Indiana against Purdue: Old Oaken Bucket Battle, IU’s CFP Play-In

Get in and win.

Do not pay attention to all the blah blah about Indiana not making the expanded College Football Playoff with an 11-1 record.

There are not a lot of big wins—right now, there are only three over bowl-bound teams—but those wins will matter for the rankings. 10-2 is a different story.

With one big win here, Purdue’s terrible season will be forgotten. Yes, 11-1 IU is in, but 10-2 with a loss to a Boilermaker team that has not beaten an FBS team yet this season? Oh no.

Say the overused phrase; this is not the place for records. (Possibly.)

Indiana vs Purdue: How to Watch and Game Preview

Date: Saturday, November 30, 2024
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET
How To Watch: FS1
Venue: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN
Teams: Indiana (10-1), Purdue (1-10)

Why Purdue Will Win

It can be thrown by Purdue.

Last week, it had 342 passing yards against Michigan State. In the four times it threw for almost 220 yards—all four times it threw for 290 yards or more—it won one, came close against Illinois and Northwestern, and beat MSU.

Even though Indiana has a great defense, they do allow a few passing yards. The whole world is on the Hoosier team. The Boilermakers need to keep getting shots down the field. But…

Why Indiana Will Win

Purdue does not get enough points.

It may be able to pass and gain yards, but it only scored 49 points against Illinois and 21 against Oregon. Against everyone else, it is been hard to get past 17.

Ohio needs to wake up soon. There should not be much waste because Purdue’s run defense is not great and their pass defense will definitely give up at least 250 yards. Indiana should stay steady the whole time.

Indiana vs Purdue: Who Will Win?

They will not get many easy breaks. The only time Indiana lost the ball was against Maryland, when they gave it away four times. Overall, the Boilermakers only had five turnovers all year.

Do not worry about the Ohio State game. If Indiana has a good balance, makes a lot of third-down conversions, and has a good day, they will get a spot in the College Football Playoff. Yes, Indiana fans, it is going to happen.