After Losing the Bucket in 2017, Hoosiers Realize What is at Stake on Saturday

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

One of the great lessons we learn in life is that sometimes we don’t realize what we have until we lose it. That’s true in relationships and it’s true for college football trophies. For the Indiana Hoosiers, maybe it took a loss to Purdue last year for them to realize just how important the Old Oaken Bucket is to the program and the people in and around it.

The Hoosiers lost the Old Oaken Bucket to Purdue in West Lafayette 31-24 in a game where the Hoosiers seemed to just expect to roll out of bed and walk away with a win. They paid the price. With both programs at 5-6, this game can change the tone of the season. With a win the Hoosiers will earn their third bowl bid in four seasons, while Purdue is likely looking for a new coach come Monday. A loss sends IU home early for the second season in a row and the grumbling of a frustrated fan base will only grow.

Tom Allen recognized that lesson when asked about it on Monday afternoon.

“I think when you have it and then you lose it, it changes your perspective” Allen explained, “I think our guys recognize that. I know that we've talked about some of those things today. We'll talk more about it every single day. It's a big emphasis, and making sure our young guys understand what it means. We've got guys from all across the country, some guys that were raised around it, some guys that were not, and so educating them and making sure they understand exactly the history and those that have gone before him and what it means to win this game and how important it is for our university and for everyone that's part of this program and part of our alumni. So I think that anything in life, when you have it, you take it for granted. When you lose it, you realize how special it really was and really is. I think that can be true of a lot of things for sure, and I think it's definitely true in this rivalry.”

“You don’t take it for granted,” senior receiver Luke Timian said, “but it is kind of easy to overlook it when you are in possession of it. When you don’t have it, it makes it real.”

When in possession of the Old Oaken Bucket, the Hoosiers have it displayed in a rotating trophy case in the locker room, that trophy case is empty and people now notice.

The Indiana coaching staff has made the importance of this game clear and it hasn’t bypassed the players.

“Last year was the first year I’ve seen it not here,” senior OL Wes Martin said on Monday, “and there’s no worse feeling than that. We have signs posted throughout the building that say ‘what have you done today to beat Purdue?”

Saturday will be the first time since 2013 that the Hoosiers will have to take the Old Oaken Bucket back from Purdue. The players now realize how important this trophy is to so many people and all it took was seeing it ripped off their sideline a year ago.