After a couple of rough seasons, Purdue is back in the postseason. Now, the Boilermakers will try for their 2nd bowl win under head coach Jeff Brohm.

When Brohm arrived in 2017, he immediately turned around a program that had fallen on hard times. Purdue went 13-13 during Brohm’s first 2 years with a win in the Foster Farms Bowl (now the Redbox Bowl) and an appearance in the Music City Bowl.

Then, Purdue went 6-12 from 2019-20, putting Brohm on a hot seat in 2021. He responded with a brilliant effort and an 8-4 season for the Boilermakers that included amazing upsets of Iowa and Michigan State. Now, Purdue is headed back to the TransPerfect Music City Bowl and a matchup against Tennessee. The Boilermakers were blown out by Auburn in the Music City Bowl after the 2018 season.

Heading into this year’s bowl, ESPN’s Football Power Index is predicting a tight battle between the Volunteers and Boilermakers. According to the FPI, Purdue has a 48.4% chance of coming away with the win in Nashville.

Playing a factor in Thursday’s bowl game is the fact that Purdue will be without big stars in WR David Bell and DL George Karlaftis. Those 2 will be off to the NFL Draft. Fortunately, QB Aidan O’Connell will be playing and is also returning for another year with the program in 2022.

Thursday’s bowl game is set for 3 pm EST on ESPN.