Back in early August, in the air-conditioned haven of the Henke Hall of Champions inside Memorial Stadium, Coach Tom Allen lamented the mistakes he made during his first full season as head coach of IU’s football program.
He talked about learning from and reevaluating the decisions he made during a 2017 season in which IU went 5-7. The season featured two Big Ten Conference wins, a loss to Purdue in the Old Oaken Bucket Game and the lack of a postseason appearance for the first time since 2014.
“I was excited about going into last year, for sure, but there are a lot of unknowns,” Allen said on that oppressively humid summer day. “A lot of things that cause you to be really anxious, because you don’t know, you haven’t done it or been in that role before at this level. So going into year two, I feel a lot better.”
More than 100 days have passed since that press conference, and Allen is feeling more anxious than he would like.
In that time period, the Hoosiers have gone through the usual cycle of narrow defeats on the field and headline-making incidents off of it. Players have come and gone, games have been won and lost, and IU has remained mired in Big Ten mediocrity.
For the 17th straight year, IU had a conference losing streak of at least three games. Despite promises to “finish” games, the Hoosiers once again fell short against ranked opponents and lesser opponents alike, putting themselves in their current situation.
IU needs to beat Purdue in the final game of the regular season to reach a bowl game.
The Hoosiers didn’t win this do-or-die game last year, and Allen’s first season as coach was a failure because of it.
On Monday, Allen returned to the Henke Hall of Champions, as he does weekly, to speak with the media ahead of IU’s upcoming game.
“We know what’s at stake," Allen said. "We know that winner gets to go play in a bowl game and the loser gets to stay home, so that’s what we’re playing for.”
The resemblance between last year’s Bucket game and the 2018 edition is eerie. Like last year, both IU and Purdue are 5-6, making the game a play-in for both teams to make a bowl game.
IU’s dismal postseason history looms over the game yet again — IU hasn’t won a postseason game since 1991.
But Saturday's game features more adversity for Allen and company to overcome. The two football programs are trending in opposite directions.
Purdue is on the rise, having toppled Ohio State earlier this year after a sluggish 0-3 start. Many think Purdue Coach Jeff Brohm will leave after this season to go coach his alma mater, the University of Louisville.
A win at Memorial Stadium on Saturday would be Purdue’s first win in Bloomington since 2011, and the 60th win overall for the Boilermakers against the Hoosiers.
Fan attendance and support has once again become a talking point for the IU program, as the Nov. 10 home game against Maryland featured the lowest paid attendance at Memorial Stadium since September 2010.
All of these issues won’t be solved if Allen pilots the Hoosiers to victory this weekend.
But a win sure would help.
“I think when you have it and then you lose it, it changes your perspective,” Allen said of having possession of the Old Oaken Bucket. "When you lose it, you realize how special it really was and really is.”
Allen’s words ring true beyond football, but Saturday affords him the opportunity to be the man to bring the bucket back to Bloomington, after it was lost under his watch.
A win gets IU back to the postseason in what has been a rebuilding year for the defense and a hit-or-miss season for both the offensive and special teams units. A victory would allow for more practice time and coaching for IU’s young group of players, helping further their development for seasons to come.
Beating Purdue would help change the narrative surrounding Allen’s second season in Bloomington.
At 6-6, there would be a tangible sign of progress, at least in the record book, and it would show Allen can lead a team to a bowl game as a head coach.
Like last season, it would take a world-class public relations professional to spin a 5-7 season into a positive.
The lines are not blurred for IU. They are black and white.
Win and make the postseason, and Allen can rightfully label the season a success.
Lose to Purdue, again, and the questions about Allen’s coaching ability will continue to swirl throughout the winter and spring.
Allen said it best himself.
“It’s big. You know, and I think that’s pretty obvious.”
cpdrummo@iu.edu
@cdrummond97
