Purdue fans hoping for a bounce-back season in 2020 might not want to look at the ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) projections. Despite returning a ton of talent on both sides of the football, the Boilermakers are the underdogs in nearly every game this fall.

A bevy of injuries and a youth movement in West Lafayette resulted in a forgettable 4-8 season, failing to make a bowl game for the first time under head coach Jeff Brohm. Purdue lost star receiver Rondale Moore, starting quarterback Elijah Sindelar, key linebacker Markus Bailey and defensive lineman Lorenzo Neal early in the season, which caused issues on both sides of the football.

That did, however, result in plenty of true and redshirt freshmen getting onto the field during the 2019 season. That experience could prove to be really beneficial heading into the 2020 season. Plus, Moore decided to opt back in on the season after initially declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Still, ESPN’s FPI is predicting the Boilers will be favored in just one game this fall. Here’s a complete breakdown from ESPN’s FPI:

  • Oct. 24: vs. Iowa — 30.1% chance of victory
  • Oct. 31: at Illinois — 47.9% chance of victory
  • Nov. 7: at Wisconsin — 6.2% chance of victory
  • Nov. 14: vs. Northwestern — 28.7% chance of victory
  • Nov. 21: at Minnesota — 26.8% chance of victory
  • Nov. 28: vs. Rutgers — 68.9% chance of victory
  • Dec. 5: vs. Nebraska — 40.9% chance of victory
  • Dec. 12: at Indiana — N/A