It is rare to think of the Bucket game as a big game. I mean yes, it is a rivalry. We all want to win the Bucket and beat IU, but it has rarely meant much nationally. The only year where it decided the Big Ten title was 1967. Only twice, in 1979 and 2007, have both teams gone to a bowl game after it (although both would have gone in 1967 had there been more bowls and if the Big Ten allowed more than just the conference title winner to go). If you look at recent history Indiana has clinched bowl bids in each of the last two seasons, while Purdue did the same in 2002, 2011, and 2012.
Indiana at Purdue Preview
