History in sight, IU football keeps its eye on the Old Oaken Bucket at Purdue
- Josh Pos
- 1h ago
Indiana football is flirting with history.
The first undefeated regular season in program history is one win from becoming reality. A trip to the Big Ten Championship Game is inevitable and a first-round bye in its second straight College Football Playoff could be just weeks away.
Curt Cignetti isn’t thinking about any of that — only his second go-around with rival Purdue, the same program he dismantled 66-0 in his first try. The Boilermakers are 2-9 and winless in conference play, but Friday night in West Lafayette is, in his eyes, the most important game of the season.
“We are 100 percent focused on Purdue and nothing else. We have respect for Purdue,” Cignetti said. “If you don’t respect your opponent, then you’re starting in a bad spot.”
The No. 2 Hoosiers enter the contest fresh off a much-needed bye week after going unblemished through six straight Saturdays.
The in-state clash on the final weekend of November carried significant bowl implications for one or both programs in past seasons— Indiana often needing a win over Purdue just to reach the elusive six-win mark and bowl eligibility.
Now, the rivalry sits in a different place, with the programs trending in opposite directions.
Still, preparation for the 100th Old Oaken Bucket game mirrors what Indiana has done all year: complete focus on Friday’s rivalry matchup.
Cignetti immediately pushed back when asked Monday about future games, fixating on the challenges the Boilermakers present.
“We’re certainly expecting their best shot,” he said. “We’ve got 100 percent focus, all eyes on Purdue, and are in the process of preparation to put ourselves in the best position to be successful.”
D’Angelo Ponds is set to play in his second game against Purdue after transferring from James Madison. The Miami native doesn’t have deep ties to the game, but understands its meaning to the state of Indiana.
He and his teammates are going to focus on treating it as “just another game.” Given expectations, the Hoosier locker room hasn’t been all about beating Purdue. It’s about beating the next opponent.
“Honestly, I don’t hear it a lot, if I’m being honest.” Ponds said. “I know it’s important to people around the community, so it’s important to us.”
In the eyes of Wisconsin transfer tight end Riley Nowakowski, the build-up to Friday night has been met with “a healthy amount of intensity.”
Like Ponds, Nowakowski hasn’t visited the archive room to learn about the game. However, he has his own encyclopedia with third-generation Hoosier and fellow tight end James Bomba, who unlocked his disdain for the team 116 miles up the road.
“He’s a guy where it really means a lot to him,” Nowakowski said. “He’s been born and raised on this rivalry, and I’m just, I’m a little bit new to it, but I hate Purdue just as much as him.”
With tempers potentially flaring, Nowakowski believes the veterans will help the team keep a level head. He trusts their experience to steady the group both before kickoff and throughout the game.
“There are times we’ve got to go, and there are times we’ve got to dial it back,” he said. “I think we’re good at approaching those things because we just have a lot of guys with a lot of experience, so they’re able to bring the intensity without just going too hard and messing up.”
Built mainly on veteran transfers, the Hoosiers have eyes on a bigger prize while maintaining a week-by-week focus.
The current rankings make it increasingly difficult to imagine Indiana missing out on a top-four CFP seed with a win on Friday night. Even a loss in the Big Ten championship game likely wouldn’t drop the Hoosiers to playing in the first round.
“It’s not something I’m really thinking about, quite honestly,” Cignetti said. “We’ve had some wins where we’ve won by a lot of points, and we’ve had some wins that are close. I think the most important thing is that you win.”
Friday night at Ross-Ade Stadium could mark yet another historic moment in Indiana University football. Hoosier fans are expected to show in droves, awaiting the program’s first-ever undefeated regular season.
Maybe the Hoosiers will briefly celebrate retaining the Old Oaken Bucket for the second straight year — but that’s where the celebration ends. If this season has shown anything, it’s that there’s no pomp and circumstance inside Cignetti’s program.
Outside noise will be jubilant over the program’s success, but Cignetti and his team will immediately turn the focus to its next task in rewriting history.
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