Written by Andrew Walker

The Indiana Hoosiers are 5-2 in 2019. This might come as a shock to some, but not all. Players, staff and true Hoosier faithful shouldn’t be surprised. This team is quite talented , and the coaching staff knows this. Per the NCAA rule of six games equaling a bowl bid, simple math would indicate the Hoosiers are one win away.

The 5-2 Hoosiers haven’t won six games since 2016’s Kevin Wilson led Indiana team. That year, Indiana traveled to Santa Clara, California and played Utah in the Foster Farms Bowl. The Hoosiers fell 26-24 after a promising year.

With all this said, and the most wins before November since 2007, how’s head coach Tom Allen handling it?

By not handling it.

“It’s more in the season where this situation’s occurred. You talk to to our players, there’s no mention of winning six.…To me, the objective is for us to be at our very best and win at Nebraska on Saturday,” said Allen. His attitude towards the prospect of clinching a bowl game before November is as it should be. Disregard success until it’s all over, and you’ll find yourself more successful than ever.

When Allen elaborated on his answer though, there was light at the end of the tunnel in terms of an end goal. Allen said, “We want to win our bowl game. We don’t want to just go to a bowl game.”

Of course, he was speaking hypothetically if the Hoosiers were to clinch a bowl game, they’d want to win it. I can’t imagine a football team that doesn’t want to win a bowl game. But with the Hoosiers only a game away from clinching a bowl, I can’t think of any other outcome than for Indiana to go to a bowl game.

Indiana football’s success isn’t and shouldn’t be rested purely on Tom Allen though. Sure, he’s a big part of why this football team has elevated to the level of success they are at now, but there are so many other parts. Mike Penix cannot be praised enough for how he’s handled this starting job in 2019. He’s right up there with the likes of Antwaan Randle El when it comes to breaking freshman records. Not only is it Penix, but first year OC Kalen DeBoer at the helm of the offense has skyrocketed the Hoosiers’ efficiency and effectiveness. It is also how backup quarterback Peyton Ramsey has handled his demotion. It’s refreshing to see a former starter handle adversity and stick around for the guys in the locker room instead of bolting for the next opportunity. It also doesn’t hurt that Ramsey has completed 79-of-107 passes for 843 yards and six touchdowns.

First year DC Kane Wommack has made this defense into a real force to be reckoned with as well. Sure, there are a few places in the defense that can still be improved, but when it comes to overall defensive talent and upside, they’re only getting better.

So whether it takes the rest of the season to win that sixth game or the Hoosiers win out, this season has to be counted as a success. Indiana’s ability to win games early in the year this season has been good. Their ability to finish games in the fourth quarter has improved drastically from last season, beating Maryland in College Park and leading MSU in East Lansing through the fourth quarter.

Coming up for the Hoosiers, and what’s most present on Tom Allen’s mind, is Nebraska. The Hoosiers opened as a road favorite by two points, but have since dropped. After Nebraska, the Hoosiers will go through a gauntlet of teams to finish out the year, including Northwestern, Penn State, Michigan and Purdue. That’s not even counting the Big Ten tournament which is scheduled for a start date of December 7.

The Hoosiers have had their fair share of incredible play, as well as unimpressive play this year, but the goal never changes. As Allen mentioned, “We want to win our bowl game. We don’t want to just go to a bowl game,” Indiana Football is far from over.

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