WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Jeff Brohm told his players they were ready.
To play second-ranked and undefeated Ohio State. Under the lights. In front of a sold-out Ross-Ade Stadium. On national television.
He could not have been more right.
Purdue dominated the Buckeyes on Saturday, winning 49-20, and the Football Writers Association of America honored the Boilermakers as its National Team of the Week.
"I told them Friday night, 'We are ready for it now. You guys have paid your dues, you've paid the price and you've worked hard, and you guys can win the game if you believe you can,' " Brohm said. "They surpassed my expectations by the way they played.
"It's a credit to our players. I'm happy for them. They have gone through a lot to get to this point, and to pull off a victory like that, I'm very proud of them."
The win marked the highest-ranked opponent the Boilermakers have defeated since Oct. 6, 1984, when they upset No. 2 Ohio State 28-23 at Ross-Ade.
The 29-point margin of victory is the third-largest by an unranked team over a top-2 opponent in Associated Press poll history. Holy Cross topped No. 1 Boston College 55-12 in 1942 and Arkansas topped No. 1 Texas 42-11 in 1981.
"It is a huge moment," Brohm said. "We're not going deny this is a fantastic win. It wasn't like we won by one point. We played football."
Purdue previously was honored by the FWAA as the National Team of the Week after defeating No. 7 Ohio State 26-18 on Oct. 17, 2009, at Ross-Ade.
On the heels of the historic win, Purdue received votes in both the AP (17 - No. 36) and coaches (7 - No. 40) national polls.
"This game, this performance we put on gives us huge amounts of confidence going into the rest of the season," junior linebacker Markus Bailey said. "I'm confident we can play with anybody at this point."
The Boilermakers (4-3, 3-1 Big Ten) play at Michigan State (4-3, 2-2) on Saturday. Kickoff is noon ET, and the game will be televised by ESPN.
To play second-ranked and undefeated Ohio State. Under the lights. In front of a sold-out Ross-Ade Stadium. On national television.
He could not have been more right.
Purdue dominated the Buckeyes on Saturday, winning 49-20, and the Football Writers Association of America honored the Boilermakers as its National Team of the Week.
"I told them Friday night, 'We are ready for it now. You guys have paid your dues, you've paid the price and you've worked hard, and you guys can win the game if you believe you can,' " Brohm said. "They surpassed my expectations by the way they played.
"It's a credit to our players. I'm happy for them. They have gone through a lot to get to this point, and to pull off a victory like that, I'm very proud of them."
The win marked the highest-ranked opponent the Boilermakers have defeated since Oct. 6, 1984, when they upset No. 2 Ohio State 28-23 at Ross-Ade.
The 29-point margin of victory is the third-largest by an unranked team over a top-2 opponent in Associated Press poll history. Holy Cross topped No. 1 Boston College 55-12 in 1942 and Arkansas topped No. 1 Texas 42-11 in 1981.
"It is a huge moment," Brohm said. "We're not going deny this is a fantastic win. It wasn't like we won by one point. We played football."
Purdue previously was honored by the FWAA as the National Team of the Week after defeating No. 7 Ohio State 26-18 on Oct. 17, 2009, at Ross-Ade.
On the heels of the historic win, Purdue received votes in both the AP (17 - No. 36) and coaches (7 - No. 40) national polls.
"This game, this performance we put on gives us huge amounts of confidence going into the rest of the season," junior linebacker Markus Bailey said. "I'm confident we can play with anybody at this point."
The Boilermakers (4-3, 3-1 Big Ten) play at Michigan State (4-3, 2-2) on Saturday. Kickoff is noon ET, and the game will be televised by ESPN.