That was a fun pallet cleanser. I wish that Purdue opened with Indiana State, knocked the rust off, and then played Penn State, but such is life. Indiana State isn’t a good FCS opponent, they’re not even a marginal FCS opponent. Purdue’s talent advantage was insurmountable, which is one of the positive takeaways from the game. I understand the importance of scheduling small in-state teams, in terms of handing out paychecks, but this mismatch made me feel uncomfortable.
At the same time, the Purdue players have no control over the schedule. They came out swinging and didn’t let a Penn State hangover keep Indiana State in the game.