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Tom Allen talks matchup with Ole Miss as Indiana prepares for Outback Bowl
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The Indiana Hoosiers had one of the best seasons in the history of their program before being shut down at seven games due to COVID issues and finishing the year at 6-1.
The seven data points, as opposed to ten or eleven for other programs, contributed to the Hoosiers being passed up for a New Year’s Six bowl game. Instead, they were awarded a trip to Tampa to play in the Outback Bowl against Ole Miss, still the kind of big opportunity Indiana football rarely gets.
Head coach Tom Allen spoke Monday with media members about his team’s COVID issues, the unfortunate end to the season in which their Old Oaken Bucket rivalry against Purdue was not played for the first time in 100 years, and the upcoming preparation for their bowl trip to Florida. Last year’s one-point loss to Tennessee in the Gator Bowl also came up as motivation for this year’s squad.
Tom Allen on using Gator Bowl loss as motivation: "I choose not to forget about things like that, in a positive way. When you talk about earmuffs and blinders, that doesn't mean you're deaf and blind. … There's things about that game I don't want us to ever forget." #iufb
— Zach Osterman (@ZachOsterman) December 28, 2020
Allen says IU had team meetings over whether Hoosiers wanted to play in a bowl game, given everything. Says team wanted to play. #iufb
— Zach Osterman (@ZachOsterman) December 28, 2020
IU coach Tom Allen says the Hoosiers will head down Wednesday, so they'll be there for a couple extra days than a normal road game. But, obviously, because COVID, not many other events to be hard. #iufb https://t.co/GQUkzbRkCY
— Jon Blau (@Jon_Blau) December 28, 2020
IU will organize a "taste of Florida" event at the team hotel Thursday night before the game. It will just be a Publix sub for everyone, I assume. #iufb
— Zach Osterman (@ZachOsterman) December 28, 2020
Tom Allen says the "whole group" isn't back after COVID positive tests paused things, but he says they are getting close.
— Jon Blau (@Jon_Blau) December 28, 2020
"The mental break was a blessing. Didn't want it under those circumstances … The challenge now is to get back and have a great week of practice." #iufb
Allen says he's happy he didn't send players home for Christmas given what's happened to other programs and COVID-19 positives resulting from it.
— Jon Blau (@Jon_Blau) December 28, 2020
"We followed the advice of our medical professionals, and they were adamant about it."
"It was the right thing to do."#iufb
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Mark Schipper is a reporter, sportswriter, and aspiring novelist living in Chicago, Illinois.