Or at least they’re trying not to.
IU was officially eliminated from bowl eligibility for the 20th time in 21 years after a 45-23 loss to Rutgers last week.
After the game, IU Coach Kevin Wilson’s message to his team was to not give in yet, as there is still an opportunity for growth beginning with Saturday’s noon game against No. 7 Ohio State.
“We’re not going to hang our heads as coaches,” Wilson said. “I don’t think those kids are. Let’s put together our best plan, go attack and play as well as we can. And I expect the guys to do so.”
The last time IU football beat Ohio State was 1988 when a 27-year-old Wilson was the offensive coordinator at North Carolina A&T in his second coaching job.
IU is 12-70-5 all-time against Ohio State and has lost the last 19 consecutive matchups. If the Hoosiers were to beat the Buckeyes once every year until the year 2072, they would regain the series lead.
The senior class has taken its lumps against Ohio State in its time in ?Bloomington.
IU (3-7, 0-6) has been outscored 166-93 in the most recent four losses to Ohio State (9-1, 6-0). The closest the Hoosiers have gotten to beating Ohio State since tying in 1990 came in 2012 in a 3-point deficit.
In that loss, IU scored two touchdowns, converted a 2-point conversion and recovered an onside kick in a two-minute rally before ultimately falling 52-49.
“We’ve had some rough roads against Ohio State, especially our seniors,” sophomore lineman Dan Feeney said. “I know it would mean the world to them if we could knock them off.”
Ohio State is playing with a chance of making the College Football Playoff on the line. It has only lost one game this season.
IU players have pointed out this week that the team is playing for pride.
Feeney said the underclassmen like him want the seniors to leave the program with a lasting memory of knocking off a top-ranked team. Senior cornerback Tim Bennett said he wants the last two games to be a part of a lasting legacy the senior class has on the program.
Despite opening the week as 30.5-point underdogs, according to sports booking agency Bovada, junior tight end Anthony Corsaro said the Hoosiers feel they have a realistic chance of beating ?the Buckeyes.
He said the upset win against SEC East-leading Missouri proves the team’s potential, and he thinks IU can repeat that.
Against Missouri, IU was able to limit turnovers, hold Missouri on defense and execute a balanced offense with a mix of run and pass.
This week, Corsaro wants that to return.
“We know what we’re capable of because we’ve shown it,” Corsaro said. “We’ve proven that we can play with the best teams around. We’ve just got to show up and execute.”
Execution has been a bit of a buzzword with the team.
Corsaro is just one of a few players who said this week that the team sometimes kicks itself watching film on Sundays after seeing mistakes made.
“It isn’t an effort problem, it isn’t an attitude problem,” Corsaro said. “It’s just execution.”
IU will get a chance to get back on track and end the season with momentum trying to spoil Ohio State’s National Championship hopes.
For seniors such as Bennett, this weekend serves as one of the final chances to record a marquee win and get fans excited about Hoosier football again.
“It’s a pride thing,” Bennett said. “You’ve got to go out there and show what you’ve got. This is one of the best teams in the nation, so especially for our seniors, if you want to show how you stack up against some of the best, that’s what this game is for, so we’re going to bring it.”
