Cory Palm book chronicles '100 greatest games' in Purdue's Ross-Ade Stadium
It was a monumental upset of the No. 2 ranked opponent on national television: Purdue 49, Ohio State 20.
The presence of inspirational Purdue super fan Tyler Trent on that October night in 2018 made it extra special, a game for the ages for Boilermaker fans in what easily is one of the best games ever played in Ross-Ade Stadium.
Author Cory Palm chronicles that magical contest and 99 others in a new book: Purdue University’s Ross-Ade Stadium 100 Greatest Games.
The book is published during a season in which Ross-Ade Stadium is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Palm doesn’t rank the 100 games, opting to list the best chronically decade-by-decade: From the 1920s to 2020s.
“It was probably four or five years ago, we were putting together a list for the 500th game in Ross-Ade,” said Palm of the inspiration for the book. “Our marketing department wanted a 10 best games in that 500. I got pulled in on that a little bit. And I’m like: ‘Why stop at 10? We could do more.’ “
A few years later, “100 Greatest Games” is published.
As Purdue’s Director of Broadcast Services, Palm has deep institutional knowledge. He also authored “Perfect Warriors,” a book that documented the exploits of an unbeaten 1943 Boilermaker football team played out against the backdrop of war.
His most recent book is another celebration of Purdue football. How difficult was it to pick the 100 best games in Ross-Ade?
“It wasn’t as hard as you think,” said Palm. “With only 500 games total to pick from, obviously, you want most of them to be wins; if they’re not wins, then really important games. And when you really start digging in. You’ve got 40 or 50 games that immediately add themselves without a second thought.
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“And then you start going deeper and deeper, and you get to 100 pretty quick. I had about 110 total, and I had to cut the least impressive, but it wasn’t as hard as you think.”
Palm continued to massage the list beyond his deadline, with the final game in the book being a 35-31 win vs. Indiana to end 2023. What are his top five Ross-Ade games?
1 “Tyler Trent” game vs. Ohio State in 2018
2 Mike Phipps–Jim Plunkett battle in 1969
3 Senior Day win vs. Indiana in 1967
4 “Holy Toledo” win vs. Ohio State in 2000
5 Win vs. Illinois in 1943 that was centerpiece of unbeaten season
“I think everybody’s list is their own personal list,” said Palm. “There are games we can all agree on. But if you went to a game when you were 8 and saw Mike Alstott destroy Wisconsin, that might be on your list.”
Palm learned some interesting things during his research. Did you know Jack Mollenkopf and Purdue Pete both debuted on the same day during a game in Ross-Ade vs. Missouri in 1956?
“I also learned that Purdue has a claim to a national championship in 1931,” said Palm. “I didn’t know that prior to digging into this project. We were recognized by the Parke Davis poll. It was literally just a guy named Parke Davis who crowned the national champion, but it’s recognized by the NCAA as a championship. That’s a big deal. I’m trying to get that added to our official records.”
To order Palm’s book on Amazon, click here. To order from Target, click here. To order from Barnes and Noble, click here. If you want a personalized, autographed copy, contact Palm directly at [email protected].
