Tom Allen explains the benefits of upset win and crazy interview schedule for Hoosiers

Tom Allen and the Hoosiers had a whirlwind ride in Week 1.

It wasn’t always pretty, but Indiana found a way to finally buck the trend of close losses to highly ranked teams. This time, QB Michael Penix Jr. led the comeback as the Hoosiers finished off the upset of Penn State in dramatic fashion.

Following the upset, Indiana found itself ranked No. 17 on the AP Poll. Everything about the weekend, from the upset, to the crazy finish, to the top-20 ranking, has drawn national attention. So much so that Allen took time Wednesday to touch on the interview schedule and what his message was to the team after they found out their new AP ranking:

Tom Allen describes what he told the team in their Monday morning meeting, about being ranked No. 17 in the Associated Press poll:

"Fellas what does that mean?"

"I'm going to answer for you — absolutely nothing." #iufb

— Jon Blau (@Jon_Blau) October 28, 2020

Though Allen’s message may have been that the ranking means nothing to motivate the team, he did shed a little insight to the benefit of being ranked as a program. According to Allen, the national spotlight and AP ranking have been beneficial when it comes to talking to recruits:

Tom Allen says the best thing about being No. 17 in the AP poll and doing lots of interviews following a win over then-No. 8 PSU is that it helps with recruiting:

"Kids want to go somewhere where they have a chance to win championships." #iufb

— Jon Blau (@Jon_Blau) October 28, 2020

Though the Hoosiers are still a long way from cementing a B1G East divisional title, it is entirely possible that Indiana winds up as the second-best team in the East behind Ohio State. Nothing will be a given, especially against tough competition down the road like Michigan, but Indiana is at least past the first top-10 hurdle.

Kickoff for Saturday’s showdown against Rutgers is set for 3:30 pm EST on BTN.