Well, we come into the Purdue home game needing one more win for bowl eligibility. Are last true win came in late September against Indiana. The weather this October has been less than ideal, throughout much of the Midwest/Great Lakes region. For a team relying on a true freshman quarterback from San Diego, I thought I would take a look at game time temperatures for each of the previous 9 games.
Sept. 5, Western Michigan (Ann Arbor): Gametime Temp: 75 (1-0)
Sept. 12, Notre Dame (Ann Arbor): Gametime Temp: 70 (2-0)
Sept. 19, Eastern Michigan (Ann Arbor): Gametime Temp: 66 (3-0)
Sept. 26, Indiana (Ann Arbor): Gametime Temp: 63 (4-0)
Oct. 3, Michigan State (East Lansing, MI): Gametime Temp: 53 (Rain) (4-1)
Oct. 10, Iowa (Iowa City, IA): Gametime Temp: 34 (Dropping) (4-2)
Oct. 17, Delaware State (Ann Arbor): Gametime Temp: 48 (5-2)
Oct. 24, Penn State (Ann Arbor): Gametime Temp: 45 (Dropping; Rain) (5-3)
Oct. 31, Illinois (Champaign, IL): Gametime Temp: 50 (Dropping) (5-4)
How much does weather really impact the game, well for someone from San Diego, probably a lot more than you think. I have for one been of the opinion that Tate's play began to suffer when the weather went south for fall and winter. I'm sure many of you have had this thought, but I thought it would be interesting to see the numbers.
Temperatures > 60 at gametime: Tate 4-0
Temperatures < 60 at gametime: Tate 0-4
Temperatures irrelevant at gametime: 1-0
Obviously, the competition has increased a bit into the B10 season, but weather certainly goes along way to keep someone comfortable and confident.
Reason for optimism: Forecasts for this weekend are calling for temperatures to approach 60. While it might not hit that benchmark, after a chilly October, a high of 57 might seem like heaven to Tate and allow him to be more comfortable and aid in the outscoring of the Purdue Boilermakers. Let's get that sixth win.
It's also supposed to be mostly sunny Saturday, FWIW. Forecasts change somewhat when you're looking several days into the future, though.