It All Comes Down To This: The Old Oaken Bucket

Written By Evan McShane (@veryreasonable)

The Indiana Hoosiers will face the Purdue Boilermakers for the 120th time in school history this Saturday in West Lafayette. History is not on Indiana’s side in this rivalry, but Tom Allen and the Hoosiers hope to change that. Indiana has beaten Purdue four straight times for just the second time ever. Both teams come into the game with records of 5-6; and in addition to traditional bragging rights, bowl eligibility is on the line. As Indiana and Purdue attempt to rebuild their football programs under new coaching regimes, this year’s ‘Bucket Game’ presents an opportunity for the victor to get a head-start. The loser of The Old Oaken Bucket will lose their chance to play in a bowl game. The winner is going bowling. The stakes are arguably as high as they’ve been since 1967, when the winner of that game went on to play in the Rose Bowl. A Rose Bowl isn’t on the line this weekend, but earning a trip to a bowl game would be monumental for both football programs in their own right.

Each team features a first-year head coach looking to make a state-wide statement. For Purdue, a victory over IU and a bowl game would be a remarkable accomplishment for new head coach Jeff Brohm and his staff. Many experts expected the Boilermakers to struggle mightily this season following four years of blunders under former head coach Darrell Hazell. Surprisingly, Brohm is making something out of nothing in West Lafayette. Lead by their defense, Purdue surprised many by crushing Missouri on the road early in the season. To the Boilers’ credit, they have since reeled off three conference wins capped off with an impressive road win against Iowa last week. It must be noted that Purdue’s schedule in the Big Ten West is significantly weaker than the Big Ten East, but at the end of the day, they’ve exceeded expectations. Two of Purdue’s conference losses came by a combined three points. The Boilermakers were that close to being 7-4 entering Saturday’s game. However, given the circumstances, they are fortunate to have a chance to avoid a losing season in Jeff Brohm’s first year.

For Indiana, where do we start? IU can beat Purdue five straight times for the first time in school history. IU can go to a bowl game for a third straight time – that hasn’t happened since Bill Mallory’s teams in the late 1980’s. IU can get a win at Ross-Ade Stadium for just the third time in the last twenty years. The Hoosiers’ are trying to rebrand themselves. Spearheaded by a stellar defense under new head coach Tom Allen, a culture-change is happening in Bloomington. Facing an incredibly difficult schedule, some analysts expected Indiana to be right about where they are now – sitting at 5-6 on the fringe of a bowl berth. IU’s resume this season doesn’t scream success on the surface, but pay closer attention and you’d realize this team is weathering a horrendous storm.

The Hoosiers have been absolutely decimated by injuries on both sides of the ball. It started with Nick Westbrook going down on the very first play of the season, and it feels as if the injuries never stopped hitting the Hoosiers. IU lost some of their key contributors early in the year; from Marcelino Ball to Donovan Hale to J-Shun Harris to Peyton Ramsey. Indiana played one of the toughest schedules in the nation: Their first four conference games came against top-twenty teams, while one-third of their Big Ten schedule comprised of potential national championship contenders. The Hoosiers also had to deal with an unexpected game cancellation against Florida International. Playing in perhaps the toughest division in football, Indiana’s somewhat lackluster season should be considered an impressive feat. The Hoosiers’ new coaching staff is convincing players and recruits to buy in to the Breakthrough.

Tom Allen and his players will enjoy Thanksgiving, but they cannot wait for the weekend. “Very excited about having a trophy game this week. We all know the Bucket is a huge priority to our program. [We] take a lot of pride in this game.” Allen described his feelings toward the Old Oaken Bucket, “Really, really blessed to be a part of one of the top rivalries in the entire country. I've been several places where we have had some trophy games -- not every place has this kind of a rivalry game with this much passion and intensity.” IU was unable to notch a huge upset victory this season, but beating the in-state rival would be a huge step toward a breakthrough. Indiana’s homegrown head coach is no stranger to the IU-Purdue rivalry. Allen explains, “Being raised in this state and seeing this game for many, many years as a younger person, and just so much I know goes into it.” He adds, “We fully understand the magnitude of the game. We understand that both teams have five wins and know what is at stake for both sides.” Obviously, Allen wishes his Hoosiers had a winning record as they travel to West Lafayette, but playing Purdue with everything on the line is a dream scenario for the Indiana-native.

Those unfamiliar to the Indiana-Purdue series don’t understand how meaningful this game is. Matchups between teams with losing records aren’t typically this intense. Rivalry aside, earning a trip to a bowl game is not something to be overlooked. Critics try to reduce the worth of bowls because there are so many of them, but no matter how silly the name of the bowl is, these postseason games represent the essence of college football: pure competition. For seniors, this is a chance to extend their football careers – a chance to play the game they love one more time. For coaches and the rest of the roster, it’s an opportunity to get more practices and experience under their belt. Possibly the most important aspect of this game is centered around recruiting. The winner of this year’s Bucket Game will undoubtedly gain an edge in luring future high school players to come to the university.   

Indiana has a chance to end the year on a high note after a season filled with heartbreaking losses and setbacks. A victory would give the Hoosiers a reason to be very confident in their future with Tom Allen at the helm. Of course, a loss wouldn’t be the end of the world. It is unfair to have high expectations for a historically disadvantaged football program in the midst of a coaching change. Indiana’s defense has continued to make strides, their special teams have improved remarkably, and time is all it will take for Allen to recruit his style of players. It should go without saying, but making a bowl game would be mightily impressive for Allen in his inaugural season. Five consecutive wins against Purdue and a trip to a third straight bowl game would give Indiana football fans their first true glimpse of what breaking through looks like.