2010 College Football Predictions: Purdue Will Shock Nation

Purdue is predicted to be in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten this pre-season by most analysts, with some calling that a stretch. I did my homework and dug up a handful of reasons the Boiler faithful should be pretty excited to start the 2010 season. Last years win against Ohio State could have been a sign of things to come this year. Lets take a look at the reasons Purdue should be a team to watch.

The Schedule

What might be the most shocking is that Purdue is getting away with not playing two of the Big Ten's best teams in Penn State and Iowa this season. With non-conference games against Western Illinois, Ball State, Toledo, and at Notre Dame, other than the Irish those look like locks for W's.

Their hardest away games in conference are at Ohio State and at Michigan State. With a strength of schedule ranked 74th in the nation, the road doesn't look too bumpy for the Boilers. The full schedule is as follows:

Sept. 4th - @ND
Sept. 11th - Western Illinois
Sept. 18th - Ball State
Sept. 25th - Toledo
Oct. 9th - @Northwestern
Oct. 16th - Minnesota
Oct. 23rd - @Ohio St.
Oct. 30th - @Illinois
Nov. 6th - Wisconsin
Nov. 13th - Michigan
Nov. 20th - @Michigan St.
Nov. 27th - Indiana

Addition of Robert Marve

Marve has matured ten-fold from the player he was at Miami. A move to West Lafayette has done wonders not only to his ego, but also to his field vision and overall understanding of the game. Marve sat out for a year following his transfer and was given a chance to fully grasp the offense while seeing the game in a way he never had before, from the sideline.

His mobility in/out of the pocket is something Purdue hasn't had in years, and will create nightmares for defenses as they key on wide out Keith Smith and plan on not stacking the box with defenders.

The Rest Of The Offense

Marve has no shortage of weapons on offense. Keith Smith is the top receiver in the Big Ten and a dark-horse Heisman hopeful. The offensive line is solid with the only question remaining at running back, where stud Ralph Bolden is down with an ACL injury.

The best thing about Purdue's schedule this year is that the bye weeks, unlike nearly every year in the past, are at the beginning of the season. This should give Bolden time to recover and return to action for important conference games against OSU, MSU, and Wisconsin.

In the mean time, former 4-star running back Al-Terek McBurse is a promising runner and the rest of the wide outs are extremely athletic targets with ideal size for Purdue.

Purdue's Ability to Mold 3 Star Recruits

This is Ryan Kerrigan (you will meet him more next slide) as a high school 3-star recruit from Rivals.com. Kerrigan is a pre-season Second Team All-American and potential NFL first round draft pick.

He is just one of many (Ralph Bolden, Keith Smith, and you can go back for years now) 3-star recruits Purdue has intelligently recruited based on the fit in their system and potential they bring to the table.

With the biggest knock on Purdue this year being the inexperience in the defensive backfield, look for a few low profile recruits to emerge in some big ways this year.

The Ryan Kerrigan Effect

Ryan Kerrigan is Purdue's best player and stud defensive end. Many credit Kerrigan as the deciding factor in last season's stunning victory against Ohio St.

Kerrigan will be double teamed this season opening holes for Purdue's experienced linebacking core. This will allow the linebackers to either drop back in coverage or pressure the QB, which will help the inexperienced defensive backfield of Purdue.

Purdue's defensive backs will not be as much of a liability this season because of Ryan Kerrigan.

The Special Teams Unit

Arguably the most interesting unit to watch on this Purdue football team is not the Offense or Defense, but the Special Teams unit. Dynamic kicker Carson Wiggs is something special (no pun intended), as displayed in a 59 yard field goal conversion in last year's Toledo game.

With that kind of power and accuracy, Wiggs will not only be a reliable kicker for field goals, but also for punts at kickoffs as well, giving the Boilers great field position to work with.

Look for burners like Justin Siller, Cortez Smith, or Keith Carlos to take a few returns to the house as well on the Special Teams side.

Winning The Close Ones Against The Powerhouses

Last years season showed that Purdue had finally learned to keep games close, especially against the intimidating conference bullies like Ohio State and Michigan. Whats more is that the Boilers actually BEAT those teams for the first time in decades.

With last second losses against Oregon, ND, and Michigan State, the team was able to hang in games both home and away at some pretty tough venues.

They learned what it took to win the close ones, and wont be intimidated when the clock is running down against the big names this season.

Momentum

Purdue's 2009 season began with a shaky start. Nobody knew what team would come to play on Saturday at the beginning of the season. By season's end, excluding a blowout at Wisconsin, the team showed consistency.
They went 4-2 in the last six games including a close loss to Michigan State.

Look for that consistency to continue going into next season, with the knowledge that they came close to winning most of the games last season, as stated in the last slide.

The Results of the Coach-In-Waiting Technique

I thought this one might be a little fun to include in here and may be a bit of a stretch, but here it goes.

Purdue's basketball team gave Matt Painter the role of successor after hiring him under Gene Keady in 2004. Painter enjoyed moderate success in his first season as head coach, and shocked college basketball in year two bringing the Boilers national respect.

The football team used the same strategy when they brought in Hope to succeed Joe Tiller. Hope's first season had the team experience moderate success.

They are flying under the radar, but look for history to repeat itself in West Lafayette this fall where another Purdue team could shock the college football landscape with an unforgettable season.