Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Thankful for Old Oaken Bucket Rivalry
11/25/2015 4:30:00 PM | Football
By: Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Kevin Wilson is thankful for Purdue. He wants to beat them Saturday. But he's thankful for them.
Not every school is fortunate enough to take part in a rivalry like the Old Oaken Bucket game, Indiana's head coach said. The competitive trophy rivalries are intertwined in the fabric of college football, special to the universities that take part in them.
"We're very fortunate to have a great rival, and have a lot of respect for their school," Wilson said. "Though my years from high school as a player and through college and where I've coached, I've been lucky to be able to be at a place with good rivals. Not everybody has that blessing."
The Bucket trophy was the result of a joint effort between Russell Gray of Purdue and Dr. Clarence Jones of Indiana who together were tasked by the Chicago Purdue and Indiana alumni groups with finding a traditional trophy for the winner of the annual football game in 1925.
Indiana's Whiley J. Huddle and Purdue's Fritz Ernst ended up locating the bucket, deciding it was a fit enough representation of the state for the team's to play for.
The first Bucket game resulted in a 0-0 tie, which led to the initial "I-P" chain link to be attached to the Bucket. Since then, 58 "P" links, 29 "I" links and two more "I-P" links have been attached to the chain.
Indiana has won the last two Bucket games, including a 23-16 win last season and a 56-36 triumph in 2013. Both games were played in Bloomington.
The Bucket currently resides in a trophy case in the Indiana locker room at Memorial Stadium for the players to see each day. It constantly rotates on a turntable and is taken out at certain alumni events.
Purdue is looking to bring the Bucket back to West Lafayette, where they last won it in 2012.
The rivalry itself holds different meaning to different players, depending on how much they knew about it beforehand.
Senior quarterback Nate Sudfeld, for example, has been taught the rivalry the last four years from people like former Hoosier and current IU administrator Mark Deal. Indiana natives, like left tackle Jason Spriggs, don't need to be reminded how much the rivalry game means to the schools.
"It means something to everybody in this state," Purdue head coach Darrell Hazell said. "So it's a very significant moment, those 3 ½ hours on Saturday."
Indiana's players recognize the importance of the game extends beyond this season.
Winning the Bucket means the programs can showcase it at team and alumni events. It means bragging rights for the school to celebrate the trophy in the locker room. It means adding another "I" link to the chain that won't ever be taken off.
"There's a lot of stuff that goes into this game. A lot of preparation. A lot of history," redshirt sophomore kicker Griffin Oakes said. "I'm expecting a big fight from them. I'm expecting a big fight from us."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Kevin Wilson is thankful for Purdue. He wants to beat them Saturday. But he's thankful for them.
Not every school is fortunate enough to take part in a rivalry like the Old Oaken Bucket game, Indiana's head coach said. The competitive trophy rivalries are intertwined in the fabric of college football, special to the universities that take part in them.
"We're very fortunate to have a great rival, and have a lot of respect for their school," Wilson said. "Though my years from high school as a player and through college and where I've coached, I've been lucky to be able to be at a place with good rivals. Not everybody has that blessing."
The Bucket trophy was the result of a joint effort between Russell Gray of Purdue and Dr. Clarence Jones of Indiana who together were tasked by the Chicago Purdue and Indiana alumni groups with finding a traditional trophy for the winner of the annual football game in 1925.
Indiana's Whiley J. Huddle and Purdue's Fritz Ernst ended up locating the bucket, deciding it was a fit enough representation of the state for the team's to play for.
The first Bucket game resulted in a 0-0 tie, which led to the initial "I-P" chain link to be attached to the Bucket. Since then, 58 "P" links, 29 "I" links and two more "I-P" links have been attached to the chain.
Indiana has won the last two Bucket games, including a 23-16 win last season and a 56-36 triumph in 2013. Both games were played in Bloomington.
The Bucket currently resides in a trophy case in the Indiana locker room at Memorial Stadium for the players to see each day. It constantly rotates on a turntable and is taken out at certain alumni events.
Purdue is looking to bring the Bucket back to West Lafayette, where they last won it in 2012.
The rivalry itself holds different meaning to different players, depending on how much they knew about it beforehand.
Senior quarterback Nate Sudfeld, for example, has been taught the rivalry the last four years from people like former Hoosier and current IU administrator Mark Deal. Indiana natives, like left tackle Jason Spriggs, don't need to be reminded how much the rivalry game means to the schools.
"It means something to everybody in this state," Purdue head coach Darrell Hazell said. "So it's a very significant moment, those 3 ½ hours on Saturday."
Indiana's players recognize the importance of the game extends beyond this season.
Winning the Bucket means the programs can showcase it at team and alumni events. It means bragging rights for the school to celebrate the trophy in the locker room. It means adding another "I" link to the chain that won't ever be taken off.
"There's a lot of stuff that goes into this game. A lot of preparation. A lot of history," redshirt sophomore kicker Griffin Oakes said. "I'm expecting a big fight from them. I'm expecting a big fight from us."
Players Mentioned
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