Indiana Football is Finally Getting RESPECT in the B1G

 Written by: @Zgreene650

When Indiana Football coach Tom Allen took over the program in 2017, he promised players and fans that he would TRANSFORM the program. During B1G media day, the media got to speak with players and coaches in the conference, and there was a sense that Indiana Football is not an easy win on the schedule for most powerhouse programs.

One of the three players to attend the B1G media day, Micah McFadden, was asked whether he got a sense that the league is looking at Indiana Football differently this upcoming season.

 This is what he had to say, “I think you know there’s definitely people who view us differently, and you know I’ve just heard from other players not specifically here but just people I talk to from different schools and whatnot there’s a different look when you see Indiana on your schedule you know and you definitely you know maybe in the past you didn’t think that much of our team and whatnot and even when we had great teams in the past a lot of people overlooked the Hoosiers, but I think that’s different this year for sure.”

McFadden, one of the leaders of this football team, has to be proud that people are starting to give them the respect they deserve finally. Not only did the Hoosiers have their highest ranking in program history, but they were one of the best defenses in the country. They held appointments to an average of 161 yards per game and caused 17 interceptions.

The Hoosiers will travel to Iowa City to take on the Hawkeyes led by coach Kirk Ferentz to start the season. He has to be putting in a lot more preparation than previous years when playing Indiana.

He states, “The last couple things here real quickly. It's unique this year for us to open up with a Big Ten scheduled opponent. That is unique. I know last year was an exception for all of us, but I think you have to go back, I believe to 1979, 1980 when Coach Fry was just getting started, I know they played Indiana, ironically, in '79. So we open with Indiana this year. It's something very different for us.

And then the next week we play another team that's going to be nationally ranked, so we have two nationally ranked teams right off the bat. So that's certainly something that's got our attention. We know we're going to have to be at our best right off the bat or at least attempt to be.”

Both Iowa and Indiana will play demanding schedules to open up the season. Iowa plays Iowa State week two, and Indiana plays Cincinnati week 3.  Whichever team wins the week one game in Iowa city will have momentum going into week two, which could bolster an early-season AP top 15 rankings. Overall, this football program is not just a catwalk anymore. Players, coaches, and fans from around the league know this. All the credit in the world should be given to players like McFadden, who will leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.