Much has been said of the Notre Dame offense through the early portion of the season. And while there has been obvious growth in some areas in dire need of reinforcement in years past, there is still much to be desired from a team with national championship aspirations. Photo by USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect It's early enough in the 2026 season that many of the top contenders are still working out obvious kinks or flaws. As I write this, the defending national champio

The upset Purdue fans have good reason for their discouragement considering they currently rank last in the Big Ten in points allowed per game (36.33), total yards per game allowed (446.7), total yards per play allowed (6.9), rushing yards per game allowed (207), yards per carry allowed (5.5), and opponent third down conversion rate (54.1%).

Through three games, Purdue’s offensive attack has tried to be balanced; however, the passing game is having much more success compared to the ground. Overall, the Boilermakers are averaging an impressive 488.7 total yards per game, including 6.8 yards per play.

The golden Midwestern sun shone down upon the endless array of screaming patrons, all dawning gold and black. The faithful fans were avidly rooting for their beloved Boilermakers, as the underdog team from West Lafayette, Indiana, was about to upset the dreaded private school from South Bend. Purdue held a 24-14 lead as they now headed into the final quarter of football. Photo By Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports Notre Dame, led by Dan Devine, was upset just a week earlier at t