H&R Staff Picks vs Maryland

Purdue is 2-1 and heading into B1G play with a winning record! So that means our staff is positive going into the game at Maryland, right? Nope.

With Travis travelling to the Maryland game this weekend, I went ahead and collected the staff picks for this week’s game. Before we get to the picks, here are the standings after last week’s win over Nevada:

Google Sheets do not come out too well on our site, so you can see it here as well.

To summarize: I am currently the only one sitting at 3-0, Casey, Drew, Kyle, and Holmes are currently 2-1, Rob is 1-1, while Travis, Ledman, and Jack are 1-2.

Rob St. Claire

Let's go with Maryland 38, Purdue 17.

Andrew Ledman (jumboheroes)

I want to believe in this team. I really do. I picked against them last week and begged them to show me something. They won, but they didn't exactly light my hair on fire while doing it. Then, this week I took to Twitter and asked if Purdue football could maybe be good if they cut down turnovers and improve third down defense. You would've thought I suggested they were going to win the national title! I don't think saying that if Purdue improves those two areas, one sore spot on each side of the ball, they could be a good football team. I think that's a reasonable position to take. The internets though was not having it. Travis and I will be in attendance at this game which according to Travis means bad luck but my track record for football is more mixed. I just need to see a little more before I truly believe. Purdue will lose this one, but if they win they may have converted me back to the optimist I used to be.

Purdue 17, Maryland 28

Andrew Holmes

Purdue 28 Maryland 27 I'm sorry, I just cannot control my homerism. (You can put that in the article)

Casey Bartley

*sticks head out of garbage can* we still suck. Purdue 13, whoever were playing 33

Jack Walker

This is a hard year to predict Purdue football outcomes. The Boilers played worse against Cincinnati than expected, and better against Nevada than expected. Maryland is a better team than Nevada. After all, Nevada only scored 10 against ND and 14 against Purdue, not exactly stellar defenses. Maryland hasn't really been tested that much though, with wins over Howard and FIU not really meaning much, and an OT win over UCF which was winless last year but has to be better this year. Being primarily a running team, perhaps Purdue can be stout against the run like in the Nevada game. However, Maryland will most likely get their high average amount of yards rushing and I still don't trust the Purdue pass defense, although the reappearance of Da'Wan Hunte definitely helps out in the secondary. Purdue is showing some good balanced offense this year and I don't expect Markell Jones to fumble. Even with a bum shoulder he is a true impact player. And just maybe Purdue can flip the script and win the turnover battle. Lack of depth at offensive line and the Patterson mess can't be helping. How does all that add up? Purdue still has a lot to prove, and the game is at Maryland.

Maryland 31 - Purdue 24

Drew Schneider (TheLegend)

Purdue 27 Maryland 21 because fuck it, I don't have any money on the game.

Kyle Holderfield

Purdue 31 Maryland 24

Travis Miller

Normally this is where I would be optimistic, but optimism fails me after the Cincinnati game. That was Hazell’s last chance to really show this team was better and could beat even mediocre teams and he failed miserably. Maryland was 3-9 a year ago, but is clearly better this season. Purdue was 2-10 and it is a question still if it is better. While Purdue played better on the road last year, it still lost all of those games. I think that happens here too. Also, Purdue has only won once in my first trip to a Big Ten venue, and that was at Northwestern in 2007, making me a stellar 1-9 (I saw Purdue at both the Metrodome and TCF Bank stadium). Maryland 31, Purdue 14

Juan Crespo

I want to feel positive about this game, I really do. For the first times since 2012, Purdue is leaving the non-con with a winning record. But much like that 2012 season, the wins so far have come against teams Purdue should beat. Sure, winning by 10 despite 4 turnovers is good and a morale boost, but it also came against a bad Nevada team. A better team would have capitalized, but maybe I’m wrong. At least in 2012, those 3 non-con wins were high scoring games, with the lone loss coming at Notre Dame on a last second field goal. Four years later, not so much. Even if Purdue wins this game and/or against Illinois, it will be tough to say if Purdue is turning a corner. Until they prove me wrong, I’m still going to be pessimistic.

Purdue 21, Maryland 31