Purdue’s return from the West Coast came with a harsh reminder of how quickly a game can tilt when the defense can’t hold up its end.
After a strong offensive showing in the Big Ten opener at UCLA, the Boilermakers came home with a loss and a 1-2 record. Now the schedule tightens again, with No. 3 Notre Dame coming to Ross-Ade Stadium on Saturday in a matchup Purdue has not won since 2007.
Barry Odom spent Monday’s press conference sorting through the mess from the UCLA game, and the biggest issue was impossible to ignore: Purdue gave up 645 yards, its worst defensive performance since a 38-14 loss to Wisconsin in 2012. Odom didn’t point fingers. He pointed the responsibility at himself.
"If we don't play well enough, I take full blame for that," Odom said. "What did I not do to get our defensive coaches, our offensive coaches or special teams coaches, what did I fail at to not get them prepared, to get our players prepared?
I've got to do a great job of getting those things fixed ... Every single area that we didn't play well enough in, I've got to do a better job."
That response fit the way Odom has framed his role since the offseason, when he said he would be more involved with the defense and work alongside coordinator Kevin Kane. On Monday, he described that involvement as another layer of perspective and communication.
"I'm trying to give another set of eyes, trying to provide experience, trying to provide thoughtful discussions on how we can do things that give our players opportunities to play fast and play confident," he said. "I don't think anybody on that side of the ball would sit back and say we're where we want to be or where we expect to be.
We have a lot of work to do. That's from me all the way down."
There isn’t much breathing room after a performance like that. Notre Dame is next, and Big Ten play resumes the following week. Purdue’s staff has to fix problems fast, because Saturday brings an offense that has looked sharp from the start.
The Irish are averaging 40 points per game through three games, and Odom had plenty of respect for what he sees on film. Notre Dame lost Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Prince from last season, but it still has quarterback CJ Carr and has added Nolan James Jr. and Aneyas Williams to a group that keeps rolling.
"They haven't missed a beat. Obviously, they lost two great runners last year ... both of their running backs are playing at a high level right now," Odom said.
"They're unbelievable up front, their quarterback play is elite, and then they've got wide receivers who can blow the top off of coverage and run really well after the catch. I don't see a lot of weaknesses in what they do."
Odom also addressed a different topic that came up Monday: whether he enjoys playing Notre Dame, given the rivalry angle and the attention that comes with it. His answer was more practical than sentimental.
"I know both fanbases looked forward to this game," Odom said. "I always look at what is best for Purdue.
We have to make those decisions administratively for what we think is best for building our program. If Notre Dame falls into that, then let's go play them.
If not, there will have to be decisions that have to be made."
Purdue still has a home-and-home with Notre Dame scheduled for 2027 and 2028, though the way Odom spoke Monday suggests those future dates could become part of a broader discussion.
One more topic surfaced after last week’s loss: money. The Athletic recently published an estimate of roster spending that placed Purdue in the bottom 10 among Power Four programs and projected it as the lowest-spending team in the Big Ten. Odom didn’t sound shocked.
"Does that surprise me? No, not at all.
That's where we are," Odom said. "So, the challenge is, education, taking the resources we have and making the most of them.
And then the challenge from there is trying to understand the reality of where college football and sports are right now and [making] the decision of where we really want to be. Can we be aggressive?
"I think it was eye-opening to some. It's a reality that some of us have lived for going on almost two years."
For Purdue and new athletic director Tommy McClelland, the message is clear: the program has to find more revenue if it wants to move out of the bottom tier of the Big Ten and become more competitive.
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