BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Football fans will travel to Bloomington on Saturday for the 99th edition of the Old Oaken Bucket Game.

The excitement of Indiana and Purdue fans has been building throughout the week. Friends and family argued around the dinner table, wondering whether Indiana, at 10-1, will make the College Football Playoff or whether Purdue will play spoilsport.

“That’s what makes the bucket game so entertaining,” said longtime Indiana fan Johnny Jager.

IU fans are happy to be on home soil, especially considering their team hasn’t lost a game in Bloomington all year.

“I grew up going to games like this and this year I’ve never seen the stadium like this, so crowded, it’s just another 10 levels,” Jager said.

“The atmosphere is incredible,” added Hoosier fan Brandon Hunt. “Every game is great. You know, it’s just great to see coach Cig and see what Scott Dolson has done.”

Purdue has won the Old Oaken Bucket each of the last three seasons, but recent history has not boosted the confidence of Boilermaker fans.

“I love Purdue for a lot of reasons, but this year just isn’t our year,” said Purdue graduate and fan Zach Melloh. “…My common sense tells me that IU will overwhelm Purdue. My heart, and if you asked me to predict, I would say Purdue by a field goal.”

Traditionally, Saturday’s game will serve as the regular season finale for both teams. The game will be the last of the year for Purdue, which has a 1-10 overall record and 0-8 conference record this season.

If Indiana wins Saturday’s contest, it would be in a good position to secure a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. The Hoosiers were ranked 10th in this week’s rankings.

“It would be hard to knock an 11-1 Big Ten team out of the College Football Playoff,” Hunt said.

“There’s a lot of meaning behind it,” Melloh added. “They win and are most likely in the playoffs, which would be huge for IU as a school and just IU football fans in general.”

This year’s Old Oaken Bucket Game begins at 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. It will also air live on FS1.