For one reason or another, the Purdue Boilermakers have played spoiler to the Iowa Hawkeyes before. It has happened recently in big ways that have upended Iowa's successful seasons. At 7-2, with a College Football Playoff opportunity on the line, Iowa can't let that happen again.

The Hawkeyes are the better team on paper this year, but that means about as much as the piece of paper it is written on. The Big Ten and college football as a whole have been nothing but utter chaos this year. No games are automatic, and Iowa can't let history repeat itself again in 2026.

Purdue has burned Iowa before

Shall we talk about it? I don't necessarily want to, but we can't tell the story of Iowa and Purdue without bringing up the 2020 and 2021 contests, even with the pain and pit in the stomach that bubble up when those games are discussed.

The 2020 matchup in West Lafayette saw the Boilermakers exploit Iowa's defense by feeding the ball to wide receiver and all-time Iowa villain, David Bell, for 121 yards and three touchdowns in a 24-20 win.

It gets worse, though. In 2021, Iowa was coming off a win over Penn State and was ranked No. 2 in the country. Purdue came into Kinnick Stadium and dominated Iowa 24-7. David Bell posted 240 receiving yards in a game that cemented his status as an Iowa killer.

This is a trap game for the Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa is sitting at 7-2, figures to be ranked in or near the top 15 of the College Football Playoff rankings, and has a real chance to put together a special season. That's what is scary about this game, which sees Iowa enter as 17.5-point favorites.

Purdue is just 3-6 this season, but the Boilermakers have shown some fight. While they are on a three-game skid, Purdue does have wins over Illinois and Minnesota, Iowa's most recent loss. Add in this game coming after a big road win for the Hawkeyes over Northwestern, and this is a trap game.

One more loss eliminates Iowa from the College Football Playoff. The Hawkeyes know this. Kirk Ferentz knows this. Come Saturday, though, Purdue will know this too and give Iowa its best shot. It's on Iowa to stop history from repeating itself again.