Ranking Tom Allen's 24 Indiana Wins by Importance

Indiana has won 24 games during Tom Allen's first four-plus years at the helm of the Hoosiers, and some have been more important than others. Here's a list of all 24 wins, ranked in the order of which wins have meant the most, and there were some tough decisions to make.

Author:
Tom Brew
Updated:
Aug 19, 2021 6:42 AM EDT

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – During Tom Allen's four-plus years as head coach at Indiana, he has won 24 games, which is already eighth all-time in school history.

He is 24-22, and has a .522 winning percentage, making him the ONLY Indiana football coach with a winning record since Bo McMillan retired in 1947.

In turning around Indiana's football program, every win has mattered – but some have mattered more, and it got me thinking.

Which wins have meant the most?

And when you have a thought, a list must surely follow. So here's my ranking for the most important wins in Tom Allen's Indiana career, from No. 1 through No. 24, with scores, dates, locations and my take on why they were the most important.

No. 1: Indiana 44, Purdue 41 (2OT) in 2019

When: Nov. 30, 2019
Where: West Lafayette, Ind.
Why so important: There was a time when beating Purdue was the only thing that ever mattered for Indiana, and it's still pretty darn important, but the 44-41 double overtime win to end the 2019 regular season is the clear No. 1 in my book of all of Tom Allen's wins. For starters, it was his first win over Purdue after losses in 2017 and 2018, and getting the Old Oaken Bucket back to Bloomington was huge. (It's still there.) Secondly, it put a cap on an 8-4 regular season and that sounds so much better than 7-5. The win also gave the Hoosiers a winning record (5-4) in the Big Ten, their first time over .500 in the league since 1993. The eight wins were also the most since '93.

Indiana got the Old Oaken Bucket back with a 44-41 double overtime win in 2019. (USA TODAY Sports)

No. 2: Indiana 36, Penn State 35 (OT) in 2020

When: Oct. 24, 2020
Where: Bloomington, Ind.
Why so important: I went back and forth between No. 1 and No. 2 with this one, at it was a tough call. This was a huge win, for many reasons. For starters, this was the season opener after the COVID delay in 2020 and Penn State – which had only lost to Indiana once in 23 games – was ranked No. 8 in the country. Indiana fell behind 28-20 with 1:22 to go, but then scored with 22 seconds left and got the two-point conversion to tie the game. Penn State scored first in OT, but Indiana answered right back and Allen had the guts to go for two and end it right there. It worked, by a sliver, with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. diving into the end zone for the win. It set the stage for a 6-1 season, and the Hoosiers were ranked themselves the next week.

No. 3: Indiana 38, Michigan 21 in 2020

When: Nov. 7, 2020
Where: Bloomington, Ind.
Why so important: For possibly the first time in rivalry history, it was very clear from start to finish that Indiana had better players than Michigan all over the field. The Hoosiers won easily, snapping a 24-game losing streak to the Wolverines that dated back to 1987. The win moved Indiana to 3-0 on the season, and they did it by pushing Michigan around up front. Indiana outrushed them 118 yards to 13, and dominated time of possession 39 minutes to 21. Of all the games that fans had to miss in 2020 because of COVID, this one probably had to hurt the most after decades of beatdowns by Michigan. And that frown on Jim Harbaugh's face? It was priceless.

No. 4: Indiana 38, Nebraska 31 in 2019

When: Oct. 26, 2019
Where: Lincoln, Neb.
Why so important: Indiana ended 60 years of misery in Lincoln with a 38-31 win, with quarterback Peyton Ramsey leading the way with 351 yards and two touchdowns. The Hoosiers had lost five games in a row to the Huskers, and even though the Hoosiers were 5-2 in their breakout 2019 season, Nebraska was still favored in this game. Winning on the road was a huge deal, especially beating Scott Frost in his second year back at home in Nebraska. Frost has won only 12 games in three years; Allen has 19 over the same span.

No. 5: Indiana 14, Wisconsin 6 in 2020

When: Dec. 5, 2020
Where: Madison Wis.
Why so important: Even though No. 12 Indiana was 5-1 at the time, their trip to Wisconsin still looked like a bad spot. The Hoosiers had lost quarterback Michael Penix Jr., to an ACL injury a week earlier and Jack Tuttle was making his first career start. Wisconsin had beaten Indiana 10 times in a row, and the Hoosiers hadn't won there since 2001. Tuttle did enough, and Indiana's defense was tremendous, allowing only two field goals in a huge road win.

No. 6: Indiana 24, Michigan State 0 in 2020

When: Nov. 14 2020
Where: East Lansing, Mich.
Why so important: Crossing that line of demarcation in the Big Ten East has meant getting past a team like Michigan State, and the Hoosiers did that in convincing fashion in East Lansing, pitching a shutout against a Spartans offense that was really struggling. Indiana allowed only 191 total yards, and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. passed for 320 yards. It was Indiana's first win at Michigan State since 2001, ending an eight-game losing streak there.

No. 7: Indiana 34, Virginia 17 in 2017

When: Sept. 9, 2017
Where: Charlottesville, Va.
Why so important: The first win is always special, and this was Allen's first as a head coach at Indiana. The Hoosiers had opened the 2017 season with a home loss to No. 2-ranked Ohio State, but then went on the road the following week and got a win.

No. 8: Indiana 34, Maryland 28 in 2019

When: Oct. 19, 2019
Where: College Park, Md.
Why so important: What was sweet about this win was that Peyton Ramsey came in after another Michael Penix injury and led the Hoosiers to a huge road victory, keeping the train rolling in 2019's bounce-back season.

No. 9: Indiana 34, Ball State 24 in 2019

When: Aug. 31, 2019
Where: Indianapolis, Ind.
Why so important: That 2019 bounceback season had to start somewhere, and that was Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Indiana won convincingly but not necessarily comfortably. Michael Penix Jr., who had won the quarterback job over Peyton Ramsey in fall camp, was great out of the box, throwing for 326 yards and rushing for another 67.

No. 10: Indiana 24, Illinois 14 in 2017

When: Nov. 11, 2017
Where: Champaign, Ill.
Why so important: This was another first in 2017, because it was Allen's first Big Ten win after starting league play 0-6. That might sound bad, but five of those six teams were nationally ranked. Illinois wasn't, and the Hoosiers won thanks to 289 yards passing from Richard Lagow and 82 yards rushing from Cole Gest. After that 0-6 start in Big Ten games, Allen is now 15-13 since.

No. 11: Indiana 27, Maryland 11 in 2020

When: Nov. 28, 2020
Where: Bloomington, Ind.
Why so important: No. 12 Indiana didn't know it at the time, but this was their final home game of the 2020 season played in front of no fans. The defense was dominant yet again, and Jack Tuttle came on to play well after Michael Penix Jr., went down with what turned out to be a second torn ACL. Indiana had a season-high 234 yards rushing, with freshman Tim Baldwin Jr. having a season-high 106 yards. Indiana got interceptions from Micah McFadden, Jaylin Williams and Tiawan Mullen in the win.

No. 12: Indiana 20, Virginia 16 in 2018

When: Sept 8, 2018
Where: Bloomington, Ind.
Why so important: This was a good win over an ACC team and it was the day that Stevie Scott broke on the scene and became a staple in Indiana's backfield for three years. In his second game as a Hoosier, Scott rushed for 204 yards on 31 carries.

No. 13: Indiana 37, Rutgers 21 in 2020

When: Oct. 31, 2020
Where: Piscataway, N.J.
Why so important: No. 17 Indiana, coming off that huge season-opening win against Penn State, could have had a letdown at Rutgers, but they didn't let that happen in raising their record to 2-0. Michael Penix Jr. passed for 238 yards and three touchdowns and Stevie Scott rushed for 82 yards. Wide receiver Whop Philyor had a huge day, getting 137 yards on five catches.

No. 14: Indiana 34, Northwestern 3 in 2019

When: Nov. 2, 2019
Where: Bloomington, Ind.
Why so important: Indiana was sharp on both sides of the ball under the lights against a Northwestern team that was really struggling at the time despite winning the Big Ten West a year earlier. (The following too, amazingly.) Indiana's defense allowed only 199 yards, and Stevie Scott rushed for 116 yards.

No. 15: Indiana 38, Florida International 28 in 2018

When: Sept. 1, 2018
Where: Miami, Fla.
Why so important: Indiana opened the 2018 season on the road, and got a win in South Florida over Florida International. It was important because Florida is such a critical recruiting area for the Hoosiers. Indiana rushed for 213 yards and threw for another 250. True freshman Michael Penix Jr. came off the bench for his first career action, completing 8-of-10 passes for 96 yards.

No. 16: Indiana 34, Maryland 32 in 2018

When: Nov. 10, 2018
Where: Bloomington, Ind.
Why so important: Indiana didn't play particularly well, giving up 210 rushing yards to Anthony McFarland Jr., but found a way to win anyway. Logan Justus kicked a 42-yard field goal with 2:32 to go to give the Hoosiers a win. Allen has been able to trust his kickers pretty well during his time at Indiana, and it started with Justus and this game-winner.

No. 17: Indiana 41, Rutgers 0 in 2017

When: Nov. 18, 2017
Where: Bloomington, Ind.
Why so important: Indiana beat a very bad Rutgers team handily in Allen's first season, getting their second Big Ten win of the year. it pushed their record to 5-6, and gave them a shot at being bowl eligible the following week. For Allen, the former Indiana defensive coordinator, it was his first shutout as a head coach against a Big Ten team.

No. 18: Indiana 38, Connecticut 3 in 2019

When: Sept. 21, 2019
Where: Bloomington, Ind.
Why so important: Indiana bounced back nicely from an early loss to Ohio State, rolling UConn with ease. Peyton Ramsey was nearly perfect at quarterback with Michael Penix Jr. out with a shoulder strain, completing 23 of 27 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns. Stevie Scott rushed for 97 yards and Indiana's defense allowed only 145 yards.

No. 19: Indiana 35, Rutgers 0 in 2019

When: Oct. 12, 2019
Where: Bloomington, Ind.
Why so important: This was Indiana's most lopsided Big Ten win in years. This was a complete whitewash. Indiana had 557 yards of total offense, and Rutgers could manage just 75 yards total, and had only 1 yard passing. Michael Penix Jr. passed for 282 yards and three touchdowns, and Stevie Scott rushed for 164 on just 12 carries.

No. 20: Indiana 24, Rutgers 17 in 2018

When: Sept. 29, 2018
Where: Piscataway, N.J.
Why so important: Indiana got its first Big Ten of the season with a tight road win over Rutgers. Peyton Ramsey passed for 288 yards and a score.

No. 21: Indiana 38, Ball State 10 in 2018

When: Sept. 15, 2018
Where: Bloomington, Ind.
Why so important: Indiana raised its record to 3-0 to start the 2018 season with an easy win over Ball State at home. The outcome was never in doubt, but there were a few red flags, most notably Indiana giving up 204 yards rushing.

No. 22: Indiana 52, Georgia Southern 17 in 2017

When: Sept. 23, 2017
Where: Bloomington, Ind.
Why so important: Indiana had no problem in rolling over FCS opponent Georgia Southern for Tom Allen's second career win. Morgan Ellison had a huge game, rushing for 186 yards.

No. 23: Indiana 52, Eastern Illinois 0 in 2019

When: Sept. 7, 2019
Where: Bloomington, Ind.
Why so important: Indiana had no business playing Eastern Illinois, and it showed. This was a blowout from the beginning, and the worst part was the Michael Penix Jr. suffered a shoulder strain and wound up missing nearly a month because of it. Peyton Ramsey subbed for him, and completed 13-of-14 passes for 226 yards and two scores.

No. 24: Indiana 27, Charleston Southern 0 in 2017

When: Oct. 7, 2017
Where: Bloomington, Ind.
Why so important: Indiana had to schedule FCS Charleston Southern quickly after having a game cancelled earlier in the season, and this was no contest. What was notable was that it was freshman quarterback Peyton Ramsey's first start, and he played well, throwing for 321 yards. Indiana's defense set a school record, allowing zero passing yards on 10 attempts. This was a mismatch from the start.