Saturday Roundtable - Which Football Game Are You Most Excited About?

If it’s Saturday it must be the Roundtable. Where I ask the staff a question and shred their answers with you.

Going through the 2023 football schedule, which matchup are you most looking forward to and why? Maybe it’s a conference foe you always love playing, or maybe it’s a non-conference opponent you’ve never seen Purdue play. Whatever the reason let me know!

Jumbo Heroes:

If you would’ve asked me just 5 years ago if the game against Nebraska would be one of the games I’m looking forward to most I wouldn’t have believed you. However, this is my answer. I’ve grown to hate Nebraska because of their fans online behavior over these past few years. Their insistence that they are slumming it in the Big Ten West, a division they have never won, and that they are somehow better than the rest of the conference has driven me bananas. I look forward to crushing that poverty program.

Drew:

The Fresno State game is must see TV for obvious reasons. After the opener, I’m looking forward to seeing this team towards the end of the season against teams on a similar level in the Big10. The two I have circled to figure out where this team is and where they need to get to are Iowa on the road and Minnesota at home. If Coach Walters wants to turn Purdue into a yearly contender, those should be the first measuring sticks.

Jed:

Hard not to pick the first game against Fresno State here because of the opening of the renovated stadium and the Ryan Walters Era getting started. I am going to go away from all of that, however, and go with the game against Wisconsin at home on Friday, September 22nd. Not only will this be a featured game because it is on a Friday and is under the lights, it features a team Purdue has struggled to really compete with most of the last twenty years. Purdue will have a legitimate shot at entering that game 3-0 and the aura of confidence in that staff and the fanbase will be extremely high coming off a West Division title. This all becomes mute if Purdue falls flat to 1-2 but if the Boilers get to 3-0 and Wisconsin does as well, it could potentially setup a ranked matchup at home under the lights in early September.

Gabi:

I want to say Ohio State because of obvious reasons playing them in Ross Ade but I’m going to say Illinois. It’s always fun playing a team that you now have a former coach of. It’s safe to assume this will be a defensive battle on the field but Walters will be wanting to prove his worth as HC against his former team and it’s close enough fans will travel. Not too mention they have one of the most insufferable fanbases on social media.

Chase:

Ohio State at home is too easy of an answer. I can’t remember being as excited for a game as I am for the opener against Fresno State.

To steal a line from every coach, ever, the most important matchup is the next one. This season’s opening game, at home, in a revamped Ross-Ade, with expectations as high as they’ve ever been for Purdue Football? Yeah, that’s the game I want to see. Fresno State is a quality opponent, but one that, if Purdue wants to take itself seriously, they should take care of. Nonetheless, this game is going to set the tone for the rest of the season, and I’m here for it.