For a century, the Old Oaken Bucket has symbolized the fierce, storied rivalry between Indiana and Purdue. A wooden pail, preserved and adorned with gold chains—each link representing a victory in a series that began in 1925—has passed between these two in-state adversaries for generations.
And yet, never has the gap between them felt so pronounced.
Indiana enters Friday night’s kickoff at Ross-Ade Stadium as the undisputed architect of its own destiny. No. 2 in the nation at 11-0, the Hoosiers have climbed to heights unimaginable just a few years ago. Purdue, meanwhile, trudges into the clash with a 2-9 record, winless in the Big Ten over the last two seasons, seeking to find a foothold against a team whose rise has been meteoric.
“I respect what I see on tape,” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said Monday. “They’re playing hard. They’re making plays. They’re in games. They’re doing a good job up there coaching, and we have to go up there prepared, and we got to play well.”
For a program chasing perfection—a first unbeaten regular season since 1945, a first ever Big Ten championship berth and a shot at a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff—every detail matters. Every practice, every meeting, every pass, every tackle builds toward the singular goal of leaving West Lafayette with the Old Oaken Bucket in hand.
At the heart of that pursuit is quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the current Heisman Trophy favorite. Mendoza, whose season reads like a highlight reel—2,641 yards, 30 touchdowns, five interceptions—embodies both precision and poise.
But even with those gaudy numbers, Mendoza’s gaze is fixed firmly on the moment. The Hoosier quarterback approaches this rivalry with reverence.
“Since I’ve got here, everyone’s always talked about the Oaken Bucket, talked about the rivalry with Purdue,” Mendoza said last week. “A lot of people here are calling them ‘Purdon’t.’ However, I’ve never played them, so I can’t call them anything because they’re a great football team on film, and they’re something to be taken extremely seriously.”
That combination of respect and ambition is what has carried Indiana into rarefied air, becoming a program that is not only winning but also thriving, prepared to cap off a historic regular season against its biggest rival.
On the other hand, Purdue faces a steep climb under first-year head coach Barry Odom. The Boilermakers have been competitive at times. They lost narrowly to Michigan, kept games close with Rutgers and Minnesota and challenged Ohio State in the first half, but the trajectory has been sobering.
Purdue’s roster bears the scars of a season spent searching for consistency. Senior running back Devin Mockobee, who could have set career rushing records, was lost for the season in October. The passing game, oscillating between Ryan Browne and Malachi Singleton under center, has struggled for rhythm.
Yet there remains a spark, a possibility of disruption. Odom’s team may not match Indiana’s, but the spirit of a rivalry is an unpredictable force.
“Coach Odom has got them playing hard,” Cignetti said. “They’ve been very competitive at home.”
Respect for the opponent is mutual. The Hoosiers know that even a heavily favored team can falter if focus wanes. The history of the Old Oaken Bucket adds texture to the moment.
Purdue holds 77 wins in the series, Indiana 43, with six ties. The trophy itself, originating from a real bucket on the Brunner family farm to represent “the most typical Hoosier form of trophy,” is more than wood and metal; it is a tangible link to every player, coach and fan who has given everything to the rivalry.
Last year, Cignetti’s Hoosiers made a statement: a 66-0 victory in Bloomington, the largest margin in the rivalry’s history. The narrative is clear: Indiana’s trajectory is ascending, Purdue’s rebuilding, and the stage could not be larger.
On Friday night, the Old Oaken Bucket will pass once more into history. Indiana chases not just a win, but perfection. Purdue seeks to defy the odds. One program is on the cusp of rewriting its own history. The other is fighting to open its next chapter.
For players, coaches and fans, the game will mark a collision of history 100 years in the making. Ambition and identity. A reminder that, especially in college football, rivalry transcends records and rankings.
And in the quiet, bone-chilling moments before kickoff, as sub-freezing winds whip across Ross-Ade Stadium and the first flakes of snow begin to drift down, the question will hang in the frigid air: Will Indiana cement a regular season for the ages? Or will Purdue summon the improbable, proving once again why the Old Oaken Bucket has withstood a century of trials, tempests and triumphs?
How to watch No. 2 Indiana vs. Purdue
- When: Friday, Nov. 28
- Where: Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- TV: NBC
- Live Stream: Peacock
- Announcing team: Paul Burmeister (play-by-play), Yogi Roth (analyst) and Zora Stephenson (sideline reporter). Terry McAulay is the rules analyst.
About the Author
Zach Browning is a senior at Indiana University and is a senior writer for TheHoosier.com, a website powered by the Rivals Network that covers Indiana athletics. Zach also broadcasts Indiana sports for WIUX Sports, Indiana’s student-run radio station, as well as Big Ten Plus, a student-run broadcasting program powered by the Big Ten Network StudentU program.
