Who's got the edge in the Bucket Game?

[Brett Goldenhorn]

3-8. 3-8. The records mirror each other. The teams have had similar seasons.

Indiana has had a year of disappointment following a year that inspired hope into many non-believers. 2008, a season where the Hoosiers were among the laughing stock of the country in NCAA football.

Indiana football has never before lost to a Mid American Conference team. This year, they lost to two of them in Ball State and Central Michigan University. They also put up abysmal numbers in the second half in just about every game this year.

The Boilermakers, on the other hand, have not been great themselves, posting the same 3-8 record as the Hoosiers. Purdue, has had a much more difficult schedule and has lost to teams that a bottom half Big Ten team should lose to. These teams include Oregon, Notre Dame, Penn State, Ohio State, Northwestern, Minnesota, Michigan State and Iowa. Most importantly, the Boiler Makers have beaten Central Michigan.

But enough with the schedules, let's get into the nitty gritty of it all: the stats.

Rushing: The Hoosiers' rushing attack this year could be thought of as strong at times and incredibly weak at others. Almost every game, Hoosier fans witnessed one or maybe two long runs for touchdowns. But that's it. IU rushed for a total of 1,881 yards on the season, giving up 1,943 yards by their opponents. Without Kellen Lewis, take away 452 of those yards leaving it at 1,429 yards on the year.

Purdue had a tragic season on the ground, rushing for 1,381 yards on the year and giving up 1,976 yards by their opponents. Their quarterback was virtually immobile, rushing for a grand whopping total of 9 yards this year. Kory Sheets, their stud running back, carried the load with 1070 net rushing yards in 2008.

The Edge: I will give Indiana the edge in rushing only because of the amount of threats they have. Purdue still has a thousand-yard back. The Hoosiers will need to be careful not to let Sheets run all over their atrocious run defense.

Passing: The Hoosiers had a terrible season in the air, throwing for 2,083 yards total between two quarterbacks. IU also gave up 2,647 yards by their opponents. Ben Chappell and Kellen Lewis each threw for just over a thousand yards. Losing a big time receiver in James Hardy proved to be a struggle as 17 different Hoosiers caught passes throughout this season. The Hoosiers have thrown 10 passing TDs this season.

Purdue, however, had precisely the opposite line for passing, throwing for 2,516 yards this season and giving up 2,107 yards by their opponents. Purdue has thrown it to 15 different receivers on the year. This isn't much better than their cross-state rival. They have thrown for 11 TD passes in 2008.

The Edge: The edge in passing goes to the Boilers. Curtis Painter, the quarterback, has doubled the yards that both of our quarterbacks have thrown, going for 1,952 yards this year. Also, they have one thing IU doesn't have: decent receivers.

Defense: The Hoosiers' defensive front is better than the Boilers. They have racked up 30 sacks this year for a total of 196 yards. The Boilers have made 23 sacks for 140 yards. The pressure that Greg Middleton, Jammie Kirlew and Will Patterson will put on Curtis Painter is scary. The problem: Indiana has absolutely NO secondary. The Hoosiers have intercepted 6 passes all year, putting them in dead last in the category in the Big Ten. The Boilers have only intercepted 8 passes. To put it in perspective, Penn State and Ohio State have intercepted 14 passes this season. The secondary was one of the few prides of the Hoosiers team last year, when Tracy Porter dominated any receiver he faced. This year it is one of the weakest units in the country.

The Edge: Draw. Both teams have a terrible defense. It will come down to who makes the fewest mistakes on that side of the ball.

Overall: This should be a high scoring affair if I have done my research correctly. Both teams have sufficient weapons on offense while their defenses respectively have let down just about every fan and coach that they have. Look for a lot of running on Indiana's side and a lot of passing from PU.

Prediction: The Hoosiers win, 34-31, as they retain possession of the Old Oaken Bucket.

[Shawn Azman]

I enjoyed the article, especially calling the defensive edge a draw because both defense are terrible.

I find myself looking at the game in that context. For me, its not which team is better, because, after the game on Saturday, both teams are still going to be really bad, with the better team only having 4 wins (only 2 in conference play).

So, in my mind, this game is really to see who the worst team in the Big Ten is. And, like everyone has been saying, after a year that got IU fans so excited about IU football, this season hurts that much more.

[Mobtalk]

Originally Posted by Shawn Azman

So, in my mind, this game is really to see who the worst team in the Big Ten is.

That question was answered resoundingly.

[IUHoosier4Life]

That was absolutely the most pitiful game our Hoosiers have ever played.. We owe Kellen the biggest thanks of all!

[IUHoosier4Life]

Is there a way to impeach Lewis and the coach? IU has the talent in all the wrong places, and a spineless coach that fails to make good decisions. Absolutely pitiful!!!

[BWW]

I try to see something positive in everything about our Hoosiers, but there was absolutly nothing to be positive about in this game. One of the worst I have ever seen. The players said after the game they were prepared to play but I did not see a team that was ready to play. They were lost from the opening kick.