On Saturday evening, No. 10 Indiana football (10-1, 7-1 in Big Ten) hosts rival Purdue (1-10, 0-8 in Big Ten) in the 126th rendition of the battle for the Old Oaken Bucket and the first held under the lights.
The Hoosiers suffered its first loss of the Curt Cignetti era last week with a 38-15 defeat to Ohio State in Columbus. Indiana scored on its first and last drive of the game and could not get anything working in between.
Purdue comes into its final game of a tumultuous season under second-year head coach Ryan Walters. The Boilermakers won its first game of the season against FCS Indiana State and have yet to be in the win column since. Saturday night will mark the fourth time in its final six games of the season that Purdue will oppose a top-ten opponent.
The Old Oaken Bucket will be on the line for the 99th time when the in-state foes do battle; here's what you need to know regarding the Hoosiers' regular season encounter with the Boilermakers.
LAST MEETING
Last season in West Lafayette, Purdue ended the Tom Allen era with a gritty 35-31 victory over the Hoosiers in West Lafayette.
Indiana quarterback Brendan Sorsby completed 17-of-31 passes for 226 yards with 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Boilermaker quarterback Hudson Card 21-for-34 for 275 and 3 touchdown passes in the victory.
The victory marked the third consecutive Boilermaker win over the Hoosiers, keeping the Bucket in West Lafayette for the third straight season.
INJURY UPDATES
Curt Cignetti said at his weekly press conference on Monday that there are no knew injuries heading into the rivalry game with Purdue.
The mandated availability report is set to release two hours before kickoff on Saturday – around 5:00 p.m.
STORYLINES TO WATCH
Will Indiana waste no time getting going?
Throughout the years, there have been lopsided matchups in the rivalry between Indiana and Purdue, but Saturday night's contest with the Boilermakers will be the most one-sided affair since the turn of the century.
It is imperative that the offense can slice through the Boilermaker defense, which has given up at least 35 points in seven of its games this season.
Cignetti doesn't need to give a pep talk given Indiana has everything to play for with College Football Playoff implications on the line. Simply beating Purdue won't be considered enough for Cignetti and Indiana, so it will be up to the Hoosiers to start fast and never look back.
How many points is enough?
After falling to Ohio State last week, Curt Cignetti proclaimed that "it's obvious" that his team should be in the College Football Playoff despite losing by three scores in Columbus.
Sitting at 10 in the most recent rankings revealed on Tuesday, Indiana still has something to prove and have one more opportunity against a historically bad Purdue team.
Cignetti has brought a lot of surprises to Bloomington in his first season, but it won't be surprising if he doesn't pull back any punches until the very end in hopes to guide his team across the finish line of what has been a marvelous season.
Matchup to watch: Indiana WR vs Purdue DB
Entering Bucket Week, Purdue has given up 243.9 passing yards per game, which ranks third-worst in the Big Ten this season. Additionally, Purdue's opponents are averaging north of 40 points per contest this season.
Purdue's secondary has been historically bad, while Indiana's receiving corps is putting up historical numbers.
It will be intriguing to see how well Indiana's passing game will fare against Purdue in the freezing cold temperatures on Saturday night in Bloomington.
QUICK HITTERS
Who?: No. 10 Indiana (10-1, 7-1 in Big Ten) vs Purdue (1-10, 0-8 in Big Ten)
When?: Saturday, November 30th, 7:00 p.m. EST
Where?: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana
Projected Forecast: Cloudy, 30 degrees, Wind 6 MPH SW
TV: FS1. Tim Brando (play-by-play), Devin Gardner (analyst), Josh Sims (sideline)
Radio: IU Radio Network, Don Fischer (play-by-play), Buck Suhr (analyst), John Herrick
Vegas: IU -29.5, o/u 56.5
ESPN SP+: Indiana 47-6, 99% chance of Hoosier victory
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