The Old Oaken Bucket Rival Game: Indiana vs. Purdue

The Old Oaken Bucket is a trophy that is awarded to the winner of the annual college football game between Indiana University and Purdue University. Being awarded for the first time in 1925, this is one of college football's oldest trophies. The symbolism behind this trophy allows the recipient to brag about being the best in the state of Indiana. The game played is also a Big Ten Conference game, as the two teams are also in the same conference. As of 2008, Purdue leads the series, winning 55 times and losing only 26 times. There have been three ties in this rivalry.

The idea of the trophy was first developed in a meeting between Indiana and Purdue alumni. In 1925, the idea was first brought up and Dr. Clarence Jones and Russel Gray, Indiana and Purdue alumnus respectively, were given the task to generate a suitable trophy. An old oaken bucket was the proposed idea. Along with a bucket, chains were made with inscriptions on it (the letter P and the letter I to represent the university that won and the final score of the game) and the winning school would be home to the bucket with the chain on it. Fritz Earnst and Wiley J. Huddle (Purdue and Indiana alumnus respectively) were given the task of finding a suitable bucket.

The bucket used today was found at the Bruner family farm, located between Kent and Hanover. Although it is not known for sure, some speculate that the bucket was used in the Civil War, and made its way to the Bruner family farm after the war was finished.

The tradition is that the winner gets a chain link with their school's name on it with the final score. However, in the case of a tie, both teams letters (I and P) are written. In the first game between these two schools, the final score was 0-0, resulting in a chain with both teams on it. The other two ties occurred in 1936 and 1958.

The reason for the name of the trophy comes from a poem written by Samuel Woodworth, who wrote this poem in 1817. The poem goes as follows:

"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.

The reason this poem was selected for inspiration, despite Woodworth not being from Indiana, was because of the way Indianans felt about their hometown.

Wikipedia, Old Oaken Bucket