These Purdue seniors have gone through the ringer.

For guys like Gus Hartwig, Kydran Jenkins, Antonio Stevens and others, who have remained Boilermakers in a world of transfers and NIL taking over college football, their stays in West Lafayette have been a roller coaster.

Back-to-back eight win seasons, capped by a Big Ten West title and Big Ten Championship Game appearance, are now a distant memory.

With their head coach off to Louisville on the heels of that two-year stretch, a select few stayed in West Lafayette, putting their trust into head coach Ryan Walters. Others, saw Walters' plan and hopped on board via the transfer portal to finish out their collegiate careers in the old gold and black.

"Words can't describe the amount of admiration I have for this group," Walters said. "They either chose to be here and stay or believed in what we're doing as a program to be added to this class."

The trending program, that had a handful of current Purdue seniors on board, just a couple of years ago has fallen on tough times as the Boilermakers have gone 5-16 over the last two seasons.

The careers of Hartwig, Jenkins, and others, will be marred by Purdue's 2024 campaign, which has all the makings of one of the worst in program history. Despite that, Ryan Walters continues to be wowed by his senior's willingness to show up to work day in and day out.

"Obviously this season has not gone the way any of us would have envisioned or wanted it to but regardless of the outcome on Saturday like all of those guys to a man continue to show up, put in the work, prepare the right way and then go compete and play hard on Saturdays," Walters said.

Not only have the struggles on the gridiron been draining for a core used to winning prior to the current era of Purdue football, but the results on the field have yielded controversy and scrutiny from the Purdue faithful.

That hasn't gotten to this group though, according to Walters.

"The the noise can get loud in a place that's passionate like West Lafayette and the Purdue community. You know, that hasn't affected them the way you would anticipate it would. That's just speaks volumes to their character, and really the foundation that they've laid in terms of the standard in which you need to prepare and the way you need to work."

This 2024 class of Boilermaker seniors are now faced with one last opportunity to run out of Tiller Tunnel and onto Ross-Ade Stadium in front of 61,000+. An opportunity to produce one more lasting memory on their home field before turning in their pads for good.

Yet another tall task stands in the way of such a desire.

The soon-to-be top five Nittany Lions of Penn State head to West Lafayette to take part in Purdue's Senior Day clash, presenting the third top five team the Boilermakers have seen on their schedule to date.

"They look like a top five team, when you turn on the tape," Ryan Walters said after complimenting the coaching resume of James Franklin, as well as the Penn State offensive and defensive units.

Every time the Boilermakers look up, a daunting opponent stands before them. Between Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, and now Penn State, the schedule has set up for the Boilermakers to have one of the toughest roads not only in the Big Ten, but the entire country.

The slate is not something Walters and the Boilermakers are looking to use as an excuse, however, when it very well could have. Jason Simmons and Kevin Kane view it in the same lens, seeing these types of games as an opportunity.

"We're not wired to use it as a crutch. We're showing up and we're getting to work. Our players are doing the same. You know, we're blessed to have guys that are showing up and competing every day in practice. Our guys showed up and played hard on Saturday," Simmons said.

"This is why you're in the Big Ten now, you know, I told the guys last week, how lucky are we? You know, we get to sit here and play in one of the greatest conferences in college football, like it's the greatest competition. How many people would relish to be in our seats right here, right now?," Kane said.

Walters views opportunities against the nation's elite programs as learning lessons, as his team is able to experience what it looks like to be a National Championship contender.

"Nobody's complaining about playing good teams and elite teams. Like, if the goal is to be an elite program, that's how you get there. Learn the lessons, and you get to see firsthand what it takes, what's required in order to be in the elite status," Walters said.

Purdue's 146-7 disparity against the previous top 20 teams on the schedule don't offer much optimism for Saturday's clash with the Nittany Lions, nor does the Boilermakers' 1-8 record. Despite that, Walters and company aim to take a big swing against Penn State and send the senior class out with a bang.