Game Prediction: No. 12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Purdue Boilermakers

The Fighting Irish are 2-0, but they sure haven't looked like a great team the last two weeks.

Author:
Brendan Gulick
Sep 17, 2021 6:00 PM EDT

This game has far more intrigue as it approaches kick off than it did when looking at the schedule before the year started. Is Purdue poised to come in and upset Notre Dame on its home field? The teams haven't played since 2014. The Notre Dame defensive line should have an advantage over Purdue's big men up front, but will the Irish defense take a step forward this week?

Here's what the BuckeyesNow staff expects in a Saturday afternoon contest in South Bend.

PURDUE at NOTRE DAME – Saturday, 2:30 p.m.
Spread: Notre Dame (-5.0)
O/U Total: 58

Brendan Gulick: Notre Dame 38, Purdue 17

Everything about this game statistically screams upset alert if you're a Notre Dame fan. The defense has looked mediocre at best through two games and last week's offensive showcase against Toledo was a bit of a snoozefest.

For some reason, I have a hunch the Irish are going to make a good impression this week and hand Purdue a decisive L to take back to West Lafayette. Jack Coan should have a good day and the Irish will come away as one of the biggest head-scratching 3-0 teams in the country.

Andrew Lind: Notre Dame 17, Purdue 20

The Fighting Irish have been playing with fire for the first two weeks of the season and are lucky to be 2-0 when they could very easily be 0-2 after the opener at Florida State and come-from-behind victory over Toledo last week. Saturday’s game against the Boilermakers is a trophy game, and they could be in for another unexpected battle as a result.

Now, it’s been a while since Purdue beat a top-10 team on the road, dating back to when it knocked off No. 2 Notre Dame in 1974. But the Boilermakers offense is rolling on all cylinders right now, and if there’s a time for them to end that streak, it’s now.

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Brett Hiltbrand: Notre Dame 37, Purdue 13

This one seems pretty straight forward considering Purdue can't bring their drum. THEY'RE LOST WITHOUT THE DRUM. You can skip the Google machine and find the background to that joke here.

Pettiness and Notre Dame football? You don't say. Purdue is 2-0 and when they lose this one, they can blame the band and be right for once.

Caleb Spinner: Notre Dame 35, Purdue 17

Notre Dame has skated past their first two games by the skin of their teeth, but now is where we get to see the real Fighting Irish. Purdue might put up a fight, especially coming off a 49-0 routing of UConn last Saturday. The will to win I saw from Jack Coan in the game against Toledo when he dislocated his finger, had his finger put back in place on the sideline, and then threw a game-winning touchdown to tight end Michael Mayer, makes me think there’s more to this team we have yet to see. Notre Dame will take care of business here, in a seemingly-decisive fashion, 35-17.

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