Purdue @ Indiana preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 25, 2017 ) Indiana 24, Purdue 31

The Old Oaken Bucket is always up for grabs when Purdue and Indiana meet on the football field and for the second straight season bowl eligibility awaits the winner of Saturday's game in Bloomington. Purdue snapped a four-game slide in the series with a 31-24 victory last season that propelled them to a 38-35 win over Arizona in the Foster Farms Bowl while the Hoosiers hope to turn the tables and earn the opportunity to end their bowl losing streak at four.

"We’ve still got a shot to win this one and keep playing,” Boilermakers senior quarterback David Blough told reporters. “That’s all you can ask for at the end of the year. While it’s frustrating we haven’t had more success down the stretch after that good patch in the middle, we’ve still got breath in our lungs and we’ve still got another game." Purdue squandered a chance to become bowl eligible last week with a 47-44 triple-overtime loss to Wisconsin while Indiana took a two-point lead into halftime before falling at No. 4 Michigan 31-20. "Really, that it's two in-state teams trying to battle it out for the Bucket," senior safety Jonathan Crawford told reporters. "I just try to keep telling them that this game is huge. This game can change so many lives. This game, then going to the bowl, then winning a bowl, it's been a long time since we've done that. Getting to know the history of it." The Hoosiers last finished with a winning record and bowl victory in 1991, when they defeated Baylor 24-0 in the Copper Bowl to finish 7-4-1.

TV: Noon ET, ESPN 2. LINE: Purdue -4

ABOUT PURDUE (5-6, 4-4 Big Ten): Rondale Moore (conference highs of 91 catches and 10 touchdown receptions, 1,023 yards), a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist for best wide receiver in the nation, totaled 174 all-purpose yards versus Wisconsin and is third in the nation with 172.2 per game. Blough (22 TDs, seven interceptions) has completed 65.6 percent of his passes this season - just shy of the school record of 65.8 set by Mark Herrmann in 1980 (minimum 150 attempts). Senior running back D.J. Knox (826 yards, eight touchdowns) spearheads the ground game but has gained only 158 yards on 37 carries with no scores in his last four games.

ABOUT INDIANA (5-6, 2-6): Freshman running back Stevie Scott (nine touchdowns) became the 19th player in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season (1,033) after gaining 139 with a score versus Michigan. Sophomore quarterback Peyton Ramsey completes 65.4 percent of his passes with 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions this season but has thrown only seven scores with seven picks in his last five games. Crawford (team-most 60 tackles, two fumble recoveries) boasts nine career interceptions - the most among active Big Ten players.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Knox needs 174 yards on the ground to give the Boilermakers a 1,000-yard rusher, 1,000-yard receiver and 3,000-yard passer for the first time in school history with Moore and Blough already reaching their plateaus.

2. The Hoosiers are tied for third nationally with 13 fumble recoveries and have recorded a takeaway in 17 straight games - the second-longest active streak in the nation - while their 25 takeaways this season lead the Big Ten.

3. Purdue leads the series 73-41-6 but lost its last two games in Bloomington by a combined nine points.

PREDICTION: Indiana 35, Purdue 31