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Tom Allen tells Dan Patrick, ‘I’m not surprised’ by Indiana’s 4-0 start
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Tom Allen started the good work of building a winning football program the day he showed up in Bloomington, Indiana to coach the Hoosiers.
For those who didn’t take the time to look in on what was happening around Memorial Stadium—not traditionally a hot spot for quality college football—it may be a huge surprise to see the Hoosiers 4-0 and ranked ninth in the country.
But coach Allen is the least surprised of them all, except for maybe his players, and he told radio personality Dan Patrick why during a Wednesday appearance on his eponymous radio show.
“I’m not gonna sit here and tell you that I’m surprised, because I’m not,” said Allen. “Our team has been building to this point for several years. I’m sure not everybody agrees with my assessment but in terms of our locker room, our players, they would give you a similar response.
Indiana is heading toward its first serious test of the 2020 season when they travel Saturday to Columbus, Ohio to play the national championship contending Ohio State Buckeyes. Coach Allen, like the rest of America, has been impressed with what he’s seen this season from the Scarlet and Gray clad Bucks.
“It’s impressive. The thing that jumps out to me is Justin Fields. He hardly throws an incompletion. It’s amazing how he’s so accurate, he’s just playing at an extremely high level,” said Allen. “Every year we play them, they look similar in terms of they’re just so big and physical. A lot of great athletes. Very well coached.”
In the end it’s just sixty minutes of football, the same as every other week. While Allen’s impressed with 3-0 Ohio State, he doesn’t believe his team is going to be in awe. They plan to play well against the Buckeyes and believe, if they do just that, they’ll walk out with a win. No one is lighting candles and praying for divine intervention.
“I don’t think our guys think it’s gonna take a miracle, we just have to play our best football.”
Indiana and Ohio State will kickoff at noon EST on FOX for the network’s game of the week broadcast.
Mark Schipper is a reporter, sportswriter, and aspiring novelist living in Chicago, Illinois.