Last year, Purdue had 5 days of classes and then finals after the return from Thanksgiving. Going this route, dropping the 2 day October “break” means a net loss of 3 days. And that pre-Finals week was “dead week” - no exams, mostly review/wrap-up.
Other than the challenges of logistics and security for finals, this makes perfect sense.
The President has said they will limit stadium attendance to 1/4 capacity, so I’m assuming Parents Weekend will not happen. But Purdue’s not exactly a football powerhouse with rabid fans and oversold games. It’s probably a bit different at Ohio State.