Before each Ohio State game, Eleven Warriors catches up with a media member who covers the opposing team to get his or her perspective on the Buckeyes' upcoming opponent.
Purdue
Boilermakers
As Ohio State prepares to head to Purdue this week, we welcome Nathan Baird, who you may recognize from his time covering the Buckeyes for Cleveland.com but now covers Purdue for IndyStar.
With the Boilermakers currently riding a seven-game losing streak, we asked Baird why Purdue hasn’t been able to win a Big Ten game since 2023 and what positives can be taken away from Barry Odom’s first season even with the Boilermakers’ 2-7 record. We also asked Baird about the differences between covering Ohio State and covering Purdue, the national championship aspirations of Purdue’s men’s basketball team and finally, how he sees Saturday’s game between the Buckeyes and Boilermakers playing out.
Purdue is three games away from its second straight winless season in Big Ten play. What needs to change for the Boilermakers to become more competitive?
Baird: Honestly, most of the elements of winning football have been there at one time or another. They simply have no margin for error – and they usually need a big one. The number of plays which cost them wins against Minnesota, Rutgers and yes, Michigan, is startlingly small. Realistically, the answer is talent. They need to keep all their best players in the next portal cycle while upgrading at every position.
How would you assess Barry Odom’s first year on the job so far? Are there areas where Purdue is making real progress despite its record?
Baird: This is more or less what I thought this season would look like. This is a less talented roster than a year ago but a more experienced and connected coaching staff which knows about rebuilds after what Odom did at UNLV. Odom instilled some stability and accountability. I think it's reflective of the new culture that Purdue has stayed competitive even against much more talented players. Both things can be true – another season without a Big Ten win is not a success, but the program will be in a better place this December than last.
You covered Ohio State for several years before returning to the Purdue beat last year. What are the biggest differences you’ve seen between covering the Buckeyes and covering the Boilermakers?
Baird: We'll jump right past the obvious talent disparity on the field. The Ohio State beat is a behemoth, and that's both good at times from a camaraderie standpoint but also more difficult to find a niche and produce unique coverage. OSU also is much more accustomed to intense media scrutiny. I'm not sure the coaches here appreciate how positive their press conferences still are after some losses compared to some of the ones Ryan Day conducted after wins.
On a more positive note, Purdue men’s basketball is ranked No. 1 to start the season. Is this the year the Boilermakers finally win a national championship?
Baird: Matt Painter thinks this team has the best chance, which is saying something since two years ago he rode a semi-unguardable force of nature to a runner-up finish. This team definitely has a championship offense with Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer in sync. They enhanced their lackluster rebounding with Daniel Jacobsen back from injury and Oscar Cluff transferring in from South Dakota State. But just as that team two years ago had to keep evolving around Edey, this team has defensive questions it must answer to be national championship caliber.
Getting back to football, who are the Purdue players that Ohio State fans should know about for this weekend’s game?
Baird: Ryan Browne is a still-developing quarterback who can cause problems as a scrambler with his size and speed combo. I like what Purdue is developing on the defensive line, including Akron transfer rush end CJ Nunnally IV and tackles Jamarrion "Chops" Harkless, Demeco Kennedy and Ian Jeffries.
CJ Nunnally IV leads Purdue with five sacks this season. (Photo: Junfu Han/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
What would constitute a good result for Purdue this weekend, and how do you see the game playing out?
Baird: It's setting the bar too low to say just avoid a blowout. Other than maybe the Notre Dame game, Purdue has not been outclassed this season. Some version of last week's performance at Michigan – keeping the game within reach into the second half – would be positive. That said, I have too much respect for the roster getting off the bus. Ohio State 42, Purdue 7
