Bielema didn't treat it that way. He listed specific problems: nobody accounted for Smith on key snaps, rushers lost contain and let the quarterback scramble, the pass rush got no pressure, and on one play Illinois had only 9 defenders on the field. He also worried that his defense might be tipping its calls before the snap. Most of those are fixable in a week of practice. Busted communication and a pass rush that can't get home are harder to fix, and Purdue's staff will study that film too.
The Purdue side is harder to read. Odom took over a program that needed a full rebuild, and the Boilermakers' early results show it is still underway. They've played Wake Forest at Ross-Ade Stadium this month and have had more bad days than good ones. Purdue has no receiver who can do what Smith did last week. The Boilermakers only need an offense that can keep drives alive and push Illinois into long fields on a defense still sorting out its communication.
The weather could matter. The forecast 6 days out calls for 74 degrees, a light drizzle with a 32% chance of rain, and wind around 11 mph at Gies. That won't shut down either passing game, but a wet ball and some wind can turn a few deep shots into punts. The forecast will change several times before Saturday.
Neither team plays again before this, so what you see now is what shows up on October 3. For Illinois, the question is whether an offense that can move the ball on anyone gets any help from a defense that got none in Columbus. For Purdue, it's whether year 2 under Odom is far enough along to take advantage of that. If the Illini defense looks like it did against Ohio State, Purdue can keep this close. If Bielema's fixes work, Illinois should handle it.