Purdue

The Boilermakers are betting heavily on transfer portal math to climb out of the conference cellar after a dismal 2-10 campaign. Despite losing 24 players including receiver Nitro Tuggle to South Carolina, Purdue added 29 newcomers headlined by FAU receiver Asaad Waseem (41.4 PPA) and Georgia EDGE rusher Elo Modozie to address glaring weaknesses. The offense grades out 62nd nationally (+0.1) with Ryan Browne returning at quarterback, while the defense sits 73rd (-0.7) and must prove it can handle Big Ten physicality with heavy roster turnover creating structural uncertainty across both units.

JP+ projects 4.7 wins for Purdue, well above most betting markets that have them buried near the bottom of the conference standings. The gap stems largely from special teams excellence (13th nationally at +0.4) and the sheer volume of incoming talent that could gel quickly in a weak Big Ten bottom tier. If Browne can develop chemistry with Waseem and Xavier Townsend while Modozie provides consistent pass rush, six wins and bowl eligibility become realistic. If the new pieces struggle to mesh and the defense remains porous, another long season awaits in West Lafayette.