Hoosier Huddle's Wish List For Football Santa

Christmas Eve is here and Hanukkah begins tonight as well, so we at Hoosier Huddle decided to put together our wish list for Football Santa. Each of our writers had two or three wishes they'd like to see granted over the next few months. We'd also love to see what other Hoosier football fans are wishing for this holiday season.

David Sugarman

1. A Drama Free Offseason (From Here On Out)

Kevin Wilson’s firing was surrounded by a cloud of mystery. In these cases often times details come out well after some time has passed and they usually aren’t favorable. If they can pick up a bowl win, IU will have so much positive momentum headed into the offseason. Santa IU has been good, or at least good enough, this season.  So don’t leave any lingering drama underneath the tree.

2. A Signature Win

This might be greedy, but it didn’t take long for IU’s signature win against Michigan State, their first win over a ranked opponent since 2014, to become a win against one of the worst teams in the Big Ten. So we want another. The Spartans were #17 at the time, but would go on to win just one conference game and that was against Rutgers. Indiana can kill two birds with one stone against Utah by both ending the 25-year long bowl drought and picking up a Top 25 win against a legitimate ranked team in the #19 Utes.

T.J. Inman

1. Bowl Game Victory over Utah

The Indiana Hoosiers haven’t won a bowl game since 1991 (the now defunct Copper Bowl under Bill Mallory) and I must confess, I was only four and I don’t remember that contest. There have been precious few chances to break the bowl drought as they’ve only been to three bowl games since (losses in the Independence, Insight and Pinstripe bowls). This is Tom Allen’s first game as head coach and it would be great to get his tenure off to a winning start and to break this bowl victory drought by defeating a quality program and a ranked team.

2. Eight Wins in the Regular Season

While eight regular season wins might not seem like a monumental achievement for some programs, it hasn’t occurred at Indiana since 1987 (IU went 8-3 before losing in the Peach Bowl). I was born in 1987 and, while I’m not old, I’m certainly not young so it’s been a long time since the Hoosiers had this kind of success. What would an 8-4 record mean? Well, it would probably mean IU goes 3-0 in the non-conference and then wins five Big Ten games and they’d likely be rewarded with a trip to Nashville for the Music City Bowl or potentially a trip to Florida for the Outback Bowl or the Taxslayer Bowl (formerly the Gator Bowl). That might not be incredibly memorable or meaningful for many but I know I would absolutely relish a season like that.

3. A Win Over a Top Ten Opponent (mainly Ohio State or Michigan)

The Hoosiers have been close recently. Oh my, have they been close. They continue to battle both the Buckeyes and the Wolverines tooth and nail. Nearly every year recently, IU has been in tight games against multiple top ten opponents in the fourth quarter. Time after time they come up just short and we are left to think, “man, what if?” Well, what if? What if Football Santa could help everything click together for one night and IU is able to actually pull off the gigantic upset of Ohio State or Michigan and stun the college football world? It would be a day (or night) that no IU football fan would ever forget and it could help catapult the program recruiting wise if it is done early in the Tom Allen era. 

I’d love to see these things and experience them so, Football Santa, I’m not asking for the moon and stars but if you could help make those three things happen…I promise I’ll be nice and stop sending you wishes for Purdue to lose every game they ever play (even though it’s been working well recently, so thanks for that!).

Sammy Jacobs

1) A Bowl Win Over Utah

A bowl win over a ranked Utah team would be huge for this program. In a postseason that has seen them change coaches, a win would give the fans something positive to talk about all winter and spring. It could also put to rest some doubts that people have about Tom Allen being named head coach without a formal search. Plus, it will give the program some much needed clout going forward. So Santa, let that Victory Flag fly all winter long.

2) A Commitment From a Quarterback

The biggest recruiting concern for the Hoosiers under former head coach Kevin Wilson was his ability, or lack their of, to land a top-notch quarterback. He was successful with Nate Sudfeld and brought Richard Lagow on campus, but outside of those two he was largely unsuccessful getting a quarterback from the top of his wish list. He missed or lost commitments from in-state stars like Gunner Kiel, Tommy Stevens, Brandon Peters, and Hunter Johnson. Currently the Hoosiers do not have a quarterback committed to the 2017 class, but they still are in the mix for Tyler Lytle and Braxton Burmeister. A pledge from either of these two players would go a long way in shoring up the future of the QB position and kick starting Tom Allen's tenure in Bloomington. 

Alex Compton

1) R.J. Potts

Considered a Top-300 player by most recruiting services, the four-star safety is likely at the top of Coach Allen’s wish list as well. Potts would be one of the best recruits that IU has landed in quite a while, and would give Tom Allen serious momentum moving forward when it comes to recruiting. He has had Indiana as his leader for quite some time now, and his decision is nearing, according to sources. Landing the Fishers High School standout would be massive for the perception and performance of Indiana football. Potts has the ability to start against Ohio State in his first game as a Hoosier, despite the fact that he will be a true freshman. A defense with Jonathan Crawford and R.J. Potts playing safety alongside one another? Yes please, Santa. 

2) A Vintage Zander Diamont Game

Zander Diamont has been one of the most polarizing players in recent IU football history during his career, but that career will come to a close following the Foster Farms Bowl. The true junior walked on senior day and has no intentions of playing football next season. While Zander is certainly not the greatest quarterback to come through Bloomington, he has been the ultimate wildcard. Big plays, turnovers, jukes, taunting, the list goes on and on. I’m hoping for one more classic Zander Diamont game out in Cali on the 28th, filled with read options, lead blocks, celebrations, and all of the Zander Diamont plays that IU fans have come to love over the last three seasons. 

3) A Win!

Breaking the bowl drought would be huge for a few reasons. First off, it would go a long way to changing the perception that Indiana Football is still in the dumpster. This program has made tremendous strides within the last decade, and a bowl win over a ranked team and generally solid program would be huge for both local and national perceptions. A win would also give Tom Allen palpable momentum on the recruiting trail for the end of this class, and into 2018 and beyond. Showing recruits that this team can beat programs like a Utah would really help Allen build some special classes. Finally, a win would mean everything to these seniors, who committed to IU with hopes of turning this program around. They have made tremendous sacrifices to better this program, and all I really want for Christmas is for that group to finally get the reward that they have worked so hard for.