The final home game for the Boilermakers is here, as Purdue will host Penn State (8-1) on Saturday afternoon in Ross-Ade Stadium for senior day. The Nittany Lions, ranked No. 6 in last week's College Football Playoff rankings, coming to West Lafayette after a 35-6 win over Washington, and are poised to continue their winning ways.

Boiler Upload takes a first look at the Nittany Lions ahead of Purdue's final home game of the season on Saturday.

Where: West Lafayette, Indiana

Stadium: Ross-Ade Stadium (Official capacity of 61.441)

When: Saturday, November 16th, 3:30 p.m. ET

Television: CBS - Brad Nessler (PxP), Gary Danielson (Color), Jenny Dell (Sideline)

Odds: Purdue is currently a +28-point underdog, over/under is 50.5 points. (via FanDuel)

The story of James Franklin's tenure in State College has been a matter of close, but not enough. That narrative may be shifting thanks to an extended College Football Playoff beginning this season.

The Nittany Lions are firmly in the field of 12, sitting at No. 6 ahead of Tuesday's rankings, where they will likely leapfrog Miami (FL) and Georgia, who both lost on Saturday. Penn State's lone loss of the season came against No. 2 Ohio State two weeks ago, and James Franklin rallied the troops to secure a 35-6 win on Saturday to bounce back from the defeat.

Penn State now has a clear path to the College Football Playoff, with remaining games against Purdue, followed by Minnesota and Maryland, all of which it will be heavily favored in.

Backfield duo leads elite run game:

Penn State's offense is anchored by arguably the best running back tandem in the conference, Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. That tandem has combined to rush for 1,177 yards and eight touchdowns this season, helping a run game that ranks second in the Big Ten through nine games.

The Nittany Lions are averaging 199 yards per game on the ground, which is 30th in the country. The group is also coming off a game in which they rushed for 266 yards and four touchdowns against Washington.

The Allar to Warren connection:

While the running game has been an emphasis for the Nittany Lions, the aerial attack largely runs through the best tight end in the nation, Tyler Warren. Warren has enjoyed a breakout campaign, with 59 catches for 681 yards and four scores, while adding three touchdowns on the ground and even one through the air.

Quarterback Drew Allar will look to Warren early and often, making him a focal point for the Purdue defense. Aside from Warren, receiver Trey Wallace has stepped up as the top pass catcher outside, having 29 receptions for 479 yards and two touchdowns.

Another lockdown defense on the horizon:

When talking about Penn State, you can't go without bringing up the stellar defense in Happy Valley. As has been the case over the last three years, Penn State is in the top ten in scoring defense, allowing just 14.0 points per game this season, as well as being fourth in the nation in total defense.

Only three teams have eclipsed 200 passing yards, and the same number have rushed for over 100 yards in a single game this season, USC, Ohio State and Bowling Green.

Defensive end Abdul Carter and safety Jaylen Reed have been the two stalwarts of the unit, with Carter ranking second in sacks and tackles for loss in the Big Ten, while Reed has three interceptions, and a knack for making them in the clutch.

Purdue trails 3-16-1

It has truly been a one sided affair between the Boilermakers and Nittany Lions, with Penn State having a commanding 16-3-1 advantage in the all-time series. Purdue's last win over Penn State came in 2004, when Kyle Orton led the then top ten Boilermakers to a victory over Joe Paterno and company in State College.

Since then, the Boilermakers have lost ten straight, which includes the most recent meeting between the two in 2022. In the season opener that year, the Boilermakers rallied from a 21-10 deficit before Penn State scored the winning touchdown in the final minute.