Man, I’ve acquired to let you know, I’m completely pumped for this recreation. With David Bell gone, I believe it’s excessive time for Tyrone Tracy and Charlie Jones to point out what they’ll do and eventually stick it to Jeff Brohm and Purdue! *Ben stops writing as Ross whispers one thing in his ear* Actually? Oh, um, nevermind. It seems each Charlie and Tyrone shall be enjoying for Purdue this 12 months. Whoopsie.

So let’s get this out of the way in which. If for a second you assume both of these strikes wasn’t in the perfect curiosity of both of these gamers, look your self within the mirror and say “Yikes” to your self. Positive, Charlie Jones’ worth to the NFL in all probability begins as a return specialist, however he has already established his particular groups bona fides and the chilly, exhausting reality is that he can return punts and kicks wherever. As a receiver at Iowa, I doubt NFL scouts had been going to salivate on the 100 shallow crosses and slants that he was going to run. At Purdue he can present no matter progress he’s able to. And as for Tyrone Tracy? He was already caught with the measly jet sweep and bubble display scraps that Brian was throwing his manner. He merely had no probability to thrive on this offense. Each guys did what was greatest for his or her probabilities at making the NFL and should they succeed, in each recreation save one. (In case you have any significant frustrations in regards to the scenario, please direct it at Iowa’s offensive employees.)

As to Purdue usually? They’re a reasonably straightforward crew to determine. After arriving as head coach in 2017 on the heels of the abysmal tenure of Darell Hazell, Jeff Brohm has produced first rate, albeit semi-middling leads to West Lafayette. Brohm turned Purdue into the worst dashing crew within the Massive Ten and the perfect passing crew within the Massive Ten west of Columbus, and paired a considerably suspect protection with this dynamic passing offense. After a few 6-6 common seasons, issues trended downward in 2019 and 2020, earlier than a breakout 12 months for Purdue’s protection and an 8-4 end in 2021. If Purdue can preserve their good points as a defensive crew, they may formally develop into a “downside.”

In fact what actually issues is how Purdue does in opposition to our Hawkeyes, and also you all know the reply there’s “obnoxiously good.” You might have in all probability heard the expression soccer is a “match-up” recreation, and in no case is that extra readily obvious than when Iowa performs Purdue. Not often prior to now 5 years would you’ve got stated that top-to-bottom Purdue has a “higher” crew or extra proficient roster than Iowa, however they’ve crushed Iowa 80% of the time in that span, a sterling 4-1 file for Brohm’s boys.

Whereas sometimes all of our ire can be directed on the offense, the issue with this match-up is that Purdue has been kryptonite to our all-world defensive coordinator Phil Parker. Here’s what I imply: In every of the final 4 years that Iowa has performed Purdue, Purdue has not as soon as didn’t generate at the least 350 yards of whole offense. No different crew within the Massive Ten West can say this. (Wisconsin comes closest, having exceeded that whole twice within the final 4 years.) Purdue’s M.O. is to dare Iowa right into a relative shootout and eke it out with their superior offensive firepower or, in 2021, letting Iowa flail with the toy knife they dropped at the bazooka battle. (Iowa in the meantime has topped 350 yards themselves in three of the contests, a productive whole for Kirk’s Hawkeyes.)

For no matter purpose — hubris, a cussed unwillingness to make adjustments, brilliance on the a part of Jeff Brohm — Iowa has been utterly unable to disrupt Purdue’s passing recreation. Ignoring the 2017 12 months, Brohm’s first season, which was spent placing out the dumpster hearth that Darell Hazell began in West Lafayette, Purdue’s lowest passing yardage in any recreation in opposition to Iowa has been 282 yards. This Purdue matchup is a sticky spot of slime on the in any other case sterling file of Phil Parker.

Are issues more likely to change in 2022 for Purdue? They misplaced their greatest defensive participant, edge rusher George Karlaftis, who’s now competing for Tremendous Bowls in Kansas Metropolis, and with another defenders transferring on, possibly they regress defensively considerably. High-quality, no matter. Purdue’s protection isn’t half so scary as their offense. The difficulty is, I discover it silly to count on any sort of notable regression for Purdue on the offensive aspect of issues.

Little doubt it’s legitimately an enormous aid that David Bell, a person who had over 550 yards receiving in opposition to Iowa in simply three video games, has moved on to the NFL. (The Bell really tolled for Herky.) Purdue nonetheless has the perfect quarterback within the Massive Ten West in Aiden O’Connell, (do you know he began his profession as a flippin’ walk-on? Neat-o…) and the perfect offensive thoughts within the West to scheme for him. I’ll imagine Iowa can decelerate and beat Purdue after I see it. I imply, truthfully, even when Purdue is 2-6 heading into this recreation and double-digit underdogs, who amongst you’ll really really feel assured heading into this match-up?

Homer Model: That run of 4 video games that Purdue had in opposition to Iowa, did you discover that David Bell was concerned in three of them? Yeah, takeoff, hoser. The Bell-less Boilermakers get their bell rung as Phil’s boys maintain Purdue to 10 factors and a simple Hawkeye victory.

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