FOX Sports Analyst Blasts Purdue Coach Ryan Walters: 'This Program is in Shambles'
Apparently, the national perception of Purdue coach Ryan Walters isn't the best. FOX Sports betting analyst Sam Panayotovich went off on the second-year coach of the Boilermakers, saying the team is waving the "white flag."
Panayotovich was on the podcast Bear Bets: A FOX Sports Gambling Show, with Chris "Bear" Fallica and Geoff Schwartz earlier in the week to discuss the best bets of the college football weekend. When the topic of Saturday's game between Purdue and Illinois came up, the FOX analyst went off.
"I'm being told white flag at Purdue," Panayotovich said. "They gave up 52 to Wisconsin — Wisconsin can't move the ball. They crossed the 50 one time, I think, against Alabama. And if you look at Purdue's schedule, they gave up 66 to Notre Dame, lost by 59. Oregon State crushed them 38-21. They should've lost by 25 to Nebraska and then they lost 52-6 to Wisconsin.
"I'm being told they just hate the coach — the whole team. The program, the boosters, the players, they hate the head coach. (He's) walking around school like nothing stinks, and everything stinks."
Panayotovich didn't cite any sources or explain where he heard the information.
Purdue is 1-4 on the season with its only victory coming over FCS opponent Indiana State. In the four games since, the Boilermakers have been outscored 184-44 and are losing games by an average of 35 points per contest.
Panayotovich didn't stop with the comments he heard about Walters from within the program. He also said that Illinois coach Bret Bielema will be looking to pummel Purdue this weekend.
"There's also an enemy of Walters at Purdue: Bret Bielema," he said. "Bret Bielema use to employ Walters as the (defensive coordinator). Well, when Walters went to Purdue, he took some coaches, he took some (quality control) guys, he took some players, he's been running his yap about Bielema and Illinois. I'm being told Bielema is ready to go. They want to play this game now. They are ready to go."
Ultimately, Panayotovich believes Purdue will move on from Walters by season's end. It's been especially harsh in West Lafayette, as the Boilers were Big Ten West champions under Jeff Brohm just a few years ago.
"You talk about a Purdue team that went to that went to the Big Ten Championship Game with Jeff Brohm (two years ago), this hire looks worse and worse by the minute.," Panayotovich said. "They've got to move on, because this program is in shambles."
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