Indiana football appears to be at a crossroads as Tom Allen begins his sixth season as the head football coach.
The Hoosiers followed one of their best seasons in memory two years ago with one of its worst last year.
So, that begs the question of whether 2020, when I-U went 6-2 and finished No. 12 in the nation, or 2021, when the Hoosiers went 2-10, was the anomaly?
“I guess 2022 is going to kind of show you, you know, what was the outlier? Was it ‘20 or ‘21?” Allen said.
Allen believes – or is at least hoping - last year was the anomaly.
Indiana won eight games and went to the Gator Bowl in 2019. Then the pandemic hit. Games were played in empty stadiums, and many were cancelled. Indiana played just eight games in 2020 but were ranked in the top 10 at one point.
The Hoosiers capped the season with an appearance on New Year’s Day in the Outback Bowl.
Allen says the Hoosiers rise to back-to-back bowl games in 2019 and 2020 should not be dismissed so easily after one bad season.
“I think it’s easy to forget 2019,” Allen said. “I think everybody wants to say 2020 has its unique qualities about it for everybody. And I think one of the reasons why we were able to elevate ourselves in that time period was the strength of our culture.”
The Hoosiers were ranked No. 17 heading into last season but were blown out in their opener at Iowa and never recovered. Indiana won just two games and went 0-and-9 in the Big Ten. It was the first time in a decade IU failed to win a conference game.
Injuries decimated the Hoosiers on both sides of the ball, but nowhere more than at quarterback, where five different players took snaps.
The season left such a sour taste in the players’ mouths that quarterback Jack Tuttle and linebacker Cam Jones created a power point for the team.
“Really had a lot of accountability stuff in there, presented to the whole team in January, and that kind of just created that spark we needed,” Tuttle said. “And that motivation we needed in that hunger, we needed to get back grind, do what we need to do. And improve.”
Tuttle played in six games last season and has the most experience of the returning quarterbacks. Michael Penix, who started he first five games last year before suffering a season-ending injury, transferred to Washington after the season.
That left Tuttle and Missouri transfer Connor Bazelak have been battling for the starting job since the spring practices.
Bazelak started the past two seasons at Missouri. Last year, he threw for 2,548 yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Who will start has been one of the big questions heading into the season. Allen has made his decision; he’s just not telling anyone outside the team.
“It was a very, very long detailed process we went through, and just collectively as a whole group,” he said. “Obviously, I gotta make the final call and the buck stops with me. But at the same, it was a group decision and really feel good about it.”
Whoever’s running the offense, it will be different than last year, when it was among the worst in the Big Ten. Allen fired offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan and replaced him with former Massachusetts head coach Walt Bell.
It will be the third new offense both quarterbacks. Bazelak said that made adjusting to a new offense this season easier.
“You know how to run an offense, you know, how to handle a huddle. So, that's definitely one part that made it easier,” Bazelak said. “And then also I think Coach Bell just being so open to having us come into the office, teaching us anything about the offense, just talk about whatever we want. He's there for us. He's been great.”
The defense has a new coordinator, too. Chad Wilt replaces after Charlton Warren, who left after last season, when the Hoosiers finished last in the Big Ten scoring defense, sacks and interceptions.
What impact all the changes will have on the Hoosiers will be seen on Sept. 2, when IU hosts Illinois in its season opener.
