With 24 hours to prepare, let's get the negative emotions churning for the Boilermakers.
10. Purdue Funded the Plane that Made Amelia Earhart Disappear
In 1937, one of the most inspiring women in history disappeared. In an attempt to fly around the world, Earhart was lost in the Pacific Ocean.
Before her notorious flight, Amelia Earhart made history as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Before preparing for her next journey, Earhart took a position as a faculty member at Purdue University. The University later funded the plane and supplies for her fateful journey.
Now, I am not saying Purdue did anything diabolical. But, it's rather suspicious that she disappears after Purdue funded her. But hey, what do I know.
9. Boilermakers
For years, I never understood what a Boilermaker was. It still barely makes sense. The Boilermakers/Locomotives/Trains is confusing and lame, the student's "Boiler Up!" might be the worst cheer in college football, and I have not seen a body of people this obsessed with trains since the first season of the Big Bang Theory.
8. Black and Gold is Disgusting
I really can not think of a worse color combination in college football. The scheme makes me feel like I live in the Stone Age. Oddly enough, that's when the campus got its last update.
Often times, schools attempt to use their secondary color as the main color in their alternate uniforms. I admit that this idea is not great for Ohio State's scarlet and gray, but even that is a thousand times better than Purdue's golden alternates.
Even worse, these are seen as some of the better uniforms in Purdue's history. Yikes.
7. They will not Shut Up About their Engineering Program
Have you ever talked to a Purdue student? This is all they talk about.
Purdue students always find a way to bring up their national rankings in engineering and STEM fields no matter the conversation.
Is there anything else going on at this school? Sports? Social life? Anything? "B-b-but we're top te-" sweet. Have fun going to bed at 10:00 PM every night and losing half of your sporting events.
6. Away Night Games
Johnnie Dixon said it best.
How I feel about away night games pic.twitter.com/DAAeZzlJPC
— Johnnie L. Dixon III (@YoungKing_JD5) October 8, 2018
Fans have to wait all day for the game and players do not get back to Columbus until late. It's just a lose-lose for everyone. It would be one thing if the Buckeyes got to play a ranked opponent in the primetime slot, but Purdue versus Ohio State is unlikely to exceed expectations.
5. Purdue Pete
This is just terrifying.
Had a blast at @bigten media days with @BoilerFootball & all my mascot buddies! Can't wait for the season to start! #BoilerUp #OnlyTheStrong #B1GMediaDay pic.twitter.com/dCAbDvdmBA
— Purdue Pete (@PurduePete) July 24, 2018
I know Halloween is around the corner, but for Purdue to make a scary costume their mascot. His plastered and glossy face may or may not show up in my nightmares while he rides around on his little train across campus. I can actually see a horror movie being made about Pete where the last thing his victims see is his glue-on eyes and tin cap.
4. The Drum
The 97-year old drum is paraded around campus on game days and show off for band performances. The self-proclaimed "World's Largest Drum" is a fraudulent title; it comes nowhere close to the record. Thanks to some fantastic investigative journalism, the dimensions of the drum have been revealed as 7-foot-3 inches tall and 3-foot-9 inches wide.
Forget "World's Largest Drum", this is not even the largest drum in the United States. Despite this, Purdue still flaunts the drum around. The University has a weird obsession with trains and drums.
3. Purdue can Make a Case for Being Ohio State's Kryptonite
The Buckeyes has lost two of their last five meetings against the Boilermakers. In the past five meetings, all of the losses have come in West Lafayette. Ohio State barely squeaked by in 2012, Urban Meyer's first game against Purdue, winning at home by seven in an overtime game.
The Boilermakers have beaten the Buckeyes twice as much as Michigan has since 2000. Is Purdue our rival?
2. "Basketball School"
Despite its recent success, Purdue is a wildly overrated basketball program. Ohio State has hit a rough patch in the last five years and the Buckeyes still lead the black and gold in almost every category.
| Metric | Ohio State | Purdue |
|---|---|---|
| Big Ten Regular Season Championships | 22 | 23 |
| Big Ten Tournament Championships | 5 | 1 |
| Sweet Sixteen Appearances | 15 | 11 |
| Elite Eight Appearances | 15 | 4 |
| Final Four Appearances | 11 | 2 |
| National Runner-Ups | 4 | 1 |
| National Championships | 1 | 0 |
Despite Ohio State's reputation as a football school (hockey, wrestling, and many more sports would argue that one too), its basketball program is still historically better than Purdue's, who prides themselves of their ability on the hardwood.
1. West Lafayette
The worst college town ever. Never in my life has anyone visited the city of West Lafayette and come away impressed.
Located in the middle of absolutely nowhere, the culture-less city is absent of all things that make life worthwhile. Outside of the university, there is little to do in West Lafayette and even less to look at around the area.
Even at Purdue, the awful "architecture" is enough to drive someone insane. None of the dormitories have been touched since the 1950s and it's pretty obvious.
Let's just hope the Buckeyes' make quick work in West Lafayette and are able to come home before they are infected from the city's boredom.
