Old Oaken Bucket

Old Oaken Bucket
Indiana Hoosiers	Purdue Boilermakers
First meeting	1891
Trophy originated	1925
Total meetings	115
Trophy Series	Purdue leads, 58–27–3
All-Time Series	Purdue leads, 72–37–6
Played annually since	1920 (92 years)
Largest margin of victory	Purdue 68–0 (1892)
Highest scoring game	Purdue 56–35 (2012)
Lowest scoring game	Tie 0–0 (1916 & 1925)

The Old Oaken Bucket is a traveling trophy awarded in American college football as part of the Indiana–Purdue rivalry between the Indiana Hoosiers football team of Indiana University and Purdue Boilermakers football team of Purdue University. It was first awarded in 1925.

Purdue leads the overall series 72–37–6. The Boilermakers have won 13 of the last 16 games. Purdue won the 2012 contest 56–35 in West Lafayette.

History of the Trophy

The concept of a trophy for football games played annually between Purdue University and Indiana University was first proposed during a joint meeting of the Chicago chapters of the Indiana and Purdue alumni organizations in 1925:

"discuss the possibility of undertaking worthy joint enterprises in behalf of the two schools."

During that meeting Indiana alumnus Dr. Clarence Jones and Purdue alumnus Russel Gray were appointed to propose a suitable trophy. At a subsequent meeting in Chicago Jones and Gray recommended some oaken bucket be that trophy and the chapters drafted the resolution that:

"an old oaken bucket as the most typical Hoosier form of trophy, that the bucket should be taken from some well in Indiana, and that a chain to be made of bronze block "I" and "P" letters should be provided for the bucket. The school winning the traditional football game each year should have possession of the "Old Oaken Bucket" until the next game and should attach the block letter representing the winning school to the bail with the score engraved on the latter link."

Purdue alumnus Fritz Earnst and Indiana alumnus Wiley J. Huddle were appointed to find a suitable oak bucket. They found such a bucket at the then Bruner family farm between Kent and Hanover in southern Indiana.[1] Although the bucket might have been used at an open well on the Bruner family farm that had been settled during the 1840s, the Bruner family lore indicates that the bucket might have been used under General John Hunt Morgan's command during the Civil War and might have arrived at the farm after one of the Bruner men returned following completion of their military service.

In accordance with the Chicago alumni organization's resolution, the winner of the bucket gets a "P" or "I" link added to the chain of the bucket with the score, date and the city where the game was played engraved on the link. In case of a tie, an "I–P" link was added. The inaugural Old Oaken Bucket Game ended in a 0–0 deadlock on November 21, 1925, in Bloomington resulting in the very first and most visible link, an "I–P" link, being added to the handle of the bucket.

The poem "The Old Oaken Bucket"

The name of the trophy refers to a sentimental poem written in 1817 by a successful printer and publisher, Samuel Woodworth (1784–1842) which begins:

"How dear to this heart are the scenes of my childhood,

When fond recollection presents them to view!

The orchard, the meadow, the deep-tangled wild-wood,

And every loved spot which my infancy knew!

...And e'en the rude bucket that hung in the well—

The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket,

The moss-covered bucket which hung in the well.

Although Samuel Woodworth was not from Indiana, the poem exemplifies the sentiment felt by the people of Indiana towards their home state. The poem was set to music in 1826 by G. F. Kiallmark (1804–1887)[2] and memorized or sung by generations of American schoolchildren; it made the poet's unpretentious childhood home in Scituate, Massachusetts the goal of sentimental tourists in the late 19th century.

Series statistics

Statistic	Purdue	Indiana
Games played	115
Wins	72	37
Home wins	38	18
Road wins	34	19
Neutral site wins	1	0
Total points scored in the series	2552	1592
Most points scored in a game by one team	68 (1892)	52 (1988)
Most points scored in a game by both teams	91 (2012 – PU 56, IU 35)
Fewest points scored in a game by both teams	0 (1916 & 1925 – PU 0, IU 0)
Fewest points scored in a game by one team in a win	1 (1894)	3(1921, 1923, 1940)
Most points scored in a game by one team in a loss	31 (1971)	35(1968, 2012)
Largest margin of victory	68 (1892)	45 (1988)
Smallest margin of victory	1 (1894, 1939, 1980, 1983, 1989)	1 (1930)
Longest winning streak	10 (1948 to 1957)	4 (1944 to 1947)

Game results

The 1903 contest, scheduled to be played on October 31 at Washington Park in Indianapolis, Indiana, was canceled after one of the trains carrying the Purdue football team struck a coal train near 18th Street on the north side of Indianapolis. In all, 17 Purdue football players, coaches, alumni, and team supporters were killed in the Purdue Wreck.

Purdue victories

Indiana victories

Tie games

Year	Purdue		Indiana		Location
1891	Purdue	60	Indiana	0	West Lafayette
1892	Purdue	68	Indiana	0	West Lafayette
1893	Purdue	64	Indiana	0	West Lafayette
1894	Purdue	1	Indiana	0	Bloomington
1897	Purdue	20	Indiana	6	West Lafayette
1898	Purdue	14	Indiana	0	West Lafayette
1899	Purdue	5	Indiana	17	West Lafayette
1900	Purdue	5	Indiana	24	West Lafayette
1901	Purdue	6	Indiana	11	Bloomington
1902	Purdue	39	Indiana	0	West Lafayette
1904	Purdue	27	Indiana	0	Indianapolis
1905	Purdue	11	Indiana	11	Bloomington
1908	Purdue	4	Indiana	10	West Lafayette
1909	Purdue	3	Indiana	36	Bloomington
1910	Purdue	0	Indiana	15	West Lafayette
1911	Purdue	12	Indiana	5	Bloomington
1912	Purdue	34	Indiana	7	West Lafayette
1913	Purdue	42	Indiana	7	Bloomington
1914	Purdue	23	Indiana	13	West Lafayette
1915	Purdue	7	Indiana	0	Bloomington
1916	Purdue	0	Indiana	0	West Lafayette
1917	Purdue	0	Indiana	37	Bloomington
1920	Purdue	7	Indiana	10	West Lafayette
1921	Purdue	0	Indiana	3	Bloomington
1922	Purdue	7	Indiana	7	West Lafayette
1923	Purdue	0	Indiana	3	Bloomington
1924	Purdue	26	Indiana	7	West Lafayette
1925	Purdue	0	Indiana	0	Bloomington
1926	Purdue	24	Indiana	14	West Lafayette
1927	Purdue	21	Indiana	6	Bloomington
1928	Purdue	14	Indiana	0	West Lafayette
1929	Purdue	32	Indiana	0	Bloomington
1930	Purdue	6	Indiana	7	West Lafayette
1931	Purdue	19	Indiana	0	Bloomington
1932	Purdue	25	Indiana	7	West Lafayette
1933	Purdue	19	Indiana	3	Bloomington
1934	Purdue	6	Indiana	17	West Lafayette
1935	Purdue	0	Indiana	7	Bloomington
1936	Purdue	20	Indiana	20	West Lafayette
1937	Purdue	13	Indiana	7	Bloomington
1938	Purdue	13	Indiana	6	West Lafayette
1939	Purdue	7	Indiana	6	Bloomington
1940	Purdue	0	Indiana	3	West Lafayette
1941	Purdue	0	Indiana	7	Bloomington

Year	Purdue		Indiana		Location
1942	Purdue	0	Indiana	20	West Lafayette
1943	Purdue	7	Indiana	0	Bloomington
1944	Purdue	6	Indiana	14	West Lafayette
1945	Purdue	0	Indiana	26	Bloomington
1946	Purdue	20	Indiana	34	West Lafayette
1947	Purdue	14	Indiana	16	Bloomington
1948	Purdue	39	Indiana	0	West Lafayette
1949	Purdue	14	Indiana	6	Bloomington
1950	Purdue	13	Indiana	0	West Lafayette
1951	Purdue	21	Indiana	13	Bloomington
1952	Purdue	21	Indiana	16	West Lafayette
1953	Purdue	30	Indiana	0	Bloomington
1954	Purdue	13	Indiana	7	West Lafayette
1955	Purdue	6	Indiana	4	Bloomington
1956	Purdue	39	Indiana	20	West Lafayette
1957	Purdue	35	Indiana	13	Bloomington
1958	Purdue	15	Indiana	15	West Lafayette
1959	Purdue	10	Indiana	7	Bloomington
1960	Purdue	35	Indiana	6	West Lafayette
1961	Purdue	34	Indiana	12	Bloomington
1962	Purdue	7	Indiana	12	West Lafayette
1963	Purdue	21	Indiana	15	Bloomington
1964	Purdue	28	Indiana	22	West Lafayette
1965	Purdue	26	Indiana	21	Bloomington
1966	Purdue	51	Indiana	6	West Lafayette
1967	Purdue	14	Indiana	19	Bloomington
1968	Purdue	38	Indiana	35	West Lafayette
1969	Purdue	44	Indiana	21	Bloomington
1970	Purdue	40	Indiana	0	West Lafayette
1971	Purdue	31	Indiana	38	Bloomington
1972	Purdue	42	Indiana	7	West Lafayette
1973	Purdue	28	Indiana	23	Bloomington
1974	Purdue	38	Indiana	17	West Lafayette
1975	Purdue	9	Indiana	7	Bloomington
1976	Purdue	14	Indiana	20	West Lafayette
1977	Purdue	10	Indiana	21	Bloomington
1978	Purdue	20	Indiana	7	West Lafayette
1979	Purdue	37	Indiana	21	Bloomington
1980	Purdue	24	Indiana	23	West Lafayette
1981	Purdue	17	Indiana	20	Bloomington
1982	Purdue	7	Indiana	13	West Lafayette
1983	Purdue	31	Indiana	30	Bloomington
1984	Purdue	31	Indiana	24	West Lafayette
1985	Purdue	34	Indiana	21	Bloomington

Year	Purdue		Indiana		Location
1986	Purdue	17	Indiana	15	West Lafayette
1987	Purdue	14	Indiana	35	Bloomington
1988	Purdue	7	Indiana	52	West Lafayette
1989	Purdue	15	Indiana	14	Bloomington
1990	Purdue	14	Indiana	28	West Lafayette
1991	Purdue	22	Indiana	24	Bloomington
1992	Purdue	13	Indiana	10	West Lafayette
1993	Purdue	17	Indiana	24	Bloomington
1994	Purdue	29	Indiana	33	West Lafayette
1995	Purdue	51	Indiana	14	Bloomington
1996	Purdue	16	Indiana	33	West Lafayette
1997	Purdue	56	Indiana	7	Bloomington
1998	Purdue	52	Indiana	7	West Lafayette
1999	Purdue	30	Indiana	24	Bloomington
2000	Purdue	41	Indiana	13	West Lafayette
2001	Purdue	7	Indiana	13	Bloomington
2002	Purdue	34	Indiana	10	West Lafayette
2003	Purdue	24	Indiana	16	Bloomington
2004	Purdue	63	Indiana	24	West Lafayette
2005	Purdue	41	Indiana	14	Bloomington
2006	Purdue	28	Indiana	19	West Lafayette
2007	Purdue	24	Indiana	27	Bloomington
2008	Purdue	62	Indiana	10	West Lafayette
2009	Purdue	38	Indiana	21	Bloomington
2010	Purdue	31	Indiana	34	West Lafayette
2011	Purdue	33	Indiana	25	Bloomington
2012	Purdue	56	Indiana	35	West Lafayette

See also

• Most-played rivalries in NCAA Division I FBS

External links

• Photograph of the Bucket
• Indiana-Purdue Series History
• History of the Bucket (Purdue)
• History of the Bucket (Indiana) including a good photograph at the Wayback Machine (archived May 25, 2011)
• Scituate Historical Society: Old Oaken Bucket Homestead