My Two Cents: Indiana Can Play This Disrespect Card Perfectly Now

There will be a time and place to complain about disrespect, but for now, Tom Allen is zeroed in on Ole Miss in the Outback Bowl, and we wouldn't expect it any other way.

Tom Brew | Dec 20, 2020

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana was that can that kept getting kicked down the street on Sunday. As one long hour after another passed, it seemed like all that the Hoosiers had accomplished this season meant nothing to the bowl selectors.

There was a good chance that Indiana would qualify for a New Year's Six bowl game, considering it was 6-1, had lost only to playoff-qualifier Ohio State, and was ranked No. 7 in the country in the Associated Press poll.

But after the four playoff teams were picked and then talked about for nearly three hours, Indiana got screwed over and was left out of the major bowls. They took Big 12 runner-up Iowa State instead, the Iowa State with THREE losses, as the at-large pick to play Pac-12 champion Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl.

Massive disrespect.

They were just getting started. Next up in the bowl pecking order for Big Ten teams was the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, but they said no thanks to the Hoosiers too and picked Northwestern. The Wildcats have two losses, one to Ohio State like the Hoosiers did, and one to Michigan State — and team that Indiana beat 24-0 on the road.

Stunning disrespect.

So what all that means is that Indiana lands in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, which would normally be a wonderful thing. But when you're getting slapped around like an unwanted skunk all day, this just doesn't have that great feel to much of the fan base. It's not the game they wanted, and Ole Miss, a team with a 4-5 record, certainly isn't the opponent they wanted.

But leave it to Indiana coach Tom Allen to straighten all of you out. As he always does.

Focused on the task at hand

Here's Tom Allen's first message to you. Going to the Outback Bowl is a good thing — because it is the thing. This is the only bowl game Indiana will play in this year, and Allen will take a team to Tampa ready to play. There's nothing Allen can do about the disrespect now, so why waste even an ounce of energy complaining?

That's Tom Allen. You know it, and I know it. It's don't blink, and earmuffs and blinders, and controlling what you can control.

And that's all.

"There will be a time and place to address that, but this isn't the time or the place,'' Allen said Sunday night. "The bottom line is we're excited to go to Tampa and play in the Outback Bowl. We've always kind of circled the Outback Bowl for me personally and for so many of the players who are from that area as an awesome bowl opportunity for us to have.

"That's what we're going to focus on right now, and not on the things we can't control.''

The disrespect will be addressed some other day, because it really doesn't matter right now. It's not something Tom Allen can control on this Sunday before Christmas, so he's on to more important things.

Why complain about disrespect when there's Ole Miss film to watch?

The importance of leadership

We wouldn't expect anything different from Tom Allen, of course, for all the right reasons. He's the Big Ten Coach of the Year because he's hit all the right buttons all season long. He's hitting the right buttons today too, because everyone is watching. A temper tantrum solves nothing right now.

He's got a team to get ready to play a football game in 13 days, and he's got a locker room full of people watching his every move.

"When you lead a group of men, the key word is lead,'' Allen said, his eyes laser-focused, his voice intense. "They look to me, they will follow me. They will do what I ask them to do, and they will respond the way I respond. They will learn how to handle things the way I believe they should be handled. And personally, that's just me.

'This is indicative of how I got to this position. When I sat at a place like Ole Miss and was asked by a group of reporters that said 'Can you pinch yourself? Three years ago you were coaching at Lambuth University.' I knew what he meant by that. He meant, 'You don't belong here. How in the world did you end up in the SEC?' He didn't say it that way, but I knew what he meant.

"I responded, 'I'm blessed.' And I'll respond the same way today. I'm blessed to be in this position. We're blessed to be in the Outback Bowl. We're blessed to have this opportunity.''

Allen continued, his voice raising, veins starting to pop.

'I'm going to prove I belong every single day. And it's no different right now. It's that chip on my shoulder, and something to prove. It's that chip on our shoulder, and something to prove.

"Once again, leaders have to lead. I feel with my whole heart that this is the next opportunity for this program to prove who we are, to overcome adversity and stare it in the face and fight, fight fight for each other to get what you want. And you know what? That's what we're going to do.''

Location, location, location

What you also have to remember is that playing a high-profile bowl game in Tampa pretty much trumps all that other garbage. It is a critical recruiting area for Indiana, in the most critical state. Indiana has 22 players from Florida and many of their biggest stars — Michael Penix Jr., Micah McFadden, Whop Philyor — are from right there in Tampa.

There's this, too. Allen started his coaching career in Tampa and he's lived there — and called it home — on two separate occasions. He has dozens of great friends who still live there.

What's nice too is that fans will be able to attend the Outback Bowl game, which hasn't happened all year for Indiana. It's been family only, four tickets at a time, all season long. Now everyone can go, within limitations of course. That's very exciting in and of itself, Allen said.

"Our fans have not seen us play all year, and I'm so excited for our fans to actually see us play,'' Allen said. "I hope our fans come in droves and support us like they never have before.''

Lastly, this is all about recruiting, too. Outside of metro Indianapolis, there is probably no city more important to Indiana's recruiting pitches than Tampa. Look at that roster of Indiana stars. That's big, and with Indiana ready and able to strike big in Florida in the vastly important 2022 class, getting all this exposure will be great.

Tom Allen loves Florida, and he loves getting kids from there. Those ties, past and present, make this an important trip for the Hoosiers.

"Florida is a special place to us,'' Allen said. "We have 22 players from that state and a lot of coaches that have connections down there. I've lived down there twice. Tampa is a special city to me and I have a lot of great friends and a lot of great memories. My son graduated from high school there, and my daughter went to high school there.

"I'm excited to be able to take a team back to that state this time of year for another bowl game.''

It's still New Year's Day-ish. Jan. 2 is a Saturday. It's still Florida. It's still an SEC opponent with an explosive offense that will be a major test. There are seven people on Indiana's staff who coached at Ole Miss, including Allen. The ties run deep, and the stories are endless

This is a good bow game, it really is. Have the Hoosiers been disrespected on Sunday? Of course they have. Will we get to that another day? Absolutely, and I'm even looking forward to it.

But on Sunday night, so what? There's nothing that can be done about that right now. All that matters is getting ready for Ole Miss and winning a bowl game, something that hasn't happened at Indiana in 29 years. That's a long, long time.

There's another goal to be accomplished in this year of greatness, and Tom Allen is looking all of you right in the eyes. He's telling you this is a good thing, and you know what that means.

Don't blink.

Focused on the task at hand

The importance of leadership

Location, location, location

Related stories on Indiana football