Insights Prediction for ND-Purdue

So far, Insights has been perfect this year -- 4-0 -- but we realize we're picking games of a team we have a pretty good pulse on. So next year, we're going to pick more games across the landscape, but Insights is pretty confident it'll be 11-0 heading into USC, unlike the team it covers, who should likely be 10-1.

Yeah, that's giving what I'm thinking away. Notre Dame will win this game. Purdue may be 4-0, but it played a schedule slightly more difficult than that of Division III Bridgewater College -- which is also 4-0, mind you, entering its annual Old Dominion Athletic Conference tilt for the title against rival Hampden-Sydney.

Is Purdue a good team? The Boilers will be next year. Purdue might even have enough talent to beat Notre Dame next year. But Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn may have rediscovered his prowess from last year, at least if you take the final 10 minutes of the Michigan State game, you could believe it. Purdue's secondary is young and already plagued by injuries, so there is no reason to think Quinn won't have another 300-yard game here.

Plus, if Notre Dame's defense can stop the wide-open attack of Purdue -- it had practice against Michigan State last week with the field spread -- it could establish itself as one of the better units in the country. How? After this this week, Notre Dame plays a bunch of teams without huge offenses, so the unit's numbers will skyrocket.

We're also going to go out on a limb here -- the biggest play in the game will come from freshman Darrin Walls. He's going to score his first collegiate touchdown off an interception to make the score 21-7.

Final score: Notre Dame 49, Purdue 21.

Also, don't forget your final chance to jump in our predictions contest. E-mail your guess to mrothstein@jg.net. One more thing, and maybe this is more for next week than this week. After my description of how much fun can be had at a Michigan State tailgate -- thanks again, Hesch family -- I received some comments and e-mails defending Notre Dame's tailgates.

So here's my suggestion. Invite me. And how about this -- for the Stanford game (we'll post this more than once) -- send me an e-mail with what your tailgate brings to the party. We'll rank the Top 5 e-mails and if weather and time permits, we'll stop by your tailgate for the Stanford game.

We'll be posting throughout the day Saturday, so keep an eye out.

-By Michael Rothstein of The Journal Gazette

Comments

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