Week 13: Indiana at Purdue

An in-state battle lacking the umph of Michigan-Michigan State or even Northwestern-Illinois, the Boilermakers and Hoosiers have much at stake in their regular season finale clash. Neither club will want to be tagged the Big Ten’s worst team of 2008 — a distinction the loser will earn as the only school with one conference victory.

Quarterback play should help decide the outcome of this contest. Both schools have used a committee approach in recent weeks (neither with favorable results) and the team that gets the most stability out of its signal caller(s) this Saturday will be the one that earns victory. Thanks to a bum ankle, shifty Kellen Lewis hasn’t made much happen with his feet since mid-September. He’ll need a strong effort this weekend if his Hoosiers are to keep up with a Purdue offense fresh off a 337-yard effort against a well-respected Iowa defense.

Another deciding factor could be special teams play. The Hoosiers have one of the most polished kickoff units in the Big Ten, averaging 66.6 yards per kick and a net coverage average of 44.7. Purdue, meanwhile, has a pair of the best return men in the conference — Desmond Tardy and Aaron Valentin — both of whom have proven capable of setting up their offense with favorable field position. In a game pitting the conference’s two worst ranked defenses, whichever team offers its defense the most cushion to work with will have a decided advantage.

Notes:

In a 27-24 win over Purdue last year, Marcus Thigpen gained 140 yards on 19 carries. Austin Starr made a 49-yard field goal in the final minute to give the Hoosiers their seventh win of the season.

Indiana has failed miserably on its fourth down attempts this season. The Hoosiers have rolled the dice 21 times but have been successful on just six of those attempts. Purdue has the most fourth down attempts in the conference (26) and has converted 50 percent of the time.

Both of these teams have had their low points this season. In four of seven conference games Purdue has scored seven or fewer points; the Hoosiers have lost by 25 or more points in four of their seven Big Ten matchups.

Key Player (Hoosiers) — Marcus Thigpen, RB

Thigpen has carried the ball more than 10 times just once, but on Saturday he’ll face perhaps his most favorable matchup of the season (the Boilermakers allow a conference-worst 4.6 yards per carry). If all goes well Thigpen will notch his fourth 100-yard rushing effort.

Key Player (Boilermakers) — Curtis Painter, QB

It wasn’t the season of riches that Painter and Purdue’s coaching staff envisioned, but the senior must now make the most of his last game in a gold and black jersey.  The Hoosiers have allowed opposing passers to complete 61.8 percent of their attempts — by far the highest percentage allowed by any Big Ten pass defense.

Purdue by 5