By: Tom Kubat (Lafayette Journal & Courier) —
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — They’ve been to Michigan Stadium and Notre Dame Stadium. They witnessed “white outs” at Penn State and “jump around” festivities at Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium.

Purdue football players have been a lot of places . . . but they’ve never experienced the Horseshoe.
“This is my first trip,” fifth-year senior Ryan Baker said about Saturday’s game at Ohio State. “It’s a little more exciting for me, personally. I was asking guys what it’s like there. I like new environments. I like going into hostile environments, people screaming and yelling at you, saying that you can’t do something. It’s a challenge.”

One problem. He couldn’t find any teammates who had played at Ohio State. Not one.

That’s because Saturday’s trip to Columbus is the Boilermakers’ first since the 2003 season. Purdue’s current fifth-year seniors arrived in 2004.

Regardless, the Boilers know what to expect: more than 100,000 fans cheering on their 12th-ranked Buckeyes.

“It’s going to be a hostile crowd, a hostile team we’re playing, and it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Baker said. “That’s the best atmosphere you can be in. If you’re not motivated by that, then nothing will motivate you.”

Purdue, which has lost 16 consecutive games to Top 25 opponents, has not won at Ohio State since a 31-26 victory in 1988.

But under coach Joe Tiller, the Boilermakers have been more competitive against the Buckeyes than usual heavyweights Michigan and Penn State.

Tiller is 2-5 against Ohio State, but three of those losses were by four points or fewer.

The Buckeyes won last year at Purdue 23-7. The only lopsided loss was a 35-9 defeat in 2001.

“We’ve played pretty well over there and lost in overtime and lost on a kick in the last series of one game. We’ve been pretty competitive with them,” Tiller said.

Wide receiver Desmond Tardy, also a fifth-year senior, is eager to play in Ohio Stadium.

“I’m excited about it, motivated to go there,” he said.

“We’ve got to come out fighting. It’s time for everybody to go there and believe, not hope, we can win.”

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