IU will head into Thursday’s season opener against No. 2 Ohio State with plenty of question marks on both sides of the ball. Here are four of the biggest ones:
Who’s going to run the ball?
If IU is going to remain “Running Back U," it’s going to require a team effort from the Hoosier running backs. Last season, Devine Redding was IU’s workhorse at the position, rushing for 1,122 yards, although Redding lacked the explosive runs that Tevin Coleman and Jordan Howard had in years past. With Redding gone, IU will lean on a group of inexperienced running backs, but it's a group with a diverse set of skills.
Running backs coach Mike Hart hasn’t tipped his hand on who is going to be the feature back, but junior Mike Majette, sophomore Devonte Williams and freshman Cole Gest all have the potential to contribute in a big way this season. IU likely won’t have a No. 1 running back this season, and the most mystery of any position surrounds this group.
Who’s going to rush the passer?
Last season’s pass rush was good, but not great. Gone are a pair of tackles in Ralph Green III and Patrick Dougherty, two players who combined for 13.5 tackles-for-loss last season. Also, out for the season is junior Niles Sykes, who had five sacks last season, which is a huge loss for IU’s defensive line.
Senior defensive ends Greg Gooch and Robert McCray III both had one sack each last season and junior defensive lineman Jacob Robinson has four tackles-for-loss in his two seasons as a Hoosier. For Allen’s defense to take the difficult step of going from good to great, IU will need these three to step up to take pressure off the secondary.
The best defenses in the country are usually anchored by a strong defensive line that can rush the passer with consistency. While IU doesn’t have the top-end pass rushers on the roster, the Hoosiers should find a pass rush from somewhere.
What type of season will Griffin Oakes have?
In 2015, Oakes was one of the best kickers in the Big Ten, but last season, he struggled and was not dependable for the Hoosiers. He went from making 82.8 percent of his field goals in 2015 to 61.5 percent of his field goals last season. The significant drop in accuracy is not all his fault, as the entire kicking unit struggled with timing, but IU needs Oakes to regain his form for IU’s special teams to be successful.
How is Allen going to handle game situations?
While Allen has significant head coaching experience at the high school level, he has never been the head coach at a college program. As strong as he is as a leader and a defensive coordinator, he’s never had to make high-pressure decisions in the middle of games, like deciding whether the Hoosiers should go for it on fourth down or go for two in the fourth quarter of a close game.
It’s not clear how big of an effect offensive coordinator Mike DeBord can have in this regard, given his wealth of knowledge and experience.
There’s nothing to suggest that Allen won’t be fully capable of making these decisions, but because he’s never done it before on this type of stage, it remains a question mark.
aphussey@umail.iu.edu
@thehussnetwork
