Todd’s Take: While Other Rivalry Games Were Close, Indiana Didn’t Mess Around With Purdue

Indiana wanted to send a message to the college football world about their College Football Playoff worthiness. To deliver it, Purdue had to pay a 66-0 price.

Todd Golden | Dec 1, 2024

Indiana's Elijah Sarratt (13) runs for a touchdown during the Indiana versus Purdue football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – During the final weekend of the college football season, chaos erupted at several rivalry games across the country – and most of it happened to home teams that couldn’t protect their own turf against their rivals.

On Saturday, No. 2 Ohio State failed to navigate unranked Michigan as the Wolverines pulled off a 13-10 shocker at Ohio Stadium.

No. 15 South Carolina went to Death Valley and knocked off No. 12 Clemson 17-14 to remove the Tigers from at-large consideration for the College Football Playoff.

There were near-miss rivalry upsets too. On Friday, No. 7 Georgia needed some very good fortune and eight overtimes to out-last Georgia Tech 44-42. Also on Friday, No. 14 Ole Miss struggled to get past Mississippi State before the Rebels pulled away late for a 26-14 victory. Vanderbilt hung with Tennessee for a while, USC was tied at halftime against Notre Dame … you get the drift.

By the time No. 10 Indiana kicked off against Purdue at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, the cautionary tales were all out there to be heeded. Don’t mess around with your rival. They can and will bite back.

Indiana hadn’t beaten Purdue since 2019, but the Hoosiers had a parallel message to send apart from the rivalry. The College Football Playoff committee needed to know that Indiana is a worthy playoff team. Purdue was the team in their way to deliver that message.

Purdue didn’t stand a chance.

In a 66-0 victory – the most decisive Indiana win in the history of the series – the Hoosiers not only made a point to the CFP committee, but they wanted to demonstrate to Purdue that Indiana is the new big dog in the state of Indiana.

It was a victory so complete that it’s barely believable.

The Indiana defense? Stifling. Purdue only managed 67 yards of total offense and five first downs.

The Indiana offense? Ruthlessly efficient. Indiana scored four more touchdowns than Purdue had first downs – nine in all. The total offense advantage was 582-67 in Indiana’s favor.

At some points of the game you had to remind yourself that this wasn’t Western Illinois, this was Purdue.

Indiana made Purdue cry uncle well before halftime. Offensively, Indiana scored touchdowns on six of their nine possessions. Included were scoring series of 99, 86 and 70 yards.

Purdue’s total yardage by quarter was 10, 44, minus-6 and 19. Purdue never converted a third down and converted just one fourth down. The Indiana defense has been remarkable in some of its games this season. No more so than it was against the Boilermakers.

Purdue’s running game was so ineffective that after Indiana faked a punt in the third quarter – resulting in an 18-yard James Carpenter run – Carpenter had an 18-12 edge in rushing against the entire Purdue team.

That it was the most emphatic Hoosiers victory in the history of the series is ironic given how many Indiana players weren’t familiar with it. There are 27 transfers on the roster who hadn’t played in the game.

Defensive end Mikail Kamara put it to the people to learn about the rivalry.

“I took it to Twitter to see what it was all about, and especially seeing all the comments, this is a big deal,” said Kamara, who said he couldn’t specifically mention many of those comments.

Indiana's Mike Katic (56) and the Hoosiers hoist the Old Oaken Bucket after the Indiana versus Purdue football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Center Mike Katic, who has played in three previous Old Oaken Bucket games, took it upon himself to educate his less familiar teammates on how the Indiana-Purdue rivalry works.

“I made it my goal and my job to educate all the, you know, the transfers and things like that, on the rivalry,” said Katic, who said the message was simple.

“Yeah, we don't like them, and I really made that known. There were some choice words said to describe and kind of get them behind the rivalry.”

Kamara said that Katic did a good job of getting his message across.

“We had Mike Katic, you know, spewing all that energy into us all week,” Kamara said. “I don't think I could say the things that he said. But he said a lot of great words to inspire us.”

Curt Cignetti set a good tone for the Hoosiers too – a department where he hasn’t had a misstep all season.

Cignetti challenged the seniors during the week that their legacy depended on beating Purdue. That it “must be done” as Cignetti said on his radio show.

It’s part of the never satisfied ethos the Hoosiers have lived by all season, but Cignetti continues to be pleased his team meets the high standard he sets. It might be why Cignetti was matter of fact about the rivalry aspect of the win.

“It's a rivalry game, and I thought we really took it to them. That's it,” Cignetti said.

Later, he elaborated on why his Hoosiers continue to reach new standards.

“I just think we have a lot of older guys that have made a lot of plays throughout their career consistently, and they are very consistent people, high character. We have a very consistent standard of performance,” Cignetti said.

The spoils of this victory are still to be determined. At 11-1 and with dominant margins in all but one of the wins, Indiana shouldn’t have to worry about making the College Football Playoff field.

However, that’s an accomplishment to be celebrated on the day it comes. Saturday was about beating Purdue and getting the Old Oaken Bucket.

Fittingly, as the media waited for player interviews to be conducted in the Memorial Stadium weight room, the smell of cigar smoke wafted through the room.

The cigar was lit by Indiana assistant athletic director for alumni relations Mike Deal, but there were other cigars floating around too.

The smell of victory was apropos. In winning, Indiana smoked their rival to leave no doubt about where the Hoosiers belong in the college football pecking order.

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