The Purdue Boilermakers (1-2) looks the rally the troops and get back on track as the Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-1) come to West Lafayette to get Big Ten play underway in Ross-Ade Stadium.
Boiler Upload takes a first look at Matt Rhule and Nebraska ahead of the conference clash on Saturday afternoon.
Is Nebraska back this time?
It's the question asked year after year in the college football world. Is Nebraska back to its former self? Previous glimmers of hope were then derailed by defeats, leaving the Cornhuskers wondering when they would return to national relevance.
While Nebraska fell to a 25th straight ranked opponent on Friday in Illinois, the signs are positive for what Matt Rhule is building in Lincoln. The Cornhuskers were ranked for the first time since 2016 last week and have momentum to start the year, going 4-1 under Rhule. At the forefront of that success is stud true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, who comes to his father's alma mater to return it to its former glory.
Nebraska was a trendy sleeper pick to make the College Football Playoff and while that may have been a touch too optimistic in retrospect, the Huskers are poised to put together their best season since a nine-win campaign in 2016.
Competition level rises for struggling Boilermakers:
Purdue is also coming off a loss of their own, falling to Oregon State 38-21 on Saturday night that has left the Boilermakers in a state of bewilderment to start the year. At 1-2 on the young season, Ryan Walters and company have their work cut out for them to get back to a bowl game in 2024.
That quest is not going to get any easier with a brutal schedule ahead for the Boilermakers. Starting with Nebraska on Saturday afternoon, Purdue then has trips to Madison and Champaign, along with matchups against current top-ten teams Oregon, Ohio State and Penn State down the road.
Four of those teams are ranked in this week's AP Top 25 poll, while Nebraska is just outside of those rankings and Wisconsin has long reigned over the Boilermakers for 20 years.
Purdue's already slim hopes of improving on last year's 4-8 mark could take an even bigger hit this weekend should it fall in a third straight game. A reversal of fortune could take place with an upset win, however.
A back-and-forth all-time series:
Since Nebraska was introduced to the conference back in 2013, the two programs have played each other each year, with the series being nearly split as conference foes. Nebraska holds a 6-5 advantage over the Boilermakers since 2013, but Purdue holds a 4-2 mark over the last six meetings. The all-time series is tied 6-6 as Purdue won the first ever meeting between the two back in 1958.
Last season, Purdue fell to Nebraska in Lincoln in what was an ugly game, with seven combined turnovers between the Boilermakers and Cornhuskers. Ryan Walters and company will look to take the lead in the all-time series on Saturday and change the fortunes of their season in the process.
