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need to get a road win, starting this week against Purdue." In the game against Ohio State, the Lions were primed for a high-intensity performance. It was a nationally tele- vised primetime matchup, with a rau- cous White Out crowd jammed into Beaver Stadium and a top-five opponent standing on the opposite sideline. That won't be the case this Saturday. The game between the host Boilermakers and No. 24 Nittany Lions is set to kick off at noon in a 62,500-seat stadium that, if recent history holds, will not be com- pletely full. The team on the opposite sideline will be playing only its second game under an interim coach, having fired its previous coach aAer a 3-3 start. But while Purdue doesn't have Ohio State's marquee value, it does have the potential to blunt the Nittany Lions' mo- mentum and perhaps undo some of the positives that came out of last week's victory. That's why Franklin and his as- sistant coaches are working to make sure that the Boilermakers have everyone's undivided attention. "We're trying to keep our focus right on those guys," cor- nerbacks coach Terry Smith said. "Be- cause if we turn around and lay an egg against Purdue, then what good is that victory last weekend?" While the Lions were getting ready to face Ohio State, the Boilermakers were playing an emotional game of their own. It was their first game under Gerad Parker, who was named the team's in- terim head coach on Oct. 16. Purdue had fired Darrell Hazell the day aAer a 49-35 loss to Iowa – a loss that dropped Hazell's record at the school to 9-33. The 35-year-old Parker had never been a head coach or even an offensive or defen- sive coordinator at any level prior to the Boilermakers' visit to Nebraska. He had been hired in 2013 to coach the tight ends and was later put in charge of the wide receivers. He was serving in the latter ca- pacity when he was promoted. Athletic director Mike Bobinski said the adminis- tration chose him because of the bonds he had built with players. "I felt he had the makings of someone who could pro- vide this sort of shiA in tone and direc- tion we need at this point in time," Bobinski said. Facing the eighth-ranked Cornhuskers, Purdue's players showed they were de- termined to fight hard for their new head coach. The Boilermakers led 14-10 at halAime thanks to touchdown passes of 1 and 88 yards by sophomore quarter- back David Blough. But in the second half, they succumbed to Nebraska's su- perior offensive firepower, surrendering 17 unanswered points en route to a 27-14 loss. Blough finished with 309 passing yards, boosting his Big Ten-best average to 295 passing yards per game. But it wasn't enough to overcome a difficult day on the ground, as Purdue managed only 24 yards rushing on 22 attempts. With Parker set to coach his first home game this weekend, the Boilermakers will be looking for a similar effort but different results. "There's got to be tremendous pride about us playing in Ross-Ade [Stadium]," he said. "And we sure hope, also, that we get a tremendous amount of support for our seniors and for the effort we give." One of the challenges at Purdue has been to instill a belief that those efforts will be rewarded. The Boilermakers haven't had a winning season since 2011 when they went 7-6 under Hazell's pred- ecessor, Danny Hope. They haven't been a consistent postseason qualifier since Joe Tiller departed following the 2008 season. Tiller guided the Boilers to 10 bowl games in his 12 seasons in West Lafayette, including a Rose Bowl appear- ance in 2000. But in the seven years since he leA, the program has made only two postseason appearances: a 37-32 victory over Western Michigan in the 2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl and a 58-14 loss to Houston in the 2013 Heart of Dallas Bowl. Parker may or may not remain on staff aAer the current season ends, but he's doing what he can to change attitudes. The Boilermakers are 3-4, and while the path to bowl eligibility looks daunting, with games remaining against Penn State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Wis- consin and Indiana, Parker is a dare-to- dream kind of guy. "We have to expect and believe that good things are going to happen," he said. "You have to, our fans have to, the ad- ministration has to, I have to, the staff has to, my wife has to. Everybody has to expect good things to happen. If you don't, they're not going to happen." NATE BAUER RECORD 6-1 Purdue's passing offense is no joke, but with Penn State's secondary playing maybe its best football of the season, it should be an interesting matchup. The Nittany Lions must be more efficient of- fensively, and the Boilermakers offer the opportunity to do so. Maybe a bit lower scoring than some might expect. PENN STATE 27, PURDUE 16 PHIL GROSZ RECORD 5-2 All the matchups seem to favor Penn State. Saquon Barkley should have an excellent chance of rushing for over 150 yards, and Purdue's secondary doesn't match up well with Penn State's talented group of re- ceivers. But in the end, the Lions' fate could hinge on how they handle success after beating Ohio State. PENN STATE 41, PURDUE 21 MATT HERB RECORD 4-3 Some people have labeled this a "trap" game, but the Nittany Lions can't afford to make those kinds of distinctions. Every game is a trap game for a Penn State team that is by no means a finished product. That said, if the Lions take this one as se- riously as they took the last one, they should be fine. PENN STATE 31, PURDUE 24 TIM OWEN RECORD 5-2 Penn State is 2-8 in true road games under James Franklin and historically struggles in the next matchup after an Ohio State upset. Purdue is scrappy and will make this closer than many PSU fans want. PENN STATE 24, PURDUE 17 RYAN SNYDER RECORD 5-2 Penn State will likely start slow on of- fense but will get its rushing game going by the second quarter. Look for Barkley to have his best performance of the season. PENN STATE 31, PURDUE 17 O C T O B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 6 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 2 BWI'S FORECAST

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