Although the Boilermakers probably did not arrive here the way many envisioned, Purdue sits with a 4-2 record at the mid-way point of the season, including 2-1 in the Big Ten.

After losing 2 of the 1st 3 games, including in the final minutes vs. Penn State and Syracuse, Purdue has recovered to win 3 straight, including back-to-back contests as road underdogs in the Big Ten. The run has the Boilermakers thinking of a division title in what looks like a wide-open Big Ten West.

Let’s take a look at 5 things the Boilermakers need to get done in the 2nd half of the season to earn a West crown.

Reach potential

Especially on the offensive side, there’s still a feeling that the Boilermakers have not reached their full potential.

Quarterback Aidan O’Connell hasn’t fully regained his form yet after missing the FAU game with an injury, although the 6th-year senior has been good enough to win at Minnesota and Maryland.

But Purdue has been regularly misfiring in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. In Saturday’s win over Maryland, for example, the Boilermakers punted on their last 2 possessions before halftime, then had 3 straight turnovers after the break. Only a 14-point 4th-quarter outburst proved the difference. It was a similar storyline to the week before at Minnesota, when Purdue squandered chances before scoring 10 go-ahead points in the final 15 minutes.

And Purdue couldn’t extend 1st-half leads against Penn State and Syracuse, twice allowing opponents back into games because of the Boilermakers’ poor execution before ultimately losing.

Jeff Brohm’s squad ranks 6th in the Big Ten in both scoring offense (32.5) and yardage (419.7), still in the top half of the league but not as high as the expectation.

Beat a nemesis

Wisconsin awaits.

In less than 2 weeks on Oct. 22, a trip to Madison is on Purdue’s schedule. Yes, Wisconsin has its problems this season — Paul Chryst was fired and replaced by interim Jim Leonhard — but it’s not been a friendly matchup to Purdue over the years, with the Boilermakers’ last victory coming in 2003. Frequently, the margins haven’t been close. Only 3 times during the 15-game losing streak has it been within 8 points or less.

Even a lesser 3-3 Wisconsin team — the Badgers lost back-to-back to Ohio State and Illinois, leading to Chryst’s ouster, before Leonhard led the Badgers to a stampede at Northwestern last weekend — can pose giant problems.

Avoid the upset

After being an underdog in 4 of the first 6 games this season — Purdue was a 3.5-point ‘dog to Penn State; 1.5 to Syracuse; 9 to Minnesota and 3 to Maryland — the Boilermakers are likely to be favorites in at least 4 games in the 2nd half of the season.

Will Purdue handle being a front-runner?

It’s a curious question. During the last couple of seasons, and perhaps for years and years before that, the Boilermakers have thrived on being the underdog. It beat No. 2 Iowa and No. 3 Michigan State last season, plus was also not favored in wins over Nebraska and Tennessee. In Purdue’s last 20 games as an underdog, it’s 10-10 and 14-6 against the spread.

But to keep pace in a Big Ten West race that will likely also include at least 4 other teams — Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin — Purdue can ill afford a random slip-up, for instance against Nebraska on Saturday, when it will likely be a 14-point favorite.

Develop another playmaker

In the 1st half of the season, Purdue has gotten big moments from Charlie Jones, Payne Durham and Devin Mockobee, each of whom has made gigantic plays to help the Boilermakers to victories.

Jones was on fire to start the season, with Mockobee (particularly in the win over Minnesota) and Durham (vs. Maryland) coming on strongly of late. But the Boilermakers could use another playmaker, particularly at wide receiver, to help take some more of the pressure off of Jones.

Maybe that could be Mershawn Rice, who had 5 receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown against the Terrapins on Saturday. TJ Sheffield and Tyrone Tracy have shown flashes as well, but none has consistently stepped up as a solid No. 2 receiving option for O’Connell. If one does, the offense could really take off.

Get (and stay) healthy-ish

Purdue has had as many as 6 starters out for games this season, testing what many thought would be one of Purdue’s greatest strengths: its depth.

In recent weeks, the Boilermakers have gotten O’Connell back and more recently linebacker/nickel/safety Jalen Graham, but have not been so lucky with others. Starting wide receiver Broc Thompson (knee) and running back King Doerue (calf) have been out for weeks without a clear return date.

But the most acute problems for the Boilermakers now lie on their offensive line, where they’ve lost both their starting right tackle (in a career-ending back injury for Cam Craig) and now the backup too (with Daniel Johnson having a season-ending knee injury). Saturday vs. the Terrapins, that meant that left tackle Eric Miller had to shift to the right, where he had spent last season, with right guard Mahamane Moussa moving to left tackle. Redshirt freshman Marcus Mbow started at right guard. Purdue gave up 5 sacks to the Terrapins, but not all were the fault of the line, as tight end Payne Durham once missed a block and O’Connell occasionally held the ball too long.

Before the season, Purdue felt it had 8 linemen that it was comfortable with, but the injuries have knocked the number down to 6, with only reserve Sione Finau, who is subbing in mostly at right guard, but can play left as well, along with the starting 5. The Boilermakers might be able to manage the situation, as it stands now, but another injury, particularly at tackle, would put them in a big-time bind.

Meanwhile, Purdue has others who are nicked up. Jones has lower-body soreness that has kept him limited in practice and knocked down his production the last couple weeks. Safety Chris Jefferson, who has been excellent in the first 6 games, will likely be limited, at least for a bit, due to an undisclosed issue. And Doerue’s backup at running back, Dylan Downing, also has a foot injury, it was announced by Brohm on Monday, leaving him sidelined at least a few weeks.

Needless to say, Brohm will have to continue to manage the injury situation.