Leading up to the start of the 2016 season, we’ll preview three key factors for every B1G team to have success.

Here are Indiana’s:

1. Find pass-rushers

There’s a lot of talk about Tom Allen coming in and finally putting to an end to IU’s lackluster defensive ways. You can pick apart the entire unit and find several areas of improvement for a defense that ranked 126th of 127 FBS teams.

For me, it all starts with the pass rush. And after IU’s top pass-rushers graduated, I question who will take that role on. Gone are Darius Latham, Nick Mangieri and Zack Shaw. No returning player totaled more than three sacks last year.

RELATED: 20 bold B1G predictions for 2016

Who emerges in Allen’s new 4-2-5? Maybe it’s talented defensive tackle Ralph Green. Perhaps TJ Simmons can have a lot more Michigan State-like efforts. It has to be more than one guy, and it has to be consistent. More than sacks, IU just needs to get hits on the quarterback. Far too often, opposing QBs settled in and got into shootout mode with the potent Hoosier offense.

There’s no telling how much better IU can be if it can pressure the passer with regularity.

2. Continue offensive line dominance

Nationally, a lot of people still don’t realize how good IU has been up front the last few years. All-Americans Jason Spriggs and Dan Feeney anchored a line that allowed one sack per game — the fewest in the B1G — and blocked for two 1,000-yard rushers. No wonder IU had its best offense in school history.

Even without Nate Sudfeld and Jordan Howard, there’s hope that IU can do it again. Why? Outside of Spriggs, IU returns basically all of its key members, including preseason All-American Feeney. The Hoosiers will start four redshirt seniors up front, all of whom have had ample experience in Kevin Wilson’s school of blocking.

The Hoosiers do have a questionable situation at left tackle with converted tight end Brandon Knight set to take over for Spriggs. But if the promising sophomore can protect Richard Lagow’s blindside, IU is a good bet to put up some gaudy offensive numbers again in 2016.

3. Finally shake the fourth-quarter blues

Here’s something people forget. IU was within one touchdown late in the fourth quarter against Ohio State, Michigan State, Iowa and Michigan. You can throw Rutgers and Duke in there, too. Why didn’t the Hoosiers win ANY of those games? They couldn’t get the one big stop they needed.

That point has been hammered all offseason. In those four losses to ranked B1G teams, IU was outscored 76-35 in the fourth quarter. That’s the result of mental and physical breakdowns.

RELATED: Saturday Tradition’s Preseason B1G Power Rankings: Who starts at No. 1?

If IU wants to finally pull off that huge B1G upset — or just win a few more games they should — they obviously cannot falter in the fourth quarter like they did so often last year.

I don’t buy into the notion that a team was “six plays away from being a 10-win team,” so put that cliché to rest. But I do buy into the notion that if IU kept its focus for 60 minutes, the results would be historic for a program that lacks a rich history.