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volume 23, EX 15 ��� dec. 28, 2012 Inside | OSU preview 7-11 | Higgins feature 15-16 Recruiting update 26-27 | Basketball notes 28-34 reAdy to ���shock the world��� BY STACY CLARDIE SClardie@GoldandBlack.com here, Maybe theyashouldn���t bedeservepreparing for bowl game. Maybe Purdue didn���t it, sneaking into eligibility by beating three of the Big Ten���s worst teams in the final three weeks of the regular season. Maybe the Boilermakers, minus the head coach who guided them to a 6-6 record, were fortunate that only seven league schools qualified for bowls to allow them a spot in the Heart of Dallas Bowl on Jan. 1. Maybe. But not a single player on the roster feels that way. They���re simply bursting to seize the opportunity ahead: To show that regardless of needing a furious rally in the final three weeks to reach the postseason, they���re better than their 17-point underdog role would say. ���We���re ready to go down to Dallas and try to shock the world,��� defensive end Ryan Russell said. That likely will take quite a performance. The Cowboys tied for third in the Big They always seem to be shootouts with Oklahoma State. It has one of the nation���s best offenses, averaging nearly 45 points and more than 330 yards passing per game. It also has a 1,000-yard rusher. It also has a quarterback in Clint Chelf who, despite starting only the last four games, has quickly gained control of the offense enough so that he���s allowed to essentially make calls at the line based on how he reads the defense. If Purdue happens to be in nickel with its defenders spread across the field, Chelf could call Oklahoma State a run. If he thinks he has Purdue players are excited about a final opportunity to prove they belong, and a better matchup on the they���ll have a stiff test against Oklahoma State, led by quarterback Clint Chelf, in outside, he���ll go with that. the Heart of Dallas Bowl on Jan. 1. So it���ll be interesting 12 and were disappointed to ���slip��� to this bowl game, though they lost their last two to see how the Boilermaker D attacks. Coordinator Tim Tibesar was big on bringing games of the year in shootouts. THE Numbers 3-0 3 6-3 Purdue���s record against Big 12 teams in bowl games, dating back to a win over Missouri in the 1980 Liberty Bowl when the conference was called the Big Eight. The Heart of Dallas Bowl will mark the third time the Boilermakers have played in the historic Cotton Bowl. Purdue is 1-0-1 in the previous games, played in 1965 and ���67. The Boilermakers��� record with Robert Marve as their starter. It���s the best mark by a Purdue quarterback in his first nine games at the helm since Brandon Hance posted the same record in 2001. Oklahoma State���s rank in turnover margin out of 120 FBS teams. If Purdue is to pull the upset Tuesday, the Cowboys likely need to continue their errant ways. 86 blitzes in the season���s final three games especially, and it seemed to help the unit. But if Purdue makes a mistake in coverage on a blitz, it���s likely Oklahoma State will make it pay. ���We���ve got to read our keys and stay sound and we���ve got to do our jobs and don���t get your eyes messed up by looking at the quarterback instead of looking at your man,��� cornerback Josh Johnson said. ���The biggest key is competing. We know they���re going to catch passes and make plays, but it���s all about stopping them and not letting them get into the end zone.��� GoldanDBlack express ��� volume 23, express 15��� ������ 1