By the time the No. 11 Indiana Hoosiers (6-1, 6-1 B1G) kickoff against the Ole Miss Rebels (4-5, 4-5 SEC) in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 2, Indiana head football coach Tom Allen will have had to wait nearly a month to lead his team onto the field to take on an opponent.
In most years, the layoff between the end of the regular season and the bowl season is nothing out of the ordinary. Except, Indiana had the Old Oaken Bucket game against Purdue cancelled twice on Dec. 12 and Dec. 18 after both programs were dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks within their programs.
The last game for the Hoosiers came in a 14-6 win at Wisconsin on Dec. 5, while the Rebels played more recently in a 53-48 loss at LSU on Dec. 19.
Both teams are trending in positive directions, with Indiana winning six conference games in the same season for the first time in program history, while Ole Miss has won three of their past four games.
Learn everything you need to know about the matchup here.
Three Key Storylines
Indiana Passing Defense vs. Ole Miss Passing Offense
This particular storyline might be as intriguing as any non-New Year’s Six bowl game. The Rebels’ rank third in the nation in offensive yards per game (562.4)— more than Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, and Notre Dame— the four programs in this year’s college football playoff.
Ole Miss matched up against the No. 1 ranked Crimson Tide earlier this season. The Rebels lost a 63-48 shootout in a game that was tied at 42 with 11:31 remaining in the fourth quarter. However, Alabama pulled away late to escape with a road win.
Ole Miss sophomore quarterback Matt Corral looked impressive against the top ranked team in the country, completing 21-of-28 passes for 365 passing yards and 40 rushing yards.
For the season, Corral has 2,995 passing yards and 31 total touchdowns. However, he has thrown 14 interceptions in 2020— only Chase Brice of Duke has thrown more (15).
The interception total for Corral is a number that should make the Indiana defense very happy. The Hoosiers finished with 17 interceptions in seven games this season, second-most in the nation behind Georgia Southern (18). However, the Eagles have played in six more games than Indiana this season, who are still looking for their first interception return for a touchdown in 2020.
Indiana’s defense has given up 11 points or less in three of their past four games. It seems that departing defensive coordinator Kane Wommack, a finalist for the Broyles Award (given to the top assistant coach in college football), has his defense playing well down the home stretch of the season. Indiana ranks eighteenth in the FBS in scoring defense (19.43 PPG), while Ole Miss ranks thirteenth in scoring offense (40.7 PPG).
If Indiana can continue finding ways to force takeaways from an interception-prone quarterback, the Hoosiers should be in a good position to win their first bowl game since 1991.
Take Two for Tuttle
By the time Indiana sophomore quarterback Jack Tuttle takes a snap against Ole Miss, 27 days will have elapsed between the program’s win at Wisconsin and the Outback Bowl. Tuttle completed over 66 percent of his passes for 161 passing yards and two touchdowns against the Badgers.
Lining up on the other side of Tuttle will be a handful productive players on defense for Ole Miss.
Senior linebacker Lakia Henry finished with 62 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles in the Rebels’ nine-game season, and sophomore defensive back A.J. Finley had 53 total tackles, a fumble recovery, and led the team with three interceptions.
Although Tuttle’s starting debut was good enough against Wisconsin, it is likely that the same performance will not be enough, given how efficient Ole Miss has been this season on offense.
Healthy Hoosiers
The long layoff for Indiana should provide them with enough time to get healthy for the Outback Bowl.
“We are getting closer, but are not back to normal yet,” Allen said during media availability last week. “It has been a slow progression getting guys back. We had to modify our practice plans and how we do things because of our numbers and the limited numbers that we have. There is no question that it is getting a little bit better every day. We feel good about it, a lot better than we did a week ago. But we are definitely not at full strength yet.”
How to Watch
The No. 11 Indiana Hoosiers will head back to Florida for their second consecutive bowl game played in the Sunshine State. Kickoff is set for 12:30 PM on Jan. 2 on ABC at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. The venue is home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL, and also the site of Super Bowl LV.
ESPN's football power index (FPI) gives Indiana a 73.4 percent chance to defeat Ole Miss.
Indiana lost to another SEC foe, Tennessee, in the Gator Bowl last season in a 23-22 loss. The Hoosiers were up by 13 points with under five minutes remaining.
Indiana is listed as a 6.5-point favorite, with the over/under for total points scored in the game currently slated at 66.5. Indiana is a perfect 7-0 against the spread this season. The expected forecast is 73 degrees and overcast with a 50 percent chance of scattered rain showers.
This will be the first meeting between Indiana and Ole Miss in the series history. Tom Allen was an assistant with the Rebels from 2012-14 as the linebackers and special teams coach. While the Hoosier head coach has never been on the same staff as Ole Miss head football coach Lane Kiffin, Allen was neighbors with Lane’s brother, Chris, who was on the coaching staff while he was with the Rebels.
TheHoosier.com will have continued coverage leading up to kickoff, throughout, and following the game. Be sure to follow along following the conclusion of the season as Indiana continues looks to build on a strong 2020 campaign in 2021.
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