Two years ago Penn State cost Purdue a trip to Pasadena.

That's probably not hyperbole. The Rose Bowl loves to keep its Big Ten/Pac-12 affiliation (at least when something like the Pac-12 existed), and had Purdue held on to beat the Nittany Lions in the 2022 season opener the Boilers would have finished 7-2 in the conference instead of 6-3. With both Michigan and Ohio State making the playoff that year, Penn State, as the third best team, got the nod for Pasadena. With a head-to-head win Purdue proably would have been that team (and would have had an even stronger case if it also had not collapsed late at Syracuse).

Purdue's 8-4 season in 2022 was less than a minute away from being 10-2 and in Pasadena, but Penn State was the beneficiary of Purdue's stumble.

As we enter the new Big Ten, Penn State finds itself near the top, but still a tier bellow Michigan and Ohio State. That was their position for many years in the old Big Ten East, and the addition of a strong Oregon team crowds that top level. They are the fourth team Purdue will play that is in most preseason top 25s, That makes them a tough final home game.