Written By Evan McShane

Finish.

With five games remaining on the schedule, the Indiana Hoosiers must find a way to finish games. IU has taken care of business against matchup opponents, but it still cannot slay the beasts. Starting 0-4 in conference play is never a good thing. However, with the context that was Indiana’s opening schedule, fans shouldn’t be disappointed. It’s understandable for Hoosiers to be desperate for a breakthrough, but a redshirt freshman quarterback and brand-new coaching staff will take time to gel.

They’ve had seven games to gel thus far. Four of those games have been against some of the top football programs in the country, let alone the conference. Now, the Hoosiers could very well be favored in nearly all their remaining games. Can they do what prior Indiana teams struggled to accomplish? "So I told our guys, 'You can choose to feel sorry for yourself or you can realize you just played arguably the toughest schedule in the country to start the season and you're right there,'" head coach Tom Allen recanted the message he delivered to his team. "Here we are with the first half already completed plus one, and you got five games left. How are you going to respond? How are you going to finish?" It’s time for Indiana to finish.

Hoosier fans can dwell ‘being close’ to beating top-ranked teams. They can grow tired of coming up short. However, Tom Allen would suggest putting the past away and moving forward. Spoken like a composed, but compassionate leader, Allen gave the following insight on how to get back up after several heartbreaking defeats: “Definitely a challenge for sure to be able to keep the mind, which is a very, very powerful thing, to keep your mind right. Because that affects your behavior, the way you approach each day, and it's going to affect the way they come to practice tomorrow.”

Allen continued, “I fully expect them to be highly energized and focused and locked in to go play our best game of the season on Saturday at Maryland. Our staff will lead by example, and that's what I expect. That's where we're at.” Allen is a fierce leader of men. “We had a good discussion as a team yesterday. Kind of get a chance for them to talk a little bit and asked them about how they felt personally. It's very natural to be -- to get discouraged. Disappointed for sure, and frustrated.” If nothing else, you can count on him to prepare this team for battle against Maryland.

After years of coming oh-so-close under former head coach Kevin Wilson, Tom Allen and his staff are unfairly expected to ‘breakthrough’ immediately. Thus, it may be difficult for Hoosier football fans to seek moral victories. However, when a program undergoes an abrupt coaching change, patience is paramount. Allen and the new offensive coaching staff are reinventing what Hoosier football represents. An identity shift doesn’t happen after one game. A culture change doesn’t permeate a program doesn’t happen overnight. Truly breaking through will take time.

Allen shared a story that, despite losing, is a telling sign that the culture and identity of Indiana football is well on its way toward a breakthrough: “There are a few head coaches in this conference that reached out to me regarding the way our team is playing. I didn't ask them. They just chose to do that. They were so complimentary of how hard we play, how well we've played, how physical we are, how tough our kids are. Just the way we've just battled and fought against really good football teams. They're impressed.” Those kinds of comments can be dismissed; or they can be taken as great compliments from coaches who are noticing a change in Indiana football. I suggest taking the optimistic route: view such comments as positive praise for the program.

Indiana has a chance to inch closer toward their goal by taking care of business against teams like Maryland, Illinois, Rutgers, and Purdue. To execute they will need to be precise in all three phases of the game. As Allen has preached, Indiana must approach each opponent like they are a top team in the country. Just because Indiana is playing Maryland as opposed to Penn State, they must still be protective of the football and limit penalties. Although Indiana will prepare the same way they have been, their weaker remaining schedule will undoubtedly help the Hoosiers. Save for Wisconsin, Indiana won’t be up against nearly as stout of defenses as they saw in Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, and Ohio State. It’s reasonable to expect vast improvement from Indiana’s offense after being battle tested by the best defenses in the country. The Hoosiers have proven they can play with the big boys. Can they beat the teams they’re supposed to? For Indiana to forge on toward a breakthrough, it’s imperative they finish strong against their remaining schedule.

The Huddle

With The Hoosiers Heading into the Final Five Games of the Season, It's Time to Finish

Hoosier Huddle