Why Northwestern will/won’t beat Purdue

Northwestern is 1-9 and has two games left. They are on the road in West Lafayette this week to take on Purdue Boilermakers (6-4, 4-3 B1G). Purdue is in a four-way tie for first place in the Big Ten West. Northwestern will be presented with an opportunity to play spoiler.

Northwestern's defense has been burned by good running games in the past two weeks. The Boilermakers' rushing game is better than Ohio State's. Northwestern's defensive front has to come to play. Northwestern should be able to breathe a little after a few weeks of extreme pressure.

Malik Washington has had an inconsistent season for Northwestern. He is fifth in the Big Ten in receiving yards with 616. Last week he had 97 yards on six receptions against Minnesota. Northwestern's secondary is not very good.

Pat Fitzgerald has a lot on his mind this season. He is under pressure from fans to oust both of his coordinators. Northwestern is 1-9 and needs to win to have any chance of winning the game against Purdue.

Northwestern is losing games because of the reliance on running back Evan Hull. The team needs to change the game plan and let the quarterbacks play more. The game against Purdue is on Saturday. It's possible that Northwestern will lose. If they do, it will be a massacre.

Northwestern's secondary held Marvin Harrison Jr. to 51 yards against Ohio State and 34 yards vs Minnesota. The Northwestern secondary will have a tough time containing Charlie Jones, who leads the Big Ten in receiving yards with 1,010. Jones had a down game against Illinois, but he still had 66 yards and a touchdown.

Northwestern is 1-9 and needs to play well to have any chance of beating Purdue. Pat Fitzgerald's team is struggling with motivation and focus. If Fitz fails to guide his team, it could be a disaster.