Barry Odom Appreciative of Purdue's Supportive Students: 'They've Been Awesome'
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Through two games at Purdue, coach Barry Odom has been impressed with the Ross-Ade Brigade. He gave the Purdue student section some major props when making an appearance on the Big Ten Network's B1G Today on Wednesday.
The Boilermakers are off to their first 2-0 start since 2021, defeating Ball State and Southern Illinois in the first two weeks of the season. That has obviously generated a lot of excitement around the program, especially with USC coming to West Lafayette this weekend.
On Wednesday, Odom joined B1G Today to talk about the successful 2-0 start. He was asked for his favorite part of gameday in West Lafayette, which led to a shout-out to the Ross-Ade Brigade.
"I think the student section here has just been unbelievable," Odom said. "It's remarkable. As soon as they open the gates at the 90-minute mark, the place is completely full. The students have been awesome.
"They're smart football fans — they get loud when they're supposed to get loud, they cheer when they're supposed to cheer. That's been a lot of fun to have them on our side. "
"I think the student section here has just been unbelievable."
— Purdue On BTN (@PurdueOnBTN) September 10, 2025
Barry Odom on the impact of @BoilerFootball's fans and the atmosphere they create ⬇️#B1GToday pic.twitter.com/fayUdQK5g8
Odom has been impressed with the loyalty Purdue fans have shown early in his tenure with the program. He's excited to see what it could look like when the Boilermakers get rolling.
"Ross-Ade, when done right and you're playing winning football, it can be one of the toughest environments in college football," Odom said.
Students have a great opportunity to create a hostile environment this weekend, as Purdue hosts USC in the Big Ten opener. Both teams are 2-0 and are hoping to remain perfect on the year.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will air on CBS.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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