Earmuffs and Blinders: Indiana Keeps Chip on Shoulder Through Impressive 2020 Season

MADISON, Wis. — ESPN sent out a tweet after Indiana's 14-6 win over Wisconsin, highlighting a special moment where the Hoosier players showed love to head coach Tom Allen when was doing a postgame interview with Holly Rowe.

Even though the tweet was meant in a positive light toward Indiana, one word in it rubbed some Hoosiers the wrong way.

The tweet reads: "Indiana players had to hype up their coach up after upsetting No. 16 Wisconsin."

Indiana players had to hype up their coach up after upsetting No. 16 Wisconsin ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ZGczU6ceLF
— ESPN (@espn) December 6, 2020

Upset.

That's where some Indiana players and fans took issue. Wisconsin is in fact ranked No. 16 in the College Football Playoff rankings, but Indiana is ranked No. 12.

In the Associated Press top-25 poll before that game, Indiana was No. 10 and Wisconsin was No. 18. In the Amway Coaches poll before the game, Indiana was No. 11 and Wisconsin was No. 19.

When the higher-ranked team wins a game, it usually isn't considered an upset.

UPSET?!?!? OPEN YALL EYES! YALL BETTER PUT SOME RESPECT ON OUR NAME! REAL TALK🗣💯‼️ @espn https://t.co/v9B2zFXm0C
— Whop Philyor™ (@SuperstarWhop) December 6, 2020

How can it be an upset when we ranked higher? IJS 🤔
— Mrs. Penix 🇯🇲 (@his_star4life) December 6, 2020

But when it comes to Indiana football, so many are used to disassociating success with the program.

This year, however, Allen and the Hoosiers have flipped the narrative.

Historically, it's no secret Indiana has struggled to defeat Wisconsin. Saturday was the Hoosiers' first win at Camp Randall Stadium in 19 years.

Then Indiana's star quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., goes down with a torn ACL, so transfer Jack Tuttle gets his first-career start against an always-stout Badger defense.

The circumstances can understandably be wavered to advantage Wisconsin, but this season, Indiana has already proven it's not a fluke with wins over Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and taking Ohio State down to the wire.

The word "prove" just so happened to be Indiana's one word of the week before heading to Madison.

"Everybody just keeps counting us out," Allen said to the team in the locker room postgame. "We don't care... It's earmuffs and blinders."

I love this football team!! #LEO pic.twitter.com/NaeZ5n98U1
— Coach Tom Allen (@CoachAllenPSU) December 6, 2020

With the win, Indiana has now moved up to No. 8 in AP poll, which matches a school record with seven-straight weeks the team has been ranked in the AP poll.

Indiana also now has a 17.4% chance to make the CFP playoff, according to ESPN. Those are the seventh-best odds of any team in the country.

"It's just going to take us to keep winning," Tiawan Mullen said after the win. "Everybody in this program knows what we got going on. Like we said, we are trying to prove people wrong and trying to prove people right. Either way, everyone has an effect in this program, and everyone can see what Indiana is all about."

Indiana will now head into Bucket Week, preparing for the Old Oaken Bucket game against in-state rival Purdue.

The Boilermakers have struggled this season, currently on a four-game losing streak and are 2-4 on the season. Multiple players have opted out the last couple of weeks as well.

Indiana has an opportunity to improve to 7-1 on the year with a win, which would take the Hoosiers into the week of the Big Ten Championship, where there's still a lot to be figured out.

But Allen won't talk about that until the time comes. His focus will be on Purdue, and the team's focus will be on Purdue, because as Mullen said, the only way to prove the doubters wrong is with winning games.

Earmuffs and blinders on the task ahead of them.

"We have got six players this year that could not finish the season because of season ending injuries and this team just keeps on fighting, keeps on believing, keeps on staying the course," Allen said. "They just do not blink and that is why I am so proud of them."

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