Purdue Catches Stray Shot During College Football Playoff Rankings Show
ESPN host Rece Davis decided to kick Purdue while its down on Tuesday night. While talking about Indiana's strength of schedule during the most recent College Football Playoff Rankings Show, he took a stray shot at the Boilermakers and their struggles during the 2024 season.
Strength of schedule has been a major talking point when discussing Indiana's success this season. Although the Hoosiers are 10-1 on the year, they've been knocked for playing lighter opponents than other programs.
Prior to Saturday's game against Ohio State, Indiana's strength of schedule was ranked in the 100s. Even though the Hoosiers lost to the Buckeyes 38-15, the team's schedule strength jumped up considerably to No. 51.
This week, the Hoosiers rank No. 10 in the College Football Playoff Rankings and have a chance to essentially solidify a spot in the 12-team field with a win over Purdue.
When Davis was talking about Indiana's regular season finale against the Boilermakers, he took a swipe at Purdue as it related to IU's strength of schedule.
"The projections show that even after playing Purdue — who might be the worst team in Power Four football, maybe one of the worst teams in the country — it still may only fall into the 60s. It's not going to fall as much as it rose after they played Ohio State."
Purdue enters Old Oaken Bucket Game with a 1-10 record, having lost 10 straight games. That's the longest active streak among teams playing at the Power Four level. The Boilermakers also have yet to win a Big Ten game or beat an FBS opponent this season, with the lone win coming against Indiana State (FCS) on Aug. 31.
So, Davis' comment is correct. This season, Purdue is one of the worst teams in FBS football. And after Saturday's game, Indiana's strength of schedule will likely dip. But how much, and will it actually keep the Hoosiers out of the Playoff field?
That's unlikely, but in the whacky sport of college football, who knows? If given the opportunity, there's a good chance IU and coach Curt Cignetti attempt to put some style points on Purdue in hopes of leaving no doubt when it comes to the selection committee's final decision.
Kickoff between Purdue and Indiana from Memorial Stadium in Bloomington is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Saturday. The game will air on Fox Sports 1.
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