WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- It might be easy to understand if Purdue is ready for this season to be over.Their coach of four seasons, Darrell Hazell, was fired after a 49-35 homecoming loss to Iowa last month. Theyve lost every game since despite the energetic efforts of interim head coach Gerad Parker. The Boilermakers (3-8, 1-7 Big Ten) will end the season Saturday, win or lose, on the road against rival Indiana in the traditional Old Oaken Bucket game.Parker says his team will be ready.They absolutely do have enough left, and you cant disregard that, Parker said Tuesday. I believe we have more to play for. Were all in. I know that on Sunday, our energy was the best it has been. In our Monday night practice, our guys ran around full of energy. They know what this is about. They know its a rivalry game. We arent going to have to ask our guys to play.Purdue has lost six in a row and has been outscored 276-141, an average of 46-23.5. The Boilermakers are tied for last in the nation in turnover margin at minus-18, including 23-8 in interception differential. Purdue is last in the Big Ten in scoring defense (allowing 39.4 points per game) and last in total defense (461.9 yards).Toss in the fact Purdue has lost 16 consecutive games played in November and the uncertainty surrounding the head coaching position and the situation appears daunting. A loss would give Purdue a 9-39 overall record in the past four seasons, including 3-30 in the Big Ten.Sophomore quarterback David Blough leads the Big Ten in passing yards per game at 284.3 but also leads the conference in interceptions with 19 to go with 23 touchdowns. To say the least, it has been a difficult season for him.I have to do my job, Blough said, The turnovers are the same story, just different days. Its frustrating. We cant turn it over and expect to win a game. Last week (against Wisconsin) is gone, and now were going to give Indiana everything weve got.Parker is 0-5 as the interim head coach -- opponents have outscored Purdue 128-27 in the second halves of those losses -- but he said he is proud of the fact the Boilermakers never failed to compete for him.Our players and coaches have kept everything in the locker room in order and have held each other accountable, Parker said. We had a great practice Monday night and plan to have great practices the rest of the week to get ready for a very good Indiana team.We have -- in my opinion -- just as much to play for as Indiana. Its about the legacy of our seniors and how we all want to leave this program.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25. 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He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- Chad Knaus swears his team, and his driver Jimmie Johnson, dont obsess over Johnson potentially earning a record-tying seventh championship.He says they worry about winning the next race, earning Johnsons 80th career victory after No. 79 came Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.But he must not read Johnsons Twitter account. Johnson has no hashtag about the number of wins. But he often puts in his tweets:#Se7enOn Twitter, a person cant add emphasis to a hashtag. But after Sunday, Johnsons #Se7en will take a new meaning over the next three weeks.His Goodys Fast Relief 500 victory propelled him into the true championship conversation as he earned one of the four berths available in the Homestead finale for the eight remaining Chase for the Sprint Cup drivers. Johnson, any Chase drivers who win upcoming events at Texas and Phoenix and then those best in points will fill the remaining four spots.Tying Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty with a record seven career titles would seem a ridiculous notion for Johnson years ago when the off-road racer made a nondescript entrance into NASCAR as a good-but-not-great Xfinity Series driver.Id love to do it, Johnson said. Honestly, just thrilled to have a shot at it. Thats all you can hope for, is just have a shot at it.Johnson never dreamed of winning seven titles. While he did guarantee potential sponsors back in the day he would win in Cup, that was more youthful enthusiasm and not a prediction. But once he was paired with Chad Knaus and put in cars that required his excellent car control, Johnson became unstoppable as he won five titles from 2006-2010 and then another in 2013.Johnson also has enjoyed a ridiculous turnaround in 2016 alone. He had a 15-race stretch where he posted just three top-5 finishes starting in April at Bristol and running through early August at Watkins Glen.Sometimes youre not as good as you look, youre not as bad as you look, team owner Rick Hendrick said. I dont think we were as bad. Now, we were pretty terrible back April, May.We started picking up speed, getting to the front, leading some laps. We could see it coming. ... I felt like we could be at Homestead, but theres no guarantee. There are a whole lot of people in the garage that thought theyd be at Homestead that wont be at Homestead.Hendrick played a role. He spent more time with the team, its engineers, its crew chiefs and its drivers.The turnaround, Im way impressed with, especially from where we came from to where weve ended up, Johnson said. Its one thing to see progress, but to advance and go back to leading a lot of laps and contending for many wins is very, very impressive.We couldnt have done it on our own. It took all four teams, then it took all the departments at Hendrick. Honestly, it took Rick Hendrick showing his commitment. For him to sit in the wind tunnel for a 24?hour shift with all the teams, his commitment. He couldnt help being in that wind tunnel, but his presence there, the message that sent to the organization.Even the win Sunday had its ridiculous moments for Johnson. He seemed surprised when Denny Hamlin slammed into him to make a pass, feeling as if he was racing hard but not worthy of such an aggressive move. The dammage, luckily for Johnson, just needed a little bit of fixing.ddddddddddddIm puzzled that he had to move me like he did, Johnson said. The inside is a preferred lane. I gave him the inside.I had a little something working on the top. Theres a line of cars behind him. I just cant roll over.Then with about 140 laps to go, Johnson was among four cars that had not pitted during a lengthy green-flag run when Carl Edwards blew a tire and slammed the wall. Struggling to make sure he had enough fuel, Johnson accidentally stalled his car on the backstretch.He realized he had hit the wrong switch, turning off the electronic control unit for the fuel injection system. Johnson lost only three spots because only a few cars remained on the lead lap, and he got the car re-fired before he lost a lap. Somehow his car had enough fuel to make it around for several circuits before NASCAR opened pit road as it tried to get the scoring figured out.Johnson restarted fourth -- his team thought he should have started a little higher, but after nearly 20 minutes and 29 caution laps of NASCAR confusion in its scoring tower, the team didnt have time to create more of a ruckus -- and then owned the final green-flag segment of the race.its unbelievable were here with the trophy, Johnson said. We were parked on the backstretch with a hundred [or so] to go.Thankfully, we had some track position at the time, so the pace car didnt come to me and put me down a lap. That would have been a huge problem for us.It took Johnson 23 laps to motor to the front, where he remained for the final 92 circuits. A hard-charging Brad Keselowski finished second with three frustrated Joe Gibbs Racing drivers -- Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch -- finishing third through fifth.That JGR trio remained ahead of the Chase bubble. The ones currently outside: Joey Logano (ninth), Kevin Harvick (20th), Kurt Busch (22nd) and Edwards (36th).While the JGR and Toyota drivers dominated the regular season, Johnson could now have the last laugh in his Chevrolet.Its not about the numbers, Knaus said. Its not about seven. Its not about tying Dale. Its not about tying Richard. Its not about beating Dale or Richard, beating Jeff [Gordon] for most wins [at Hendrick with 93]. I think you guys miss what were about.We want to go win Texas. You follow me? We want to go win Homestead. We want to go win Phoenix. Then, guess what, in a few months Daytona is rolling around, we want to win that one, too. Thats the way we approach every single race. Its not about what were eclipsing.Knaus can keep saying it, but he will convince few of it. Of course, lets be clear: Johnson doesnt need to win a seventh to cement him in NASCAR history. It only will enhance it.Seven is a number to a lot of people, but to me hes already one of the all-time greats, four-time Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon said after what likely was the last race of his career. I think that number would maybe just solidify that in the history books maybe for some others, and maybe it would be really special to Jimmie personally.Im sure it would. Thats amazing. Seven. ' ' '