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ESPN’s FPI predicts outcome of Oregon State-Purdue game
By Nick Schultz
Published:
The last time Purdue and Oregon State played against each other, Lyndon B. Johnson was president.
That was 1967. This weekend — 54 years later — the two teams will open their respective seasons in West Lafayette.
Oregon State went 2-5 last year while Purdue went 2-4. As the 2021 campaign gets started, ESPN’s FPI heavily predicts the Boilermakers to come out on top — a 75.7% chance of doing so, to be exact.
The Beavers had a four-man battle for the starting quarterback position, with sixth-year senior Sam Noyer winning the job. Last year at Colorado, he threw for 1,101 yards and six touchdowns on 88-for-160 passing. If he can get the offense going, Oregon State might have a chance.
But for Jeff Brohm’s Boilermakers, defense was the biggest question mark in 2020 — and he addressed that with new coaching hires this offseason. If Purdue can clamp down at all on defense, it’ll have a strong advantage, especially if dual-threat quarterback Jack Plummer plays well.
Kickoff between Purdue and Oregon State is set for 7 p.m. ET on Sept. 4.
Nick Schultz is a columnist and breaking news writer for Saturday Tradition. A 2020 graduate of Loyola Chicago, he covered the Ramblers' 2018 Final Four run from beginning to end and has worked at NBC Sports Chicago. Follow Nick on Twitter @NickSchultz_7.