Purdue down several key players for Citrus Bowl, including QB Aidan O'Connell

The Purdue Boilermakers had themselves quite a season, and it's going to culminate in a notable matchup in the Citrus Bowl against No. 17 LSU.

Of course, the Citrus Bowl is a blip on the radar compared to the events of the past few weeks for Purdue. The head coach that got the Boilermakers to that game as well as a spot in the Big Ten Championship against Michigan, Jeff Brohm, left Purdue and took the job at Louisville -- his alma mater.

The Boilermakers subsequently hired an up-and-coming defensive coordinator, Ryan Walters from Illinois, and the program looks set to look ahead to the future.

There is still that pesky business of the Citrus Bowl, though. It's a game that has to be played and it's a win that would be massive for the program considering how messy these past few weeks have been. 

Legendary NFL quarterback and Purdue alum Drew Brees has decided to step in and serve as interim assistant coach for the Boilermakers, which should be a big boost. 

Unfortunately, that's where the good news stops for Purdue.

Senior Quarterback Aidan O'Connell, who threw for 3,490 yards and 22 touchdowns (13 interceptions) this past season, announced on Instagram that he is opting out of the bowl game. 

"This was an incredibly difficult decision. However, I feel that it is the right one for my family and I," the quarterback wrote. 

O'Connell's older brother, Sean, passed away just a few weeks ago. O'Connell could also be preparing to try his hand at the NFL Draft.

The loss of O'Connell would be tough for Purdue to overcome against LSU in itself, but his top two targets -- wide receiver Charlie Jones and tight end Payne Durham, have opted out as well.

Jones, who transferred from Iowa, set a Purdue single-season record with 110 catches for 1,361 yards and 12 touchdowns. Durham caught 56 passes for 560 yards and eight touchdowns.

For those keeping track, that's nearly 2,000 yards of offense and 20 touchdowns not available in this game for Purdue, plus the quarterback who threw all those footballs.

Drew Brees could be a miracle worker as an interim coach, but even that may not be enough to push the Boilermakers past Brian Kelly and an LSU team hungry to end this season with a win after two-straight losses.