Purdue kicks off in almost exactly 24 hours. Purdue football is back and the Barry Odom era has begun. Let’s see what the staff thinks the future holds.
Ledman (0-0):
I’m already on the record with the podcast that I think Purdue is going to win this game. There are a few things working against the Boilermakers here but those are things from THE PAST that don’t impact this year’s team. For instance, Purdue is riding an 11 game losing streak. PAST. Purdue last two of their biggest names to the transfer
portal. PAST. Purdue was 1-11 last season and is picked last or next to last in the conference in every publication I’ve seen. PAST. What matters now is what this team can do in 2025. Not what happened in 2024. Purdue brought in 50+ transfers into a team that desperately needed new life, desperately needed new blood, and desperately needed change.
I’m looking forward to game one because I want to see how different this team is than last year’s debacle under Ryan Walters. One of the things that most bothered me about last year’s team, and I’m not alone in this, was the sheer amount of penalties, particularly dumb ones, this team received. They played an incredibly undisciplined football and I hope to see Odom turn that around. This one though is more about Purdue than it is about Ball State.
Purdue 38
Ball State 17
Jed (0-0):
This one shouldn’t be much of a problem for the Boilers, even if they have the highest rate of turnover in any program heading into the 2025 season. There should always be a distinct difference in the talent gap between a B1G program and one from the MAC who has historically not been very good. This should be even wider with the advent of NIL and open transfers where MAC schools will get hit harder than those from the power conferences.
Purdue may struggle to start the game as they look to get their legs under them from the new staff and all of the new players. Eventually, you would think, the talent would take over and playmakers start to make plays. I think everyone wants to see Ryan Browne in a full capacity as quarterback given he has looked good in his previous games against Illinois (2024) and Northwestern (2023). He has what appears to be a solid set of weapons if they are healthy (Klare and Morissette currently not expected to play) and an offensive line that should be markedly better than the previous two seasons.
Purdue will get a good game from Devin Mockobee like they usually do and Purdue should salt this one away early in the third quarter. The big question will be what the defense looks like and if it isn’t good against Ball State, it likely means another very long and unproductive season for the Boilers.
Purdue: 41
Ball State: 17
Fan Duel Odds for Purdue vs. Ball State
Current Lines:
Spread: Purdue -18.5
O/U: 50.5
1st Quarter Spread Purdue -4.5: Ball State: -128 Purdue: +102
4+ TD’s to be Scored in Each Half: +370
Each Team to Score 1+ TD in Each Quarter
Kyle (0-0):
Purdue comes out hot and the game is over by halftime. The buzz is palpable for the first game of the Odom Era
Boilers 38
Cardinals 17
Purdue covers -17.5
Travis (0-0):
It can’t get worse than last year, right? Well, losing to Ball State would qualify as such. Ball State rates 129th out of 136 FBS level teams in the ESPN FPI Rankings. It’s not like Purdue is light years better at 96th, but even the worst Big Ten team should be better than a bottom of the MAC team. If you look across all divisions of college football Southern Illinois at 117 rates higher than Ball State at 165. That means Purdue will not face a lower rated opponent than the Cardinals. If Purdue loses this, then yes, it can get worse, as 0-12 would very much be on the table at that point.
Purdue 24
Ball State 10
Drew (0-0):
It’s hard to make any sort of prediction because I have no idea what either team looks like. Both will feature a new coach, a raft of new players, and new systems.
My guess is that Ball State will try and run the ball and control the clock. Purdue will try to do something similar with more talent.
I like the Boilermakers in this one.
Purdue: 28
Ball State: 10
Garrett (0-0):
I have the Boilers winning 38-16. I know that’s a weird score but I have my reasons: Ball State has the offense to creep up into field goal range and knock in some field goals just over 40 yards. We currently sit as something like a 17.5 point favorite but I will take the over. Something about having a new pieced-together team with a head coach who has a track record of winning and a group of guys whose coalesced efforts can’t really be studied on film. Part of me even wants to say this team can go 6-6, but my optimism has gotten in the way of the analytical part of my brain before.
I also see this as a game during which the first quarter is like “what are we doing here?” because of an early touchdown from the Cardinals and we’re looking at a 10-7 Purdue lead into the second quarter. Purdue’s talent will have the Boilermakers establish a lead and pull away; that’s my hypothesis here. Time to test it.
I crave the growing pains. I love seeing what a new head coach does after a disastrous couple of years from a previous guy, regardless of team. Even rivals, but especially my teams. Taking a squad from 1-11 to a potential yearly 8-4 or 9-3 is something I think Barry Odom can do in the span of four seasons because Barry Odom is a guy I trust. Very familiar with his body of work as someone who graduated from an SEC school. I like him a lot.
I think we stutter early on offense, we have a big play that results in a touchdown, sneak in a field goal at the end of the first quarter to break a tie, and then it’s over-talenting the Cardinals and wearing their defensive front seven down until we start to strike BIG big. I envision this going “uh oh, can Ball State spoil the new head coach’s first game?” until about midway through the third quarter. Then it’s broken open and, approaching the final six minutes of game clock, we see some “practice” snaps for the fresh faces.
Purdue 38
Ball State 16
Ryan (0-0):
As we discussed on the Boiler Alert Podcast, there are so many unknowns with this Purdue team, and for that matter, the Ball State team too. Purdue was the bottom of the barrel in the Big Ten last season and Ball State was next to last in the MAC. At the end of the day, even though it’s a shot in the dark in terms of how these teams will come out under new head coaches, Purdue should have the clear advantage in terms of talent. Barry Odom seems like a no-nonsense type of coach, so I think Purdue will come out ready to play. Sure it won’t be perfect, but getting off on the right foot is paramount for any semblance of a successful season.
Purdue 38
Ball State 21
