At the end of each summer, Joe Tiller listens to the criticisms of his football team and proves them wrong. He hears the buzz that no Purdue running back will ever rush for 1,000 yards, then laughs when Joey Harris busts loose for 1,115. He realizes the perception that his team can't stop anybody and then chuckles as the Boilermakers lead the Big Ten in total defense.

But now comes the biggest challenge of all -- proving the critics right. With 18 starters returning from a team that lost six games last season by a combined 26 points, the Boilermakers have become this year's trendy Cinderella pick to win the Big Ten. And Tiller finds himself digging at the bottom of the barrel for something negative to rally his team around.

	QB Kyle Orton leads Purdue's high-powered offense.

"This year, I can't seen to find (a myth) to disprove," Tiller said. "I guess we've done them all. We're going to have to make the critics look smart for a change -- which isn't easy. But we'll give it a shot."

They don't get the love of an Ohio State or Michigan. They don't have a talent like Wisconsin's Anthony Davis. But overlooking the Boilermakers in an ultra-competitive Big Ten this year could be a mistake.

Since Tiller's arrival, the Boilermakers have been a model of consistency, becoming one of just two Big Ten schools (Michigan the other) to play in a bowl game in each of the past six years.

Last season, it was Purdue -- not national champion Ohio State -- that became just the 13th school in conference history to lead the Big Ten in total offense and total defense in the same season.

Yet the Boilermakers finished just 7-6. They lost the close games, including a 10-6 defeat to the Buckeyes and a 31-28 to co-Big Ten champion Iowa. And they turned the ball over a stomach-churning 34 times for the season.

Now, a year later, with almost everyone back, the only thought in West Lafayette is that of unfinished business.

"Too many times we put the defense in a bad situation last year," quarterback Kyle Orton said. "Ball security, hanging on to the football -- the coaches harp on that.

"If we can just hold on to the football and do what we do best, we'll win some football games. There aren't too many teams that can go 80 or 90 yards on that defense."

It's a unit where experience reigns. Five of Purdue's defensive starters have held their position for three years. That level of familiarity has allowed defense coordinator Brock Spack the flexibility to create a smorgasbord of schemes.

Now, the same coaches that used to walk off the field wowed by Purdue's wide-open, circus-like offense are just as impressed with its ultra-aggressive, in-your-face defense.

"That was one of the most difficult preparations I've ever had in coaching," said Wake Forest offensive coordinator Steed Lobotzke, who's been coaching 10 years and helped guide the Demon Deacons past Purdue 24-21 last September. "They have so many different fronts, different coverages, man, zone, free safety, cover safety, disguised blitzes. We were shocked."

Complementing the defense is an offense as potent as ever. Along with Orton, the Boilermakers return the Big Ten's top two receivers, John Standeford and Taylor Stubblefield. Last year, running back Harris teamed with Standeford to form the school's first combination 1,000-yard rusher and receiver. While Harris is academically ineligble for this season, that doesn't mean Purdue will stop running. Sophomore Brandon Jones, who rushed for nearly 700 yards last year, will likely replace Harris.

"Big Ten coaches are now prepared to stop this sissy ball," Tiller said. "So we have no problem giving the ball to Joey or any of our other capable running backs."

Question marks rest on the offensive line. And of course, as with any Big Ten team not named Michigan or Ohio State, with depth. Not to mention, the 2003 schedule features games in Ann Arbor and Columbus, where the Boilermakers are a combined 1-27 since 1967.

Still, there's plenty of cause for optimism. Before Tiller's arrival in 1997, the Boilermakers had just two winning seasons in 16 years. They were everybody's pick for homecoming.

Now, they're the trendy pick for Pasadena -- potentially their second trip to the Big Ten's promised land in the past four years.

"With the history of this league, you have to earn your dues," Orton said. "We believe in ourselves. Now it's time to take the next step."

Wayne Drehs is a staff writer at ESPN.com. He can be reached at wayne.drehs@espn3.com.