2015 Opponent Previews: Purdue

[Saunders]

SBNation: Purdue football is clearly improving. No, seriously

 

"The first year it sleeps, the second year it creeps, the third year it leaps."

It's one of my favorite quotes from one of football's more quotable coaches (ULM's Todd Berry), and while it is purely anecdotal, it's also catchy.

And sometimes it's perfectly descriptive. A team struggles dramatically with a new coach in his first year (the Year Zero effect) then starts to figure out what it's doing in his second year. And in his third year, with a two-deep made of either seniors or his own signees, the program takes a healthy step forward.

There are about 100 different obstacles that can throw this happy train off course along the way -- injuries, costly recruiting misses, coaching defections, bad luck, random personnel issues, simple poor coaching -- but in theory, this is what you want.

It's what we've seen so far from Purdue and Darrell Hazell. Hazell's disastrous 2013, his first after leaving Kent State, was the quintessential Year Zero. After ranking between 80th and 87th in the F/+ ratings for three consecutive years under Danny Hope, Purdue looked for a fresh start with Hazell, and it began with Purdue sinking to 101st with a 1-11 record.

The Boilermakers were young and awful in 2013, but they made well-defined progress last year. You might not have noticed because the progress stopped when injuries ravaged the two-deep, but for the first two-thirds of the year, Purdue was playing at a top-60 or top-70 level. It's impressive, considering the level of youth.

Sleeping in year one? Check. Creeping in year two? Check. So now comes the leap ... in theory. If the talent and coaching are where they need to be, then the experience could pay off. Purdue boasts two experienced quarterbacks, an explosive No. 1 receiver, a loaded offensive line, and a patient defense filled with sophomores and juniors. It might take two leaps to get Purdue back to respectability, especially with a schedule that features six teams from last year's F/+ top 40, but barring land mines, Purdue appears to be on the right course.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/5/20/8626311/purdue-football-2015-preview-schedule-roster

 

Off Tackle Empire: Purdue

About last season

 

The good news...

The earth did not crash into the sun...and Purdue beat two bowl teams, including a Big Ten team! There was an improvement of two wins from the previous season!

There were even flashes during the season of competent offensive play!

The bad news...

The Boilers went 3-9 (1-7) in 2014, which is pretty terrible. After a flash of decent games in the middle of the season, the team regressed back to 2013 levels of incompetence and awfulness. The season ended with two pathetic performances against Northwestern and Indiana that overshadowed any progress the team had made in Darrell Hazell's second year as coach.

http://www.offtackleempire.com/2015/5/4/8541293/b1g-2015-purdue-cocktail-party-preview

 

Athlon Sports: Purdue

 

Coming Soon...

 

Magazine says: 3-9 (1-7) 7th in Big Ten West

 

 

[knapplc]

I see this as a realistic expectation for Nebraska under Riley, actually.

And sometimes it's perfectly descriptive. A team struggles dramatically with a new coach in his first year (the Year Zero effect) then starts to figure out what it's doing in his second year. And in his third year, with a two-deep made of either seniors or his own signees, the program takes a healthy step forward.

 

[Saunders]

 

I see this as a realistic expectation for Nebraska under Riley, actually.

 

 

And sometimes it's perfectly descriptive. A team struggles dramatically with a new coach in his first year (the Year Zero effect) then starts to figure out what it's doing in his second year. And in his third year, with a two-deep made of either seniors or his own signees, the program takes a healthy step forward.

 

 

God I hope not.

[Redux]

Even if we posted an 7-5 record I don't think panic mode would set in if we kept those 5 losses close. That is something we haven't done in a long time. If we lose, we go down swinging and take a few of them with us.

[knapplc]

Even if we posted an 7-5 record I don't think panic mode would set in if we kept those 5 losses close. That is something we haven't done in a long time. If we lose, we go down swinging and take a few of them with us.

 

Riley will have a minimum one-year honeymoon, so even if this year gets ugly, he won't (and shouldn't) face any heat for it.

 

But if we do go 7-6, he'll be under the gun & under the microscope in 2016.

[Redux]

No doubt a close look will be given if we get close to the dreaded 6-6 mark. Honeymoon or not there would be grumblings but they would be excused.

 

Still though I don't see us doing any worse than 8-4. Enough team chemistry and the schedule sets up well enough.

[Saunders]

Added Off Tackle Empire preview.