The Indiana Hoosiers have quietly won their last four games to move to 7-2 heading into their second bye week of the regular season. Hoosiers head coach Tom Allen now faces a new challenge — keeping his players motivated for the final three weeks of the regular season.

“How do you stay hungry, focused?” Allen said in his press conference Monday. “That’s why last week’s one word was ‘starving.'”

The team facing its most-difficult two-week stretch of the season starting next Saturday should help keep the Hoosiers focused. Indiana will visit No. 5 Penn State on Nov. 16 and then host No. 14 Michigan on Nov. 23.

The status of redshirt freshman quarterback Michael Penix for those two contests is unknown. He left Saturday’s contest against Northwestern with a new injury. Allen said there won’t be a substantial update on Penix until next week.

On Nov. 30, Indiana will close the season with a matchup at Purdue.