GoldandBlack.com Predictions: Purdue-Nebraska

Following a week of tumult - fired coach Darrell Hazell has been replaced for the balance of the season by interim coach Gerad Parker - the 3-3 Boilermakers get a trip to Nebraska, eighth-ranked and 6-0 Nebraska.

Here are our GoldandBlack.com staff predictions.

KYLE CHARTERS

Gerad Parker has spent the week trying to emotionally charge up the Boilermakers, an objective that some — for whatever reason — scoffed at.

But I think it was a good move. On a week of upheaval, when Parker doesn't have time to make sweeping schematic adjustments or big personnel changes, the one thing he can control, or at least influence, is the emotional performance of his team.

And he's made the right moves to try to do so. As much as we hate closing down practices, it shows his team that it's closing ranks, keeping the outside out and the inside in. He's cranked up the music at practice, made players' transitions quicker, increased the physicality, all in an effort to show players he's going to do things differently.

Then, Parker's going to relax players on Friday night, let them stay loose, hang out, watch movies, whatever, to clear their minds. And Saturday, he's likely to give an impressive pregame speech, whereas in the snippets we always saw of Darrell Hazell, the message seemed to have little believability, fell flat, didn't resonate.

Parker's will probably focus on the Boilermakers, that they're the only ones who believe it's possible. Maybe their families too. Parker seems so genuine, even this week, in talking about his family, his parents' comment that they'll be getting over to Nebraska any way possible, that it seems impossible that he won't be able to emotionally charge up the Boilermakers.

But ... Purdue will still lose. Maybe that rush carries the Boilermakers into the second half, keeping it close.

But eventually, the Xs and Os win out, and the Cornhuskers have too much talent. I see them pulling away in the second half, because many of Purdue's on-field problems — and you know them all — aren't fixable in a week. Nebraska 41, Purdue 20

STACY CLARDIE

Gerad Parker's energy is ridiculous. So it stands to reason that's how Purdue's practices were this week, high-energy, folks running everywhere, intensity at a crazy level. He's about as different from buttoned-up Darrell Hazell in personality as a man can be.

But Hazell was dismissed because the Boilermakers haven't been able to play consistently well, haven't been able to compete consistently enough for a program that was three-plus seasons into his guidance. And no matter how fired up Parker is, no matter how much Purdue's players are jacked to play for him, there's little reason to expect the results will be much different Saturday than they've been all season.

And then throw in Nebraska, the country's No. 8 team on its home turf, an environment that's one of college football's best with its sold-out home streak at a billion games. (Slight exaggeration).

If every player who will get significant snaps for Purdue played the best he could possibly play, maybe the Boilermakers would have a chance. But when's the last time Purdue had all its players perform well in the same game? And even that may not count if Purdue is again without its best players because of injury.

It seems likely Jake Replogle will miss another game, and it seems likely three defensive backs who are contributors will be out, too, leaving Purdue dangerously thin at a position it already didn't have much quality depth. And it seems likely that though left tackle Cameron Cermin will fight through various lower-extremity injuries, he probably won't be 100-percent against a team that likes to blitz on third down.

Remember the last team that pinned its ears back and blitzed on third down against a Purdue O-line that wasn't quite healthy? Maryland sacked David Blough six times.

Nebraska's offense isn't all that scary, especially with Tommy Armstrong hobbled. But Purdue's defense allowed Akrum Wadley and LeShun Daniels to rush for 170 and 156 yards last week. Those are two running backs who aren't all-conference superstars who combined for 326 yards and an average of 8.6 yards per carry. Nebraska 34, Purdue 17

ALAN KARPICK

Not sure exactly why, but this is about as excited I have been for a Purdue football game in a while.

I've liked Gerad Parker’s public comments this week. Despite being under duress, I think the Boilermakers will play loose.

But will they play well with all that is transpired in the last week. They may want to, but I will be surprised if they do. Nebraska is really dinged up on the offensive line, but not sure it matters. Nebraska 38, Purdue 14

BRIAN NEUBERT

I don't think Purdue can win. I just don't think it has the manpower, especially if the defense is still the skeleton crew we saw last week.

But I'm not convinced the Boilermakers can't accomplish Parker's stated goal of putting forth an effort Purdue can be "proud of," in a situation where success can be measured separate from the scoreboard.

Purdue needs something different from Darrell Hazell's approach.

And while Parker will be respectful to his ousted boss, he's just that: Different.

Different isn't always better, but when the results have been what the results have been, it can't be a whole lot worse.

In fact, I would give the Boilermakers a much better chance of playing over their heads some under Parker than I would have under Hazell. I just see him as that sort of personality people connect to, and in turn, respond to. He might be exactly what Purdue needs to raise its level of performance a notch or two. I don't necessarily mean win, but play better, more inspired football, I suppose. Whether it would be sustainable I don't know. but it might be good for a short-term energy bump.

Or, the realities of Purdue's situation could take hold as soon as they ball is kicked off and it could get smashed by a good team on that good team's homefield, I don't know.

But I do like Purdue's chances to represent itself well better in this situation than I think I would have otherwise. Nebraska 35, Purdue 17

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