Taylor Swift 10, Purdue 0: Can the Boilermakers break the 'curse' vs. Illinois?

Purdue, 2-2 connected the play nether caller manager Barry Odom, has already travel a agelong mode successful showing signs of advancement aft a 1-11 2024 campaign.

This Saturday, however, Odom and the Boilermakers' rebuild volition look a pugnacious task -- and not conscionable connected the field. While Purdue's hostile is beardown -- Illinois boasts a Top 25 ranking -- it'll besides person to defy the wills of an improbable curse.

The Boilermakers person ne'er won a crippled occurring straight aft Taylor Swift releases a workplace album.

As explored connected the assemblage shot podcast "The Solid Verbal" connected Thursday, Purdue has played 10 games wrong 7 days of Swift releasing oregon rereleasing an album. They person mislaid each 10.

In atrocious quality for Boilermakers fans, Swift's latest album, "The Life of a Showgirl," was released astatine midnight Friday.

The signifier dates backmost to Oct. 24, 2006, erstwhile Swift's self-titled debut medium preceded Purdue's 12-0 nonaccomplishment to the Penn State 2 days aft its release. It continued for six consecutive albums: "Fearless" connected Nov. 11, 2008 (22-17 nonaccomplishment astatine Iowa 4 days later), "Speak Now" connected Oct. 25, 2010 (44-10 nonaccomplishment astatine Illinois 5 days later), "Red" connected Oct. 22, 2012 (44-28 nonaccomplishment astatine Minnesota 5 days later), "1989" connected Oct. 27, 2014 (35-14 nonaccomplishment astatine Nebraska 5 days later), "Reputation" connected Nov. 10, 2017 (23-13 nonaccomplishment astatine Northwestern the adjacent day), and "Lover" connected Aug. 23, 2019 (loss astatine Nevada 7 days later).

The inclination paused successful 2020 due to the fact that Purdue's adjacent crippled fell extracurricular the one-week model of Swift's releases. When "folklore" dropped connected July 24, 2020, Purdue didn't play a shot crippled until Oct. 24, 2020 -- which was a 24-20 triumph implicit Iowa. Months aft "evermore" and "Fearless" (Taylor's Version) were released connected Dec. 11, 2020, and April 9, 2021, respectively, Purdue bushed Oregon State connected Sept. 4, 2021.

The signifier picked backmost up with "Red" (Taylor's Version) connected Nov. 12, 2021 (59-31 nonaccomplishment astatine Ohio State the adjacent day), "Midnights" connected Oct. 21, 2022 (35-24 nonaccomplishment astatine Wisconsin the adjacent day), and "1989" (Taylor's Version) connected Oct. 27, 2023 (31-13 nonaccomplishment astatine Nebraska the adjacent day).

The Boilermakers yet snapped the losing skid successful 2024 with a 49-0 rout of the Indiana State aft "The Tortured Poets Department" was released connected April 19, 2024 -- though it inactive fits the wide signifier since that crippled fell extracurricular the weeklong window.

Will Purdue beryllium capable to interruption its unusual streak of defeats instantly pursuing Swift medium releases this Saturday?

Recent signifier says the rebuild is trending up. History -- astatine slightest of the popular euphony assortment -- says Purdue inactive has a curse to break.