Does the Other Cleat Drop?

I don't mean to rain on the parade Purdue fans, but let's be honest for a second, nothing great lasts for too long as a Boilermaker fan. Fresh off the domination at number two Iowa, coach Brohm has the football team ranked 25th. It's the first time the football team has been ranked since September 2007, ending the longest unranked streak for a power five team. But what happens next?

I want to be clear, the Iowa victory is the best win in Brohm's tenure. There's a special spot in my heart for the blow out of number two Ohio State at Ross Ade in 2018. That Buckeyes team is better than this Hawkeye team, but there was just something about that Boilermaker team that had me believing, despite the 0-3 start to the season. The night game with the lights, Tyler in attendance, there was something magical in the air that night. Logically, no one would expect Purdue to pull off either of these upsets, but it was the absolute destruction of Iowa on both sides of the ball without any trick plays that makes this one stand out. Purdue controlled the game the whole way on the road and probably ruined another playoff chance.

However, that 2018 season is exactly why I'm worried as a Boilermaker fan. Is the let down coming? Brohm's team was 3-0 against ranked teams that season, including the upset of number two Ohio State, but still finished 6-6 in the regular season. It's like Purdue can't maintain success and they either need to come in with no expectations or fall flat after surprising everyone. The team started 0-3 before handling #25 Boston College. But it's that game against Ohio State that has me worried post-Iowa celebration.

After crushing Ohio State they then went up to Michigan State and were flat, scoring only 13 points. It was their first conference loss and a winnable game they just didn't come out ready. Brohm's team bounced back and knocked off a ranked Iowa team at home before going up to Minnesota and getting destroyed 41-10. Already got the Gopher let down out of the way, which in some magical, unexplained way led to crushing Iowa. It took the last game against IU to gain bowl eligibility in a year where Purdue was 3-0 against ranked teams, beating Iowa and Ohio State!

Am I really nuts to be totally worried about a #25 Purdue team hosting an AWFUL Wisconsin team possibly laying an egg? What about a feisty Nebraska team hosting the Boilers the week after before Purdue gets Michigan State at home and then goes to Ohio State? These are the type of games that have tripped up Purdue in the past before the season ends at a 6-6 finish that was the goal before the season, but still seems like falling short when it's all said and done.

Brohm has done some amazing things as he has called West Lafayette home; pulling off his fair share of upsets but those seem to accompany disappointments hand and hand that leave you feeling what if. That's just being a Purdue fan I think, feeling like you're right against the ceiling to get to the next level but can't quite break through. That's even with two high NFL draft picks in David Bell and George Karlaftis on the roster, who played amazing against Iowa, after seeing Rondale Moore going in the second round this past draft. It gives you hope, but you're still skeptical until it happens, waiting for the next cleat to fall.