Hoosier Huddle's New Year's Resolutions For IU Football

Hoosier Huddle Staff

David Sugarman

Resolution 1: Re-Open the Quarterback Competition

Many of us will be extremely motivated to hit the gym come January 1st. Then we’ll pull our hamstring on the treadmill on the 2nd and by the 3rd we are relegated back to the couch. This isn’t unlike Indiana’s quarterback “competition” last year. Many already thought once he transferred in that Richard Lagow was the quarterback of the future with Zander Diamont hurt in spring practice and unable to compete. Already seen as an ineffective passer, the result was never really in doubt. But coming off a 17-interception season and an abysmal 14-for-39 passing performance in the bowl game, Lagow’s starting role should no longer be a sure thing. IU would benefit from a legitimate quarterback competition and explore all their options this offseason. With another grueling Big Ten East schedule in 2017, this can’t be a resolution that Indiana just states. It’s one they will have to follow through on. 

Resolution Two: Improve and Have More Consistent Focus

Indiana football is strange. The same team that nearly beat Penn State, Nebraska and Ohio State nearly lost to Rutgers and Purdue. Good teams come out the same each week. They come with the same mindset, level of intensity and attention to detail. Everybody is entitled to an off-week, but it’s baffling that Indiana barely beat Rutgers and then came oh-so close to beating the eventual Big Ten champions, Penn State, the very next week. Hopefully in the Tom Allen Era Indiana builds a sense of consistency and stability. This week-to-week difference in mentality will be costly at some point and was close to being the difference between a bowl berth and a miserable 4-8 campaign including losing the Old Oaken Bucket in 2016.

Sammy Jacobs

Resolution One: Get and Stay Healthy

2016 was a brutal year for the Hoosiers on the injury front. In fact, it was quite amazing that IU got back to a bowl game after losing Simmie Cobbs (2015’s leading receiver), J-Shun Harris (the biggest vertical threat in the passing game), and Dimitric Camiel (a 5th year senior at tackle) for the year. Alone those injuries would hamper any team, then add in that the Hoosiers were without Dan Feeney for four-plus games, Brandon Knight was lost for the year against Maryland and the back field was decimated by injuries as well starting with a major knee injury to Camion Patrick last spring that limited his play in 2016.

Indiana needs to get healthy in 2017. They need to stay as healthy as possible as well. If everyone who can return does, the 2017 Hoosiers could be one of the most talent squads in program history. Cobbs, Knight, and Patrick should be back fully healthy for the season, while J-Shun Harris will have hit the 12-month mark since his injury in fall camp.

Resolution Two: Make Game Day Fun Again

This resolution is more for the IU athletic department and the folks who control the game day experience. Indiana has to make the game day experience in and around Memorial Stadium fun again. All to often the atmosphere in the parking lots closest to the stadium look like abandoned car lots, while the tailgate parties are found out in the fields or in the way beyond near Bart Kaufman field. It’s time for Indiana to reshuffle their parking priority. I do understand that the donors who spend lots of money get the closer parking spots, but they just turn IU’s tailgating into a joke as many of them either don’t show or arrive just before kickoff. It is time to reward the tailgater and open up the lots between Assembly Hall and Memorial Stadium to the early birds. Not only will this make the lots look better, it will create an actual atmosphere when the team comes off the buses for ‘The Walk’. 

In another tailgating note, IU also needs to lift the restrictions of the student tailgate and let them party for more than just a few hours. Instead of shunning them to their apartments and frat houses, welcome them into the lots and tailgate fields early. IU will never get rid of their reputation as a party school, especially with the Little 500, so why not just let the kids tailgate? 

Finally, IU needs to spruce up their in-stadium entertainment. Right now, it is very minor league baseball and comes across as corny and lame. The Marching Hundred needs to update their playlist and IU needs to start getting the crowd riled up instead of put to sleep. IU has a terrific student media school, they can drum up highlight videos and other updates that will be more exciting than the schlock they put up now. 

Resolution Three: Keep Up With Recruiting in the Big Ten East

Recruiting under Kevin Wilson saw a boom in talent and the recruiting under Tom Allen should, at the very least, stay even with Wilson. However, if you’re not improving, you’re getting worse. While Indiana may be recruiting well right now, however they sit at just 12th in the Big Ten and 7th in the East. If the Hoosiers are going to ever get over the hump in the East they are going to have to consistently recruit better than teams like Rutgers and Maryland. As of now, Maryland sits at 4th in the B1G and Rutgers is 7th. Both schools are located in talent-rich areas, but there is no reason Indiana cannot out recruit them, as IU has better facilities than both of these programs. Recruiting is a program’s lifeblood and right now the future needs a transfusion. There is very little reason IU cannot be ranked between 7th and 10th in the conference in recruiting every year. 

T.J. Inman

Resolution One: Improve the Running Game:

A rushing attack that was in the bottom third of the nation in terms of efficiency is simply not good enough. IU lacked a big time running back in 2016 after having Tevin Coleman (2014) and Jordan Howard (2015). Moving Camion Patrick to running back and getting Cole Gest back from injury will help but this must be a focus all offseason. These two have shown to have the explosiveness necessary to break off big runs. Devine Redding, Mike Majette, and Devonte Williams should all be back as well.

Resolution Two: Win the Turnover Battle in 2017

The offense turned it over way, way too many times (29) and the defense didn't take it away enough (23). Coach Allen has said that he would like his defense to have three takeaways per game. IU averaged just under two in 2016. Both sides of the ball must improve on this in the coming season. 

Resolution Three: Breakthrough and Win at Least Seven Games in 2017. 

Getting to two straight bowl games is great but the next step is having a winning record.  IU hasn’t won seven games since 2007, but there is enough talent on this team to navigate a schedule that is similar in difficulty as 2016. 

Fan Resoloution: L.E.O. 

When Tom Allen came on board his mantra was Love Each Other. It was evenident that this mantra caught on when this team didn't collapse after the shocking resignation of head coach Kevin Wilson. Love Each Other will be huge as this team tries to rebound from a heartbreaking loss to Utah.