Week 2 brought plenty of movement in the Big Ten, but Purdue’s loss to Wake Forest may be the one that lingers the longest.
The Boilermakers had a real shot to walk out with a win, and it came down to the kind of margins that make a game feel brutal in the moment. Purdue missed a field goal.
It got too conservative on the final few snaps of each half instead of pushing for touchdowns. And when the game was hanging in the balance, the Boilermakers let Wake Forest convert a 4 th and 14.
In a 38-36 double-overtime loss, those plays tell the story.
There was still a lot to like about how Purdue responded. The Boilers battled back and, for much of the second half, looked like the better team.
That alone marks a step forward after the last two seasons. But the result is the result, and this one is now Purdue’s 22 nd consecutive loss against a power conference opponent.
With UCLA and Notre Dame coming up in the next two weeks, the missed chance only stings more. Win one of those and this game fades.
For now, it’s a painful one to sit with.
Purdue wasn’t the only Big Ten team making noise, though. Indiana and Ohio State still sit at the top of the conference picture, even after the Buckeyes’ loss, and Michigan pulled out an ugly win over Oklahoma. The league also saw the longest losing streak in the country end for the second straight week thanks to a Big Ten team, which helped shuffle the power rankings.
Indiana held serve in a 55-0 rout of Howard. Ohio State led Texas early before a rough fourth quarter turned a 24-23 loss into a shocker.
USC stayed unbeaten with a 49-30 win over Louisiana and has looked sharp in every non-conference game so far. Penn State remained stingy in a 27-9 win over Temple, giving up just nine points through two games.
Michigan’s 17-10 win over Oklahoma came in the same low-scoring, defense-heavy style as its earlier results, and the Wolverines are starting to look like Iowa: All defense, little offense. Iowa itself won a tight one over Iowa State, 16-13, in ¡EL ASSICO!, exactly the sort of score that fits that rivalry. UCLA, Purdue’s next opponent, beat San Diego State 28-10 after a scoreless first half and a 21-10 fourth-quarter push.
Nebraska rolled Bowling Green 56-7, while Michigan State handled Eastern Michigan 35-7. Maryland picked up a 38-14 road win over UConn. Northwestern was idle, though its opening win over South Dakota State still looks solid.
Washington survived Utah State 16-14, and Oregon took the biggest hit in the rankings after a 39-31 loss to Oklahoma State as a near 25-point road favorite. Illinois lost 31-27 to Duke, completing an ACC sweep of the Big Ten in the three matchups this week.
Wisconsin beat Western Illinois 36-9, a result that doesn’t reveal much. Minnesota, meanwhile, got embarrassed at home by Mississippi State, falling 38-13 after scoring 59 against Illinois the week before.
In Other News...
Purdue Faces An Early Season Test It Cant Afford To Fail
Purdue came out of its trip to Wake Forest with the kind of result that can linger in a locker room for a while: a narrow loss to a Power Four opponent in a game the Boilermakers had every chance to turn their way. The effort showed enough to suggest there is a competitive team here, but the details were familiar ones for a program still trying to find cleaner footing on both sides of the ball.
Now the attention shifts to UCLA and the start of Big Ten play, where Purdue does not have much margin for the kinds of missed opportunities that have already surfaced. The coaching staff and players know the next step is as much mental as tactical, with sharper execution needed if they are going to turn close games into wins instead of another reminder of how thin the line can be. [Read more 🡒]
Purdue Let A Winnable Road Game Slip Away In Painful Fashion
Purdue had a road game it could have closed out and instead let Wake Forest hang around long enough for things to turn into a double-overtime loss. The Boilermakers were in position late in regulation, but the game kept tilting toward the Demon Deacons as Gio Lopez kept making plays for Wake Forest, both through the air and on the ground, to keep the offense moving when it mattered most.
Wake Forest still had to survive some tense moments to finish the job, and it did so with a few critical stops when Purdue seemed to have momentum within reach. Lopezs dual-threat performance gave the Deacs a steady presence throughout the night, and the final result left Purdue with the feeling of a winnable game slipping away in painful fashion. [Read more 🡒]
Purdue Volleyball Just Sent A Loud Early-Season Message
Purdues womens volleyball team left the Paradise Invitational with a title in hand after running through the weekend and finishing with a convincing performance in the championship match. The Boilermakers got important production from Grace Heaney, Kate Hansen and Mimi Mambu, with the trio helping drive the attack and the net play that carried Purdue to a strong early-season result.
The finish pushed Purdue to 5-2 and gave the Boilermakers a little more momentum as they head back home for the next stretch of matches. For a team still sorting out its rhythm early in the year, the tournament offered a useful sign that Purdue can lean on multiple players to make a run, and the coming home date should bring another chance to build on it. [Read more 🡒]