Big Ten Media Days: Ricardo Allen: "I Am the Best Cornerback in the Big Ten"

Purdue cornerback Ricardo Allen is one of the top returning defenders in the Big Ten. He knows it, too.

Allen was one of three Purdue representatives at the Big Ten Media Days, joining tackle Kawann Short and quarterback Caleb TerBush. Of the three, Allen was the best-dressed, sporting the '70s-inspired getup pictured above. If you're not going to wear a tie to one of things, you'd better absolutely bring it with everything else, and there Allen totally delivered.

Past the sartorial talk, Allen is absolutely not lacking for confidence. For example, the common wisdom that Wisconsin's a runaway favorite for the Big Ten Leaders Division clearly hasn't taken root in West Lafayette.

When asked if Purdue was ready to make some noise in the Leaders Division race, Allen replied, "I think we're going to make a lot of noise. 'Some' may be an understatement."

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"Last year was a winning season, we've got a bowl game under our belt, and we're more experienced," Allen said.

"We've been playing freshmen and sophomores the last two years, now we're playing juniors and seniors. We have three very experienced, un-injured quarterbacks. We have great running backs, we have a great D-Line, we have depth everywhere, and we have a lot of factors on our side that are going to play a big role in what we do this year."

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And as for Allen's role in that, there's little doubt where he stands.

"I am the best cornerback in the Big Ten," Allen said. "I do pretty good with who I go against and who I man up against—and we don't run too much zone."

So with that bravado about Purdue making a lot of noise in the Leaders Division, we had to ask: Is Purdue going to win the division title? Allen's response was immediate and sure.

"Yes."

Adam Jacobi is a Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.