If it’s Saturday, it must be the roundtable. I ask the staff a question and share their answers with you.

With the Big Ten announcing the 2024 and 2025 conference season schedules this weekI wanted to ask about football. We know who Purdue will play in conference during these two years, out of conference Purdue plays Notre Dame in both seasons. With ND rotating on and off the schedule, is there an out of conference team you’d like to see Purdue replace them with as an every year opponent?

Jumbo Heroes:

I wanted to think of a team that is roughly on Purdue’s level and was also a team we really don’t see too often. Given the proximity of the schools and the current head coach trade I’d have to go with Louisville here. I mean, it’s an easy drive for fans of both schools to get to the game home or away. They’ve got Jeff Brohm, we had Jeff Brohm, and admit it even though Brohm did nice things for Purdue you’d really like to stick it to him for leaving right? No? Just me. Okay then.

Jed:

With Notre Dame off the table, I’d like to see Purdue schedule an opponent that could develop into a nice rivalry. There could be plenty of choices here with large numbers of Purdue graduates in Texas and California. A series with Stanford would or Texas Tech would sell tickets at Ross Ade but I’m not sure they move the needle in terms of developing a rivalry. I don’t think there are a lot of options to do that, if I’m being honest. There is, however, one answer to this question:

The University of Central Florida.

That’s right. UCF. The perennial little brother in the aerospace discussion and the program whose fans continue to claim we steal their ideas for uniforms and say they are the ‘real’ space university. Well, then let’s settle the debate with a yearly football game with a trophy!

Let’s play a home and home series against the Golden Knights and the trophy can be a space helmet or a scale model of the moon. How cool would it be to see Devin Mockobee ‘Boiler’ing Up’ with a real NASA space helmet or the team holding up the Moon while the All American Marching Band is playing ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ by Frank Sinatra. We could probably even get the game sponsored by Elon Musk and SpaceX. Editor’s note: Please God no.

Ryan:

I first want to say that I think ND could be a conference matchup here soon but as for a non-con opponent, I’m brought to several ideas.

1. We play Ball State because who doesn’t want a yearly dose of Maction against an in-state foe?
2. We play a round-robin against all the teams with black and gold (Colorado, Vanderbilt, UCF, Wake Forest, Army, Idaho) to determine the black and gold king each season.
3. My actual answer: Cincinnati. It would be within driving range for both fan bases and once they are in the Big-12, it will be a yearly major conference game. Bring on the bearcats.

Drew:

I’m trying to think of a realistic team outside the Big10 that would give Purdue a competitive home and home series.

I spent too much time thinking because Louisville is the obvious answer. You’ve got a regional rival in different conferences, often times fighting over the same pool of players.

Then you’ve got the Brohm clan. Can’t lie, I know this will get mixed reactions, but I’m glad they’re gone. I was as enthusiastic as everyone else when he took the job, and those first tastes of non-Haze football were tasty, but after that? Meh.

I know Purdue won what was probably the worst division in college football last season, almost by default, and I’ll take it, but Brohm didn’t build much of a foundation. Recruiting fell off in recent years, and many of the guys Brohm did recruit have stepped down a level in search of playing time. In essence, Brohm built a top heavy team and filled it in with mid-major guys he didn’t intend to play.

Anyway, all this is to say I’m going to enjoy watching Clemson beat down Louisville over the next few years, and once Coach Walters cleans up the Brohm mess, I’d love to see the Boilermakers do the same.

Gabi:

I think a game against Louisville every year would be fun. Not only is proximity close enough where both fan bases could travel but now with Brohm going there it can become a friendly rivalry.