle Pryor and the Ohio State Buckeyes. A win here could be a turning point in the history of Purdue football and could help right the ship as the season comes to a close. The matchup that is going to be key to whether or not Wisconsin wins the game, is how well Badgers quarterback Alex Hornibrook, will fare against a slacking Boilermaker defense. Hornibrook took the reins of the offense during week three and has not looked back since. He has provided a much needed spark to a rather stagnant offense and has grown throughout the year to become a real threat at the quarterback position. Purdue’s defense ranks in the bottom third of the nation and has allowed an average of 466.9 yards a game. The Wisconsin offense should have a field day against this Boilermaker defense and needs a good showing to continue to impress members of the College Football Playoff committee, in order to get ranked in the top four at the end of the season. It is going to take a lot to happen for the Badgers to get ranked in the top four, but a conference championship win could propel them into a playoff bid. As for the Boilermakers, this season marks the fifth year in a row that they will not be making a bowl appearance. Interim head coach Gerad Parker is continuing to work towards achieving his first win as a head coach, as well aslooking to impress enough people to be able to keep the head coaching position next year. With all the upsets that have happened this year it’s important for the Badgers to keep their focus on the task at hand, which is to convincingly beat the Purdue Boilermakers. With the importance of this game, I see the Badgers taking care of the Boilermakers easily and thus, taking another step closer to a conference championship. As well as making a strong case to be considered for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Written by Robert Henry
This Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, the University of Minnisota Golden Gophers (6-2), coming off a win against the University of Illinois Fighting Illini, return home to take on Big Ten inter-conference rival, the Purdue University Boilermakers (3-5).
The Minnesota Golden Gophers could have been heading into this match with an 8-0 record, but they lost to Penn State and Iowa. Both losses were by a combined 10 points. This is devastating for the Gophers, especially because they are looking at being bowl eligible this week. The Gophers are coming off a three-game winning streak, which could help their morale going into the game. Minnesota’s defense was a major factor in their winning streak, as they lead the Big Ten in forced turnovers. Purdue is going into this match after losing to Penn State last week, where they turned the ball over four times. Purdue is having a tough season and they are going up against a team that is proving that they are worthy of a bowl game. Purdue quarterback David Blough has thrown an interception in almost every game this season but one. He also has been forced to make a play 70 more times than other quarterbacks in the Big Ten. This is mainly due to the fact that Purdue has been playing from behind in most games. Blough holds the lead most interceptions in the Big Ten conference with 12. He will need to hone in on his skills against the Gophers stingy secondary. What may be even more of a concern going into this game, is the Boilermakers defense. They have given up an average of 6.38 yards per play. The Boilermakers defense has also allowed an average 36.9 points per game. The Gophers on the other hand have forced at least three turnovers in four consecutive games, making them 10th in the nation for takeaways. They were able to hold Illinois to 245 yards in last week’s victory. Minnesota is also ranked 3rd in the Big Ten for average yards allowed per play at 4.71. Offensively, Minnesota running back Rodney Smith has taken advantage of the extra possessions this season and will be looking forward to this meeting with the Boilermakers defense. He had his third consecutive 100-yard game against Illinois and scored twice giving him 10 touchdowns. This tied him with Penn State running back Saquon Barkley for the lead in the Big Ten for the most touchdowns. Smith is an all-purpose threat, leading the Big Ten in all-purpose yards thanks to his kick returns, combined with his rushing yardage. Overall, Minnesota has the upper hand on offense with Smith running the ball and Purdue allowing on average 5.78 yards per carry, which ranks 125th in the country. The Gophers are also more likely to have the advantage on defense, considering their defense ranks up there with some of the best schools. The Boilermakers are not out of the contest just yet as they could get into a rhythm and get the ball moving. If Blough does not throw an interception and Purdue’s defense can stop Smith and the strong Minnesota offense, Purdue has a chance. The game is set for November 5th at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on BTN. |
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