Purdue football (3-8 overall, 2-6 Big Ten) will look to close out the season on a high note on Saturday afternoon, taking on in-state rival Indiana (3-8 overall, 1-7 Big Ten) for the Old Oaken Bucket in Ross-Ade Stadium.
Boiler Upload takes a first look at the Hoosiers heading into Saturday's matchup.
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When, where, how to watch:
Where: Ross-Ade Stadium (61,441 capacity), West Lafayette, Indiana.
When: November 25th at 12:00 pm. ET
TV: Big Ten Network (Broadcast team to be announced)
Betting odds: Purdue is a 2.5 point favorite and the over/under is 50.5 points
Another down year in Bloomington:
It has been yet another disappointing campaign for the Hoosiers in 2023, coming into the final week of the regular season with its third straight year with eight or more losses. Indiana will end the year in the basement of the Big Ten East, which is something that has been all too familiar to the Hoosiers in recent years.
Indiana kicked off the season on a losing note while playing two of the best teams in the country within the first three weeks of the year. The Hoosiers dropped their opener to Ohio State before notching a win over Indiana State the following week. That was followed up by a loss to Jeff Brohm and Louisville in a game that came down to the wire. To close out the non-conference slate, Indiana beat what is now a 2-9 Akron team in four overtimes at home.
That is when things began going south. Indiana would go on to lose its next four games against Maryland, Michigan, Rutgers and Penn State for a month-long losing streak. That cold stretch came to an end when the Hoosiers beat Wisconsin at home to start November.
The surprise win has not changed Indiana's fortunes, however, as it's dropped the last two against Illinois and Michigan State, both by three points. The narrative will be the same for the Boilermakers, can they end their season on a high note with a win in the Bucket Game? We shall see.
The final game for Tom Allen?
Indiana head coach Tom Allen has been on the chopping block for well over a year now, but it feels like it may finally be the end of his tenure in Bloomington. The 8th year head coach holds a 33-48 record with the Hoosiers, owning just two winning seasons and having only 11 wins over the last three years combined.
Purdue will have the opportunity to sour the end of Indiana's season and potentially the end of Tom Allen's time as the Hoosiers' head coach.
Holding onto the Old Oaken Bucket:
Much has been made of where Purdue can pull motivation from down the stretch after missing out on a bowl game this season, but this game has the intensity built in. The Old Oaken Bucket will be on the line for the 98th time on Saturday afternoon and the Boilermakers will aim to keep the upper hand in the longtime rivalry clash.
Purdue currently leads the all-time series 76-42-6, while also having an advantage since the Bucket was formed in 1925 with a record of 62-32-3. The Boilermakers have continued that success in recent years, winning the last two and four of the last five in the annual rivalry.
The Boilermakers have a new coaching staff that has not experienced the Old Oaken Bucket Game yet, but hope to have a successful introduction to the in-state clash.
