Week Nine: Purdue (2-5, 0-4) at #11 Penn State (7-1, 4-1)

Back in the summer, this game had been targeted by almost every Penn State fan as a sure loss. Purdue was returning almost their entire defense and they would feature a plethora of options on offense and Brandon Kirsch would be just as good or better than Kyle Orton. Well, that didn't quite happen. Purdue, the sexy pick to win the Big Ten, has fallen to pieces. The defense is no good, Curtis Painter is now the starting quarterback and Purdue has been manhandled by every opponent that they have faced. Penn State should be no different. Beaver Stadium will be packed for homecoming and the emotion from the last home game, the emotional win over Ohio State on October 8th, should carry over. Happy Valley will be rockin' and loud. Paternoville has been reinhabited this week. A win will potentially guarantee Penn State a New Year's Day bowl game bid. This Penn State team is ready but Purdue is fighting for a bowl bid.

Last week, Penn State's offense proved that it could be explosive even without Derrick Williams. Deon Butler stepped up with a couple of touchdown catches, Ethan Kilmer had a career day and Michael Robinson tied a school record with six touchdowns. This Penn State offense is polished and on top of their game. Purdue's defense has looked extremely pourous and if Wisconsin can hang 33 on them, Penn State should be able to match or top that easily. Purdue's only hope is that the turnover bug bites Penn State, something that hasn't happened since the Northwestern game, and that the defense comes out flat like they did against Northwestern and Illinois. I don't see either thing happeneing. Robinson is making good decisions and holding onto the football. Penn State doesn't usually come out slow at home, it's the road where it is a concern.

Penn State's Keys to Victory:

• NO turnovers
• Attack Purdue's secondary with Deon Butler
• Feed it to Tony Hunt
• Put Painter under pressure

My Prediction- Penn State 35, Illinois 10

The same score that I predicted last week for the Illinois game. I think Purdue is a better team than Illinois and won't allow Penn State's offense to annihilate them as Illinois' defense did. Purdue has some weapons on offense but this will be Curtis Painter's first road start and it will be againt one of the nation's top defenses in a hostile environment. It sounds like a recipe for disaster. Look for Tony Hunt to rush for over 100 yards and another nice day for Deon Butler. Penn State just can't afford to look ahead to Wisconsin, the unofficial Big Ten championship game next Saturday.