Purdue is out of the bye week and right back into the kind of November run Barry Odom said he wanted when he took the job.
The Boilermakers sit at 3-4 as they head into the final stretch, and the path ahead is packed with chances to make this season matter. It starts with Penn State on Halloween, then rolls into Maryland, Iowa, Wisconsin and Indiana in November.
Odom pointed to that kind of stretch as part of the vision from day one.
“One, the opportunity to play meaningful games in the month of November, which is something we set out to do when we got the job,” Odom said. “Every single one of them, if you look at the Big Ten schedule this last weekend, I mean, every single game is a season within itself, really.”
That’s the challenge now: Purdue has shown progress, but progress only counts if it turns into wins. Saturday against the Nittany Lions is the next test, and it lands in a conference slate where every week can swing the whole picture.
One player who has already taken a noticeable step forward is Tra’Mar Harris. The sophomore wideout has become one of Ryan Browne’s more reliable targets, putting up 11 catches for 150 yards and two touchdowns this season.
Odom was quick to credit Harris for sticking with it.
“I’m so proud of him. Tra’Mar’s done a great job, and there’s times that it would have been easy for him to walk away,” Odom said. “I think it is a product, if you’ll continue to pour in the right way, results will eventually happen, and they are for him.”
Harris still has two years of eligibility left after this season, which gives Purdue something real to build around as it looks ahead. His rise adds another weapon to the passing game and another piece of the offense the Boilermakers can try to sharpen moving forward.
Beyond this season, the conversation around Purdue has started to drift toward scheduling, especially with the reported expansion of the College Football Playoff to 24 teams. That has raised questions about the Big Ten’s future setup, nonconference requirements and what happens with Purdue’s annual game against Notre Dame.
Odom said he doesn’t have a final answer on that series, but he did lay out what he understands about the potential changes.
“I don’t talk with anyone at South Bend. I’ve got a lot of respect for Marcus Freeman, I hope they have great success, but I know if the vote goes through with the expanded playoffs, I know we’ll play nine conference games. Three nonconference, and one of those has to be a Power opponent,” Odom said.
“That would be my knowledge at this point. And then we’ve got to have a great Tuesday practice to go try to beat Penn State.”
For Purdue, the long-term schedule picture may be worth watching. But right now, the focus is simpler: get back in the win column and use Saturday as a chance to make this November stretch feel like the one Odom envisioned.
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Dave Shondell and Purdue players have been open about their support for Wollard throughout the process, and that remains the backdrop to every update surrounding her. Her presence around the team matters beyond volleyball, because the Boilermakers have spent the season keeping close tabs on a teammate whose fight has become part of their shared story. [Read more 🡒]