And all those journalism graduates from Northwestern can wait to wax poetic about the bygone days when their classmates reacted to inevitable football and basketball losses with the arrogant chant, "That's all right, that's OK, you will work for us some day!"

All the proud Northwestern graduates who suddenly became fervid football fans during the Rose Bowl run of 1995 -- but weren't quite as vocal during the team's one Big Ten victory the previous two seasons -- can wait to get excited again.

"Over-rated! Over-rated!" Purdue's fans chanted near the end of the Boilermakers' 41-28 victory Saturday at Ryan Field.

Vinny Sutherland, who scored two TDs, celebrates a big road win for the Boilermakers.(AP)

The game helped make the top of the Big Ten a jumble of title contenders. Four teams are 3-1, but Purdue has already defeated the other three, including Northwestern. For the 17th-ranked Wildcats, the loss took considerable steam out of their improbable season. On a gorgeous fall day, Northwestern couldn't fill its 47,000-seat stadium, but the Wildcats did attract national media to the press box. In the end, though, those people focused their attention on Purdue and -- get this -- the Boilermakers' defense.

That was the case even though quarterback Drew Brees threw five touchdown passes and Montrell Lowe rushed for 174 yards.

Purdue feels it might have turned a corner, and not just Central and Ashland outside Ryan Field. Going into last week's game against Michigan, Purdue was 0-7 under coach Joe Tiller against Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State. The Boilermakers responded by beating the Wolverines at home.

Going into Saturday's game, the Boilermakers were 0-7 under Tiller against ranked teams on the road. Beating Northwestern ended that nasty O-fer.

"We've been told for a long time now, 'When are you guys going to win the big ones?'" said receiver Vinny Sutherland, who had two touchdowns Saturday. "Last week was important, but this one was more important because it was on the road."

Defensive tackle Matt Mitrione was asked how often he hears about the team's road record.

"All the time," he said.

But Purdue is hoping it has grown into a team that can complement Brees with a running game and a defense. Six freshmen and sophomores start on defense.

"There's an air of confidence about us," said Mitrione, a junior. "It took a little while to develop, that's all. We realize the potential we have. When you first come in here and you're young, you're kind of intimidated by all the talk about the offense. You don't get the pub or the hype. I think our young players are realizing they can do anything no matter what class they are."

All they were doing early in Saturday's game, though, was giving up touchdowns. Northwestern scored on its first two possessions. But the Wildcats didn't score again until the middle of the fourth quarter. Purdue defensive coordinator Brock Spack -- how's that for a tough-sounding football name? -- said it was just a matter of adjusting to the pace of Northwestern's no-huddle offense.

The Wildcats' spread offense wasn't a problem, Spack said. After all, he sees it every day in practice from his own team's offense.

"Playing a spread offense is all about speed," Spack said.

Northwestern running back Damien Anderson, who went into the game as the nation's third-leading rusher, ran for only 55 yards --- fewer than Brees. Mitrione said Purdue didn't make the mistakes other teams have made against the Wildcats.

"They took people out of the box to try to cover receivers," he said. "That's why that kid has (so many yards). Defenses get worried about the spread offense, they spread their defense and off to the races he goes."

Tiller offered an aw-shucks take on the game, saying he doesn't worry about his record against ranked teams on the road because, "When you grow up in the back woods of Wyoming, you're not used to playing ranked teams."

Although he toils in the corn of West Lafayette, Ind., the former Wyoming coach is far from the back woods of college football this season. He has a confident team with a 5-2 record going into remaining regular-season games at Wisconsin, home against Ohio State, at Michigan State and home against Indiana.

"After that Michigan win," Brees said, "we really feel like we can go out and win every game, home or away."

And never mind that Ohio State, which lost Saturday, lurks at 2-1.

"It doesn't matter whether they won or loss," Brees said. "We control our own destiny. We're not worried about other teams knocking off other teams for us. We figure if we can win every game from here on out, we're going to the Rose Bowl."