With the season starting on Saturday, I wanted to give staff one last chance to make their win total predictions for the 2024 season public. The prompt is below, along with the writers’ responses. Who do you think made the best case?

The season begins on Saturday. We know it’s going to be a brutal schedule, and even though Ryan Walters has worked hard to rebuild the roster, the consensus is that Purdue will struggle big time this year. So I need to know a few things from you. What do you think the minimum and maximum number of wins will be, and what is your actual prediction for the total number of wins on the season?

Jumbo Heroes:

I struggled with that, even though I was the one who asked the question. I know there’s been a lot of improvement at various positions. I think the secondary could very well be the strength of the defense, which isn’t something Purdue fans have been able to say very often. There are also a lot of units I have questions about. The wide receiver position continues to be a concern for me. There’s talent there, but it’s certainly unproven at Purdue. The offensive line will be a problem every season until proven otherwise. Purdue also lost a lot of talent in the transfer portal, with one particular name going to Texas State, but we don’t need to focus on who’s not here.

Then there’s the schedule, which absolutely sucks. I think the floor for this team is 2-10, and my goodness, that’s depressing. Indiana State is obviously a winner and there are enough winnable games on the schedule that Purdue certainly couldn’t lose 11 games in a row, but that’s still an awfully low floor. But as for the ceiling? I think 7-5 at best. I mean, everything’s going well for Purdue and they’re facing opponents that are banged up and injured and can pull off some upset wins.

If you listened to the Boiler Alert podcast out today, you know I predicted a 5-7 season. That was in part because my co-host Ryan had already picked the other record I was considering, and you can’t always agree. I think given the schedule, a 5-7 record and a fight in the toughest games on the schedule would be a real improvement for this Boilermaker team.

Ryan:

In the second year of the Ryan Walters era, a team could improve on most if not all levels and still lose more games than the previous season. That’s life when you’re not one of the perennial powerhouses in the Big Ten (+8). And now comes the really brutal part: Purdue has 6 games at Ross Ade this season. 1 is against FCS Indiana State. The other 5 are against Notre Dame, Nebraska, Oregon, Northwestern and Penn State. It’s not crazy that Purdue is 1-5 at home this season. Believe it or not, Purdue may even have an easier road schedule this season with games at Oregon State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio State, Michigan State and Indiana. If nothing else, 3 of those teams are bringing in a new head coach this season.

Part of me really wants to say that with an opening week FCS win, Purdue could potentially get to 1-11. The schedule seems so difficult. Surely Purdue can’t lose 11 games in a row, can it?? I think in that worst case scenario, Purdue at least surprises someone and gets to 2-10.

Floor: 2-10

Now, the ceiling. I’m sorry to say there won’t be any McMansions with 12-foot vaulted ceilings. It’s more likely you’ll be imagining a downtown basement. I’m projecting Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State and Ohio State as automatic losers. I understand Notre Dame is a home game, but that’s just not in the cards. That gives Purdue 8 coin flips and just like the worst case scenario, they can’t possibly win all 8, can they? Even the best case scenario, Purdue extends the losing streak against Wisconsin to 7-5, which I think everyone in old gold and black will gladly accept.

Ceiling: 7-5

Obviously, I have to choose somewhere between the floor and the ceiling, but I’m leaning toward the floor. There are absolutely no favoritisms on the schedule. Oh, you just played Notre Dame? Then we send you to Corvallis to face Oregon State. Then we send you home and face a Nebraska team with the nation’s top-rated quarterback. Next, you have to play a cursed matchup before playing a rival on the road. Then comes the gauntlet of 3 top-10 matchups in a 4-game stretch, with a struggling Northwestern team in between. And to finish off, you go on the road twice more.

This Purdue team needs to improve to match the same record as last season, not to mention win more. That’s the nature of the new Big Ten and you have to play the teams that are in front of you, but there’s not much hope left in terms of wins and losses. I’m going to try to be patient as a fan and hope Boiler Nation can do the same.

Forecast: 4-8

Jed:

This will be a better team overall, but the wins and losses may not show that. The offense should be more explosive with more playmakers on the court. Card should take a big leap forward in year two, and I doubt Mockobee will have any trouble holding onto the ball. Jamal Edrine, CJ Madden, and De’Nylon Morrisette make for an intriguing trio that is unproven at this point.

Theo’s defense will likely feature one of the better defensive backfields in the B1G, but the front six could be a big question mark. If they improve, stay healthy, and find two or three pass-rushing threats, they can be good enough to hold out and win games.

Will they win enough to qualify for bowl eligibility? If that happens, Walters will have proven he is a capable head coach at this level for a program like Purdue. The grueling schedule will likely allow for a ceiling of 7-5 and a floor of 2-10, but most likely Purdue will finish the season 4-8, with two losses that could have led to a bowl game.

Kyle:

Coach Walters and his staff have worked incredibly hard to rebuild the roster over the last two offseasons following the departure of Jeff Brohm. In particular, they have worked hard to improve the offensive and defensive lines and bring in unproven talent from powerhouses like Georgia so that those great athletes can play at Purdue. But there is no denying that Purdue has one of the toughest schedules in the nation. Not only do they play the best teams in the new Big Ten, but they also play the majority of solid programs that sit in the middle of the pack, like Wisconsin.

The floor could be low, like really low, if things aren’t going well for the team early in the season. Maybe they could just win two games, Indiana State, and then pick them for the second win. But I’m a little more optimistic, I like the ceiling better than the floor, but I see the ceiling at six wins, and that’s if everything goes well. That means Purdue would have to beat Indiana State, IU, Illinois, Oregon State, Michigan State, and most likely Nebraska. I believe Purdue will end up in the middle between the floor and the ceiling, and have a 4-8 record this coming season.

Signed:

That’s a difficult question.

Purdue has 8 games that I consider wins or reasonable ties (with a margin of about 10 points either way). I guess that puts my limit at 8 games. Remember, that’s the absolute best case scenario and that’s not how football generally works.

The floor is tied to one player, Hudson Card. If, in a worst-case scenario, he suffers a season-ending injury on Saturday, the floor is 2. The backup QB spot is problematic.

My prediction:

Purdue gets 6 wins and a bowl game. Although the schedule is tough, this team has similar talent to most Big 10 schools. That wasn’t the case last season.

Walters will be better at in-game management in his second year, Card has the weapons on the perimeter to complement his experience from last season, and the Boilermakers will have one of the most talented secondaries in the conference. It won’t be perfect, but it will be fun.

Garrett:

Ceiling? I hate to say it, but 4-8. The schedule is brutal, but this team has loaded up on talent and has a solid O-line and front seven on defense. I think the ceiling can be 8-4 if everyone stays healthy and a new offense (with bigger receivers on the flanks) works. 9-3 would shock the world, but when I take my Purdue hat off, I don’t see there being multiple big upsets.

If I had to bet, I’d say a bowl win would see the Boilermakers move into a 6-6 tie and give Coach Walters his first winning season in his second year at the helm.