Five Questions Facing the Hoosier Football Program at Big Ten Media Days
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Written by: Zach Greene (@zachegreene)
Big Ten Football Media Day takes place this upcoming week (July 26/27th) at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. This is an annual event that all Big Ten teams participate in. The team will be represented by their head coaches along with three players. The Hoosiers will be up on Day 1 of the Media Days. Head Coach Tom Allen brings along Tight End AJ Barner, Linebacker Cam Jones, and Cornerback Tiawan Mullen. Compared to last year, this Hoosiers team will not have as much attention/pressure, but you can rest assured that the media especially the local media will be coming with questions. This is a make-or-break year for Allen and his program. He will look to get off to a good start with the media and make good early impressions. That said, these are five questions heading into Big Ten Media Day for our Hoosiers.
1. Who is Going to be The Quarterback?
The Hoosiers added Connor Balelak a Redshirt Junior transfer from Missouri. Last season, with the Tigers he threw for over 2,500 yards and 16 touchdowns but was prone to turning over the football. All this said, the Hoosiers also have Jack Tuttle who enters his 5th season in the program. Last season, Tuttle struggled with an injury. When he was on the field, he struggled to turning over the ball and leading his team down the field. Tuttle brings experience and leadership to the Hoosiers team. He upset Wisconsin during the 2020 season as well as leaded his team during the Outback Bowl. Lastly, the Hoosiers have Dual Threat Quarterback Dexter Williams who missed the 2021 season with an ACL injury and did not see any playing time as a freshman in 2020. This question will linger until opening night, probably.
2. How is this Program Going to Bounce Back?
Last season, the Hoosiers struggled badly ending with a 2-10 record and failing to meet any expectations. It was horrible at times and unwatchable, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The good thing is that it can’t get much worse and there is only up from here. The Hoosiers seem to have a lighter schedule and little to no expectations. Tom Allen thinks that this is exactly what this program needs. But how is he going to lead his team after last season? Can his players play more like a team? These are just a couple of questions that will be asked this Tuesday.
3. Offensive Line?
One key reason why the Hoosiers struggled so much last year was because of the depleted offensive line. They failed to open holes for the running backs which contributed to the 3.3 yards per carrying average. This season, this number needs to be above 4. Not only did they struggle to create holes, but they suffered protecting their QBs which can be directly contributed to why the QB position was so depleted. The Offensive Line welcomes pretty much the same unit. The unit has a lot of experience under their belts but there are young bucks behind the starters that are eager to play. Expect there to be a lot of Offensive Line questions on Tuesday.
4. What Will the Play Calling be like? (Both Side of the Ball)
The Hoosiers welcome two new coordinators on both sides of the ball. Walt Bell as the OC and Chad Wilt on the Defensive Side. Both coaches are young and have a lot of experience. On the offensive side, Bell has full control and will be the play-caller. He knows how bad this team was on the offensive side of the ball last season and is incorporating a new offense. Should we expect more design on run plays and less predictable plays? These are just some questions on the offensive side. As far as the Defensive side, Tom Allen will take over the playing calling and be the leader for this unit. Does this mean a lot of blitzes or more conservative play calling? That said, I expect this side of the ball to be the ones to lead this team to the glory land (bowl appearance)
5. Week One Win?!
The Hoosiers need a win to open their season and what better way to do it than a Week One win on a Friday night in front of our home crowd. I am interested in seeing how the Hoosiers are preparing for their first game against the Fighting Illini on September 2nd. If the Hoosiers can pick up a win in week one there’s a solid chance this team can get off to a 2-0 start as they welcome Idaho to town in week two. Considering that this program only had two wins last season if the Hoosiers can get off to a 2-0 start this would be HUGE. All that aside some questions include what are they doing especially on the offensive side to prepare for Illinois? Can we expect the same tenacity on the defensive side of the ball?