Three Thoughts is a new feature GoldandBlack.com will run every Monday morning in-season.
ON WEEK 1
Purdue opens a highly anticipated season on Thursday night, throwing a Black Out at the school known for its White Outs, Penn State.
The Nittany Lions are unranked and generally have been middling by their past standards, the first entry to an atypical Boilermaker schedule that includes just one ranked team.
Does that mean the schedule is easy? Nope. What's to say four or five of these teams aren't ranked when it matters, the end of the season?
But does that mean that the schedule at least looks as manageable as most Purdue has seen prior to a season, and thus maybe the Boilermakers can be set up for success? Sure.
Winning Thursday night would be enormous. Penn State's been kinda pedestrian lately, but this still may be the most talented group Purdue sees all season. Getting that one would represent a major challenge bested heading into the remainder of that manageable schedule.
But if Penn State wins? Well, then James Franklin probably gets another 30 mil based on the way they operate, but for Purdue, the important part is being better because of the experience.
Week 1 results do matter, and they can go both ways, as Purdue well knows.
