Ohio State Football Week 7 Opponent Preview: Purdue Boilermakers

The Buckeyes have a 40-15-2 record in the all-time series, but the Boilermakers need only go back to 2018 to find their latest win.

Caleb Spinner | Jul 11, 2023

Ohio State Football Week 7 Opponent Preview: Purdue Boilermakers /

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Ohio State Buckeyes

A football game between Ohio State and Purdue would not ty6pically draw many eyes.

This season's matchup between the Buckeyes and Boilermakers however, might be one of the better, low-profile contests of the 2023 season.

Purdue is coming off of a 2022 season in which they had winning records both overall and in the Big Ten, and qualified for a spot in the conference championship game. The Boilermakers may have been representing the West Division (which is typically regarded as the weaker of the two), but it's more than the Buckeyes have had in the last two years.

Ohio State still holds a dominant lead in the all-time series with Purdue however, with a commanding 40 wins and only 15 losses. The Buckeyes and Boilermakers have tied twice in 1946 and 1958, both of which had 14-14 final scores.

The last time Ohio State and Purdue squared off on the football field was Saturday, November 13, 2021. The Buckeyes defeated the Boilermakers 59-31 in front of over 101,000 fans.

The Boilermakers had already upset two teams ranked top-five in the nation before coming to Columbus to face the Buckeyes: No. 2 Iowa (24-7 on October 16) and No. 3 Michigan State (40-29 on November 6).

Purdue quarterback Aidan O'Connell threw for 390 yards and four touchdowns, while then-Ohio State signal-caller C.J. Stroud tallied 361 yards but scored five touchdowns. Both O'Connell and Stroud had quarterback ratings above 90 (91.6 and 97.2 respectively).

While the Boilermakers had more yards through the air, the Buckeyes crushed the rushing game by a tremendous margin. Ohio State running back Miyan Williams ran for 117 yards with an 8.4 yards-per-carry average, while TreVeyon Henderson added 98 yards with two touchdowns.

For comparison, Purdue's leading rusher was Zander Horvath. The current Los Angeles Chargers fullback ran for only 36 yards on five carries with a ten-yard long.

Both teams have made plenty of changes since their last meeting, but the biggest alteration goes to the Boilermakers.

Former Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters was announced as Purdue's new head football coach on December 13, 2022, replacing Jeff Brohm after six years at the helm.

Fans will get to see what Walters brings to the conference matchup when the 58th meeting between Ohio State and Purdue kicks off at Ross-Ade Stadium on Saturday, October 14.

Purdue Boilermakers

2022 Record: 8-6, 6-4 Big Ten

Head coach: Ryan Walters

Returning Offensive Leaders:

Passing: QB Austin Burton

2022 stats: 36-for-56, 273 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions

Rushing: RB Devin Mockobee

2022 stats: 195 carries, 968 yards, nine touchdowns

Receiving: WR TJ Sheffield

2022 stats: 46 receptions, 480 yards, 10.4 yards per catch, four touchdowns

Returning Defensive Leaders:

Tackles: SAF Sanoussi Kane, 73