WEST LAFAYETTE — If Indiana hadn’t played cartoon defense, if Indiana had not been in need of just a little bit more material to round out the book the Hoosiers are writing called “1001 Ways to Lose a Football Game,” the result of Saturday’s Old Oaken Bucket game might have been different.

The culmination of all that went wrong for IU this 2023 season was on display in the 35-31 loss to Purdue, a defeat Indiana practiced for the last couple of weeks by falling to Illinois 48-45 in overtime and Michigan State 24-21. All three times, the Hoosiers took a late lead and gave it away.

As Purdue (4-8) tightened its grip on the Old Oaken Bucket, sending the Boilermakers off into the sunset with happy emoji faces, the Hoosiers ended a despairing 3-9 season with a third straight defeat snatched from the jaws of victory, and oh yes, beginning the search for a new coach.

The 98th showdown for possession of the Old Oaken Bucket, first scrimmaged over in 1925, took place at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, though the schools were actually playing for the 125th time.

Less than 24 hours after game’s end came word Indiana’s administration had fired coach Tom Allen. From the standpoint of circumstances, that was no surprise after a third straight losing season, but the main issue was the millions of dollars remaining on his long-term contract Allen gets.

It was thought to be $20.8 million, but later Sunday, Athletic Director Scott Dolson said Allen would receive two payments of $7.75 million each paid for by donors to the IU athletic department.

What a different mood it would be in Bloomington if IU could have salvaged that trio of late-season games, all of them led in the fourth quarter. There was just so much torture fans could take with so many almosts concluding with L’s.

“Frustrating once again,” Allen said when the contest ended. “Couldn’t finish. Got to finish, got to finish, got to finish.”

Allen found himself using the word “frustrating” over and over following losses this season, but this time when he said the words “got to finish,” it raised the matter of him being finished at IU.

“I understand you have to win. I want to win as bad as anybody,” said Allen, who went 33-49 at Indiana and is a well-liked person in the community. “It’s out of my hands.”

For a team with a similar record, Purdue is more optimistic. This was Ryan Walters’ first season replacing departed coach Jeff Brohm, now at Louisville, and he had to deal with nearly a completely new roster and one often disrupted by injuries.

Purdue quarterback Hudson Card deserved his own personalized Oaken Bucket after Saturday. He played with a rib injury and excelled with 275 yards passing for three touchdowns and with 85 yards rushing for another score.

Given how many times Indiana defenders missed Card on his darts and dashes, it was as if he was wearing a practice red vest announcing “hands off,” he couldn’t be tackled. The tackling was that astonishingly bad for IU.

The Hoosiers almost overcame QB Brendan Sorsby’s three interceptions, balanced against the three touchdowns he tossed. Nothing could beat an IU highlight of Jaylin Lucas bursting free for a 100-yard touchdown kickoff return in the third quarter, though, an event anticipated all season.

For all of the gaffes, the scoreboard told intriguing tales as the clock ticked on. It was 7-0, 7-6 and 14-12 IU, then 15-14 Purdue before reverting back to 21-15 and 21-18 IU before Purdue knotted things at 28-28 in the fourth quarter before Chris Freeman gave IU the 31-28 lead. Appropriately, Card won the game for the Boilermakers on a 10-yard run with 2 minutes, 39 seconds to go.

It was well-known in the Purdue locker room Card was in pain from a lingering rib injury, and it was not even clear if he would play. But Purdue did not have bowl eligibility at stake, so this was all about being able to take snaps for one more game before taking a long rest.

Five days ahead of kickoff, Card delivered a message to Walters. Very simply, he said, “Coach, I’m playing.”

And he did, with gritted teeth, playing as well as he has all season. It helped Purdue’s cause and Card’s aching side Indiana’s defenders could never quite hold onto him.

Now, Indiana must grit its teeth and find the money to pay a new football coach even as it pays the bill for an ousted football coach.