Purdue Boilermakers football fans wear bags over their heads. Members of the Purdue Boilermakers student section wear bags over their heads during a game vs Penn State at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. Syndication Credit: Journal-Courier
ArticlesCollege FootballFeaturedOriginalsBy Michael Grant on

College football embraces exclusion, bickering, and ridiculousness. However, we at The Comeback celebrate inclusion, unity, and ridiculousness.

Congratulations Purdue (1-11) and Kent State (0-12)! You’ve been cordially invited to play in the ninth annual TheComeback.com Bowl. It’s the premier showcase event to determine the worst team in the nation. The schools will meet on Saturday at H.A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

With the College Football Playoff, there’s too much lobbying and controversy. At TheComeback.com Bowl, we keep it simple by picking teams that deserve help. We offer built-in incentives to help struggling programs get a head start to the 2025 season.

For the winner:

  • 11 extra scholarships for next season
  • The opportunity to discuss name, image, likeness (NIL) deals with TheComeback.com
  • [New] Nick Saban will come out of retirement to coach your team for 2025
  • [New] Automatic entry into the conference of your choice
  • [New] An edible Pop-Tarts Bowl mascot becomes your school’s official mascot for next season
  • [New] Lifetime free admission to the Woody Guthrie Center

For the loser:

  • Relegation to the FCS*

(*Vacated FBS spot to be filled by the 2024 FCS champion.)

How we arrived at this year’s match-up:

As the lone 0-12 team in the nation, Kent State was an automatic qualifier for the second straight year. The Golden Flashes had, by far, the worst average scoring margin (minus-32.4). The second-worst was Purdue (minus-30.8). The Boilermakers and Southern Miss finished 1-11, but they earned the nod because the Golden Eagles had a better average scoring margin (minus-26.8).

Purdue (1-11)

One play summed up the entire season. When wide receiver De’Nylon Morrissette caught what should have been a touchdown against Penn State but was solidly out of bounds with the pylon right in front of him, he was mocked by the entirety of the internet. It’s the kind of moment that will live on in infamy.

How bad was Purdue? After opening the season with a 49-0 victory over Indiana State of the FCS, it was crushed by Notre Dame 66-7 at home for the worst loss in school history. The Boilermakers surrendered 50-plus four times, and it would have been five but they “only” lost to Penn State 49-10. For just the third time since 1946, Purdue finished winless in the Big Ten.

What made this season particularly painful was that the struggles coincided with the unexpected rise of archrival Indiana. The Hoosiers, under a new coach in Curt Cignetti, were picked to finish second to last. Meanwhile, Purdue lived down to expectations, which led to the firing of Ryan Walters (5-19 in two seasons). The new guy in charge is former UNLV coach Barry Odom. However, unless the Boilermakers improve their NIL budget and resources, the results for 2025 might not be much better.

Kent State (0-12)

No FBS program has been worse over the past two seasons. Under Kenni Burns, the Golden Flashes are 1-23 and have not beaten a fellow FBS school. That lone victory came against Central Connecticut State of the FCS in September 2023. Since then, they have dropped 21 in a row. All but three of those outcomes have been by double digits.

Shockingly, as of early this week, Burns has not been fired. He has, however, been sued. A local bank claims the coach owes nearly $24,000 in credit card debt. That’s embarrassing since the coach reportedly makes $475,000.

What’s more embarrassing? Kent State was mauled 71-0 at Tennessee (trailing 65-0 at halftime) and 56-0 at Penn State in consecutive weeks. Two of its quarterbacks suffered season-ending injuries in the same game. The Golden Flashes lost at home to Saint Francis (Pa.) 23-17, giving the FCS school its first-ever victory over an FBS opponent. For the first nine games, they never had a lead. The season-ending 43-7 defeat at Buffalo earned Kent State its worst-ever record. It was last in the nation in scoring (13.9 per game) and total offense (233.2).

Despite everything that went wrong, Burns said, “I am excited for the future, I am excited about this football program.” Okay.

There you have it: Purdue vs. Kent State. Admission and parking are always free at TheComeback.com Bowl. As a bonus, we have partnered with Kellogg’s. One lucky fan will get to soak in a bathtub of Frosted Flakes. Awesome.

Enjoy the game. And enjoy the halftime musical act: Hardy!

About Michael Grant

Born in Jamaica. Grew up in New York City. Lives in Louisville, Ky. Sports writer. Not related to Ulysses S. Grant.

View all posts by Michael Grant