In order to finish, you have to start.
IU Coach Tom Allen made sure his team did neither on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
It was another comprehensive homecoming game defeat for the Hoosiers. During its 42-16 loss to Iowa, IU lacked discipline, inspiration and most importantly, results.
The Hoosiers have now lost eight straight games on homecoming. But, while some of those games have come down to last-minute comebacks or contentious officiating calls, Saturday’s outcome was decisive.
IU wasn’t ready to play, and Allen wasn’t ready to coach.
“Just weren't good enough today, and that’s all on me,” Allen said. “It’s my responsibility to get our team ready to compete and play at the highest level. I’m the head coach. It’s on me.”
Saturday wasn’t the first time Allen has failed to get his team ready to play.
The last four games have demonstrated the weaknesses of both IU as a football team and Allen as a head coach.
The loss to then-No. 24 Michigan State on Sept. 22 was IU’s annual close call against a ranked conference opponent. It was a game the Hoosiers fought and scrapped in, but ultimately lost. Close, but not good enough from Allen and company.
The win against Rutgers on Sept. 29 was nearly an embarrassing loss, the likes of which IU suffered last year at Maryland. The Hoosiers gutted out a win despite scoring no second half points, but they looked sloppy and at half-speed against the worst team on their schedule. It was an unprepared and lackadaisical performance by IU.
Last week’s loss at then-No. 3 Ohio State was also reminiscent of an IU football tradition — playing competitively against a top-tier opponent, only to make critical mistakes in key moments of the game and lose. It happened in 2017 at then-No. 18 Michigan State, and it occurred again this season at Ohio Stadium.
Which brings us to Saturday, the yearly IU blowout loss at home. Just like against then-No. 4 Wisconsin last year, IU was obliterated by Iowa in 2018.
For the second straight week, the Hoosiers allowed more than 300 passing yards and six passing touchdowns. Iowa dominated in all three phases of the game, something Allen admitted postgame.
“Some days, you get beat by a better football team,” Allen said. “On this day, they were the better team.”
But it hasn’t been just Saturday. It’s been consistently throughout Allen’s brief tenure as head coach.
For all the catchphrases, energetic press conferences and celebratory trash can kicks Allen has brought to the IU program, one thing remains lacking — meaningful wins.
IU has beaten eight Football Bowl Subdivision programs with Allen as head coach. The combined record of those teams, using their finishing records from 2017 and their current records in 2018, is 24-49.
Allen has beaten two other Big Ten opponents in 13 total conference games — Illinois and Rutgers in 2017 and Rutgers again this season, barely.
Part of this comes down to bad luck in conference games for the Hoosiers. Part of it can be attributed to IU playing in possibly the toughest division in college football, having to face the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State each season.
But some of it, maybe most of it, could come down to Allen not being the right man to lift the IU program from the doldrums of the Big Ten Conference.
When responding to a question about IU’s inability to contain Iowa junior quarterback Nate Stanley in the passing game Saturday, Allen said “we weren’t good enough.”
Allen also said it’s his responsibility to get his team ready to play.
So, maybe he isn’t good enough.
@cdrummond97
cpdrummo@iu.edu
