GameDay Preview: 3 Things I Want to See From Indiana against Tennessee

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It's been 33 days since Indiana has played a football game, but that long wait finally ends Thursday night when the Hoosiers take on Tennessee in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl here at TIAA Bank Field.

There's certainly been a lot to wait for. This is Indiana's first bowl game ever in the state of Florida, so that's a big deal. So is capping off a magical season with a ninth win, something that's only been done twice in school history.

This one's for bragging rights, too. The Big Ten is 4-4 in bowl games, so helping the league finish with a winning record will be big in this final game of the year for a Big Ten team. The Big Ten is also 1-1 against the SEC so far, so that's something worth bragging about, too.

And then there's this. Indiana has gone 28 years without winning a bowl game. They haven't won a postseason game since the 1991 Copper Bowl when they blanked Baylor 24-0. Indiana is 3-8 overall in bowl games, and it's been a goal since the preseason to not just get to a bowl game, but to win one, too.

Here are the particulars on the game:

Who: Indiana Hoosiers (8-4 overall, 5-4 in Big Ten) vs. Tennessee Volunteers (7-5 overall, 5-3 in the SEC)
When: 7 p.m. ET, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020
Where: TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Fla.
Line: Tennessee is a 3-point favorite. The game opened as pick 'em, and 80 percent of the money has been bet on Tennessee thus far, per VegasInsiders.com.
AP poll rankings: Neither team in ranked
TV: ESPN
Announcers: Dave O'Brien, Tim Hasselbeck, and Katie George
Radio: Indiana Radio Network
Announcers: Don Fischer, Buck Suhr, Joe Smith

Here are three things I want to see from the Hoosiers:

1. Let Peyton (Ramsey) be Peyton (Manning)

Around Indiana, we've told the story for years about how Indiana quarterback Peyton Ramsey was named after former Tennessee and Indianapolis Colts great Peyton Manning. Well, the Tennessee media has had to re-tell the story this week, and that's all good. Ramsey was very entertaining for them on Wednesday during the final media event, which was done with both teams together in the same location for the first time.

But now that the game is here, it's time for Peyton to BE Peyton. The best way for Indiana to win this game is to be able to throw it all over the yard. I had a good laugh with Peyton after his press conference on Wednesday, when he spent much of his time comparing Tennessee's defense to Penn State. They were taking it as a compliment.

When he finished, I joked with Ramsey, just him and I. "I noticed you didn't tell them that you threw for 371 yards against Penn State,'' I said. Ramsey just smiled. Another night like that — 371 yards and three or four touchdowns — would be great for this Indiana offense, taking its final ride with offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer.

They'll probably need to do it through the air, too. The Big Ten's best and most consistent passing game can move the ball on anyone, and with Stevie Scott probably out — he's still a game-time decision, but it doesn't look good — passing is the best option. Look for a big game from Indiana's Peyton.

2. Keep Tennessee's tall receivers in check

Indiana's cornerbacks are aggressive and play a lot of man-to-man coverage in Indiana's scheme. That means winning the one-on-one battles, something they've had mixed results with lately.

Michigan's big receivers got to them in the 39-14 loss in Bloomington, going for 366 yards passing. Purdue's guys did the same thing the following week in the Old Oaken Bucket game. The Hoosiers won 44-41 in double overtime, but the Boilermakers threw for a whopping 408 yards. Tennessee has two tall, experienced receivers in Jauan Jennings and Marquez Callaway, and they can be dangerous.

Two things help Indiana here. Jennings is suspended for the first half because of an altercation against Vanderbilt in Tennessee's final regular season game. And much maligned quarterback Jarrett Guarantano isn't always accurate, either, so the Hoosiers have to keep their passing game in check.

3. Win the turnover battle, especially early

Speaking of which, forcing Guarantano into some early mistakes would be huge for the Hoosiers. There's a serious love/hate relationship between the redshirt junior and the Vols fan base, and if Indiana can force an early turnover or two, you might see that fan base inside TIAA Bank Field turn on him. Yep, that's what they do.

Indiana coach Tom Allen and first-year defensive coordinator Kane Wommack have preached getting takeaways all year, but the Hoosiers haven't really done a very good job of that all year. So Thursday night, it's going to be about getting better pressure on Guarantano and making him uncomfortable.

Get on them early, and then keep them down.

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