8/30/2021 football Edit

High expectations, lofty goals surround Indiana program as season begins

Matthew Byrne • TheHoosier

Staff Writer

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Indiana football finished last season with a praiseworthy 6-1 conference record. However, despite hard-fought victories over Penn State and Wisconsin, Ohio State held the reins in the eastern division, ultimately winning the conference championship.

But this year, head coach Tom Allen and his players, carrying with them significant expectations, seek to flip the script.

"I think we're gonna win a lot of games this year," Running back Stephen Carr said. "We [are] heading for that Big Ten championship."

Allen has a pattern of starting each season with one word the team can rally behind. In 2017 the word was "breakthrough," and now, in 2021, it has morphed to "chase."

Looking at the pair of words side-by-side, it's clear Allen's impact in just four years has catapulted the Hoosiers on the right trajectory to win the conference. And his players believe that.

"We all as a team, coaches, players, we got one thing on our minds, that's just to win a Big Ten championship," defensive back Devon Matthews said. "We just take it week by week, game by game, one game at a time."

“I always expected this coming into my freshman year,” All-American junior cornerback Tiawan Mullen said. “Just believing. We’re going to have a different mindset. Going into win one game at a time. We’re not going in with any doubts… We’re building something special. We’re not looking backward. We’re looking forward. Whatever happened at Indiana in the past, we’re not looking at that.”

Indiana heads into its season opener with high expectations and look to hit all of the goals it has in 2021. (IU Athletics)

IU finished last season ranked No. 12 in the country, according to the AP Poll, after losing to The University of Mississippi in the Outback Bowl.

Returning numerous starters from that roster and even the year before means that while there are high expectations, everyone who is part of the Indiana program must buy in to make this season successful and hit those high expectations.

"We've been pretty clear on our goals. Haven't shied away from it," Allen said at IU Media Day. "We finished second in the Big Ten East last year. Our goal is to play in the Big Ten championship and win the game. There's a lot of things that have to happen before that occurs."

"Do we have talent? Yes, we have a lot of talent. Do we have a lot of good players? Yes, I believe we have a lot of good football players. And I love our coaching staff. But how well this 2021 team meshes together, the chemistry we create, how hard we play for each other, with each other, how well we perform each and every day."

IU will play four preseason Associated Press top-25 teams in No. 8 Cincinnati, No. 18 Iowa, No. 19 Penn State and arguably most importantly, No. 4 Ohio State.

But IU also was awarded similar stature, placing No. 17, marking the school's first appearance in the poll since 1969. Last year, the Hoosiers defeated three of four ranked opponents, narrowly losing to the Buckeyes by seven points.

IU is looking to win its first bowl game since 1991 and reach its first 10-win season in program history.

"A lot of expectations," Allen said. "That's been the challenge, is to go from believing, and I believe we have a team that believes, to now expecting a certain outcome on game day."

Allen and his players face a tough test ahead, playing against difficult opponents on the road with opposing fans. Still, the coaches and players all have a common goal; bring a conference championship back to Indiana for the first time in nearly 55 years and flip the script.