Keys to Victory: Bucket Edition

Finally. A game that doesn't require fantastical predictions on my part. Indiana can, should, and better win this one. Let's start with some good old fashion Purdue bashin'. Purdue hasn't beat an FBS team this year. Their only victory was a 20-14 barn burner against the same Indiana State team that the Hoosiers thumped 73-35. Last week, Boilermaker fans packed Ross-Ade stadium to see Illinois snap their 20 game B1G losing streak against Purdont. Here's a picture of the stadium before kickoff. Not a joke. That happened.

Without further adieu, the final five keys to victory of the 2013 football season...

#1 Play Angry Not Mopy

It's official. Indiana isn't going bowling. Again. Team morale was at an all-time low after the Ohio State game, and those post-game player interviews were hard to watch. But how will the no-luck Hoosiers respond? Will they take out two week's of offensive frustration on the pitiful (but not as pitiful as their own) Boilermaker defense? Or will they come out flat and lifeless?

They don't have the best history at bouncing back. After their Rose Bowl hopes were obliterated last year against Wisconsin, they lost their next game to Penn State by 23 points. That game then eliminated the Hoosiers from the post-season last season. They followed that disappointment with a 21 points loss to Purdue. The coaching staff needs to focus on keeping heads up going into Saturday's game.

#2 Get Another Monster Performance from Houston

There's still no definite word on Tevin Coleman's status for this week's game, but don't lose too much sleep worrying about that. Stephen Houston has dominated the Boilermakers totaling 394 yards and 4 touchdowns over the past two years. Since the Purdue rushing defense is ranked 106th in the nation and giving up 220 yards per game, expect an absolutely monster game from Houston on his senior day.

#3 Protect the Quarterback

When offensive lineman Ralston Evans went down with an injury in the Ohio State game, all IU fans could do was bury their faces in their hands. Coming in to this season, Indiana was only losing one lineman from the number one offensive line unit in the Big Ten. Since then, the Hoosiers have lost three starting linemen for the season and a fourth is questionable against Purdue. The offense sputters when the quarterbacks aren't well protected, but this week's matchup should provide some respite. Purdue is dead last in the conference in getting to the quarterback.

#4 Win the Special Teams Battles

Punting is the only area where Purdue has excelled this year. Cody Webster leads the B1G in punting and the team ranks third nationally in net punting yards. Luckily, Indiana has an offense more than capable of driving the distance of the field.

For all the scoring Indiana has done this year, they have yet to reach the end zone off a kickoff. Purdue kicker Thomas Meadows ranks last in the conference in touchbacks, so the Indiana return men should have plenty of chances to take one back.

Indiana is the best team in the B1G in kickoff coverage. It's a hard statistic to wrap your head around given the defense's inability to make a tackle, but it will be an important trend to maintain Saturday. Purdue's offense isn't good enough to put together long drives (hopefully), so the Hoosiers can't help them by surrendering good starting field position.

#5 Generally, Be Less Terrible Than Purdue

This should be fun to watch. The Big Ten's worst defense against the conference's worst offense. Fireworks abound.

In order to prevent becoming the worst defense in the history of the Big Ten, the hard-to-watch Indiana defense needs to hold Purdue to less than 233 yards. This doesn't quite seem doable as Indiana has yet to hold an FBS opponent to under 400 yards this year. However, Purdue is really bad offensively, and only managed 16 points against an Illini defense that is almost as bad as IU's despite four turnovers by Illinois. Indiana has made mediocre offenses look like unstoppable forces all year, but is it possible Purdue is so bad that they can't be helped? Maybe. Fingers crossed.

Prediction:

The Hoosiers will take out all of their frustrations on the Boilermakers Saturday with an offensive performance to remember. IU won't go bowling, but they'll finish with a better record than last year and will maintain important momentum with recruiting.

POTFB,

HOOSIERS 63 BOILERMAKERS 28