Curt Cignetti's tenure at the helm of the Indiana football program has been historic on many levels.
Taking over for the program with the most losses in the history of the sport, Cignetti has led the Hoosiers to an overall record of 27-2 and is coming off a National Championship season that took the college football world by storm. Along the way, Indiana defeated Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship, Alabama in the Rose Bowl, Oregon in the Peach Bowl, and Miami (FL) in the title win. That historic run has Hoosier football fans on top of the world.
But what makes Cignetti's elite success in Bloomington even sweeter for Hoosier fans is that he has absolutely dominated the Purdue Boilermakers in his two seasons. Beating Purdue is always a priority for Indiana, and not only have the Hoosiers defeated the Boilers under Cignetti's leadership, they have obliterated them.
Curt Cignetti, Indiana are in command of the Purdue rivalry
The Indiana-Purdue rivalry, known as the battle for the Old Oaken Bucket, is among the most historic rivalries in all of college football. The in-state rivals first met all the way back in 1891, and have met each other on the gridiron 127 times since then. Purdue owns the all-time series edge, but Cignetti has ushered in a new era of Old Oaken Bucket dominance for Indiana.
In his first season at Indiana, Cignetti's Hoosiers orchestrated a 66-0 victory over the Boilermakers in Bloomington. It was a truly overpowering performance, as Indiana out-gained Purdue 582-67 and held the Boilers to just 5 total first downs. The Hoosiers also won the turnover battle 5-0. No matter you slice it, Indiana thoroughly pummeled Purdue.
Oddsmakers just gave Curt Cignetti and Indiana bulletin board material vs Ohio State
The one-sided victory cemented a one-win season for Purdue which included an 0-9 record in Big Ten play. Purdue would fire head coach Ryan Walters following the game, while the Hoosiers ended the regular season with an 11-1 record and reached the College Football Playoff.
Last season, Cignetti and company picked up right where they left off in the rivalry. Indiana rolled to an emphatic 56-3 win that finalized their perfect 12-0 regular season. The Boilermakers ended 2-10 and posted back-to-back 0-9 seasons against Big Ten competition while the Hoosiers went on to win the National Championship. Talk about things you love to see as an IU fan.
Hoosiers looking for more Old Oaken Bucket dominance in 2026
Before Cignetti arrived, Indiana had lost three straight and five of the last six head-to-head matchups against Purdue. It's clear that things have turned around in a major way. With Cignetti at the helm, Indiana has out-scored Purdue by a total score of 122-3. It doesn't get much more one-sided than that.
Looking ahead, Cignetti and the Hoosiers are poised to inflict more pain on the Boilermaker faithful this season. Indiana is among the preseason title contenders and figures to be in the hunt for the CFP once again. In fact, with odds of +800, Indiana currently boasts the 5th-shortest National Championship odds in the country on DraftKings Sportsbook. Furthermore, Indiana's win total for the upcoming season is 10.5.
Meanwhile, Purdue's win total for this season is 3.5 via DraftKings, which is the lowest in the Big Ten and among the lowest in the country. Purdue head coach Barry Odom is entering his second season in West Lafayette, and he has his work cut out for him.
This year's battle for the Old Oaken Bucket is set for Saturday, November 28 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.
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