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Indiana’s Tom Allen on being ranked: ‘Proud of our guys, doesn’t do anything for you on game day’
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Indiana didn’t appear in the AP’s top 25 poll for 25 years.
That changed earlier this week when the Hoosiers got tabbed with a No. 24 ranking. It is the talk of the town for Indiana. The Hoosiers are finally ranked.
And, that should be the talk of the town. When something finally happens after a 25-year drought, it should be talked about.
Nobody thought the Hoosiers would be ranked in the top 25 this season and nobody thought they would be 7-2 through their first nine games. However, they are ranked and they are 7-2.
RELATED: Indiana’s 25-year drought from being ranked came to an end
On Monday, Hoosiers coach Tom Allen talked about the ranking the team has earned:
Allen says he's "proud of our guys for being recognized in the top 25." Says he knows it doesn't guarantee anything, but IU isn't oblivious to what it means after so long. #iufb
— Zach Osterman (@ZachOsterman) November 11, 2019
Allen says ranking "doesn't do anything for you on game day," but won't "shy away from it and talk about it" either, because he doesn't want his team to take it for granted. #iufb
— Zach Osterman (@ZachOsterman) November 11, 2019
Allen: "Those guys, the seniors, have been a huge part of what we're doing, and they'll continue to be." #iufb
— Zach Osterman (@ZachOsterman) November 11, 2019
Allen: "I told our team in camp that I Thought we were a top-25 football team. And I'm sure nobody else would've believed that, but I said it in the privacy of our meetings, because I believed that." #iufb
— Zach Osterman (@ZachOsterman) November 11, 2019
Here are Stevie Scott and Tiawan Mullen on the Hoosiers’ ranking:
Stevie Scott says IU is “excited but not satisfied” to be ranked this week. #iufb
— Zach Osterman (@ZachOsterman) November 11, 2019
Tiawan Mullen says Hoosiers want to “prove they can keep” the ranking. Don’t want it to be a one-week thing. #iufb
— Zach Osterman (@ZachOsterman) November 11, 2019
Allen and the players are right here. The top 25 ranking is amazing. It should be celebrated. However, when it comes to game day, the number next to the team’s name means nothing. You have to go out and play.
That’s why there are upsets in sports.
Indiana has a chance to pull off an upset of its own this week when it takes on an 8-1 Penn State team that just lost its first game of the season. The Nittany Lions will be hungry to win again. Indiana isn’t blind to that fact.
Indiana-Penn State is slated for a noon ET kickoff on Saturday at Penn State’s Beaver Stadium. The game will be televised on ABC.
Kevin covers Big Ten football for Saturday Tradition.