Indiana University Athletics
DIPRIMIO COLUMN: Hail Hoosiers -- No Split Family Loyalties When IU Faces Tennessee
12/31/2019 9:00:00 AM | Football
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Cam Jones as family traitor or converter?
It's all about perspective.
Jones, Indiana's sophomore linebacker, is a Memphis native who comes from a family of "die-hard Tennessee fans." That matters because the Hoosiers (8-4) face the Volunteers (7-5) in Thursday's TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
So here was Jones, on a sun-splashed northern Florida practice field, contemplating the personal stakes in facing this SEC opponent in Jacksonville.
"It means a lot for my family," Jones said. "My brother (LaRon Harris) played at Tennessee (in the early 2000s). When they found out the news (that IU would face Tennessee in the Gator Bowl), they told me they were all Indiana Hoosiers fans, wearing Indiana jerseys."
Jones is also pumped to play "against guys I was playing against when I was young. I'm excited."
Excitement included practice.
"It was amazing to be back on the field with my guys competing, learning and attacking," Jones said.
This is exactly what head coach Tom Allen wants to hear. He likes what he's seen so far.
"I was really encouraged by (Sunday's) practice. You really never know. We have a lot of new faces that have not been in this situation before.
"Even just the travel. We had guys coming in from all parts of the country, so sometimes guys get delayed a day or two getting to the bowl site, but that did not happen with our guys. We only had one that had a flight delayed that caused him to be later on that first day, but everyone was here by Saturday. Everybody was here for practice (Sunday).
"I thought we had a really good, focused practice. I thought our speed was good even though it was raining.
"It was good focus, which is what you have to have. I thought we had some really good meetings. We brought in a guest speaker who did a phenomenal job talking to our guys and hitting all the key things about the preparation piece and what it takes to be at your best in the bowl game."
IU will face a Tennessee team peaking at the right time. It has won five-straight games to turn a disappointing season into a special one.
"It's all about protecting the football," Allen said. "When you turn it over, I do not care who you are, that is how you are going to get beat. That was one issue for them.
"They were probably not consistent, which is what we are all striving for. We all play good enough teams, even if a team is a mid-major team, they have good enough players to make you pay for those mistakes and turnovers. (Tennessee has) definitely changed that.
"Then you start playing with confidence once you start having success. It does not matter how you find a way to win a game. It just starts building and building just like you have seen them do.
"They have good coaches and very, very talented players. This is a good team."
IU hopes to continue the Big Ten's bowl success. Penn State, Michigan State and Iowa won their games. Ohio State and Illinois lost theirs.
"We have a lot of confidence in our league, the teams that we play, and the coaches in our league," Allen said. "The talent in the Big Ten is probably, across the board, as high as it has ever been. I think that is showing up in the bowls."
In other upcoming Big Ten bowl matchups, Michigan will play Alabama, Minnesota will play Auburn and Wisconsin will play Oregon.
"It is not really surprising to me for it to be this way," Allen said. "There are a lot of good players in the Big Ten. We see those guys each and every week, so it causes you to have to prepare at a really high level, play at a high level, and keep recruiting at a higher level each year. That continues to grow the conference."
Big Ten teams went 5-4 in 2018 bowl games and 7-1 in 2017.
"I remember when I was in the SEC several years ago, (the Big Ten) was not quite perceived that way." Allen said. "I think that has changed in the last several years to the point where we have had some good bowl records for the Big Ten. I think that will continue."
IUHoosiers.com
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Cam Jones as family traitor or converter?
It's all about perspective.
Jones, Indiana's sophomore linebacker, is a Memphis native who comes from a family of "die-hard Tennessee fans." That matters because the Hoosiers (8-4) face the Volunteers (7-5) in Thursday's TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
So here was Jones, on a sun-splashed northern Florida practice field, contemplating the personal stakes in facing this SEC opponent in Jacksonville.
"It means a lot for my family," Jones said. "My brother (LaRon Harris) played at Tennessee (in the early 2000s). When they found out the news (that IU would face Tennessee in the Gator Bowl), they told me they were all Indiana Hoosiers fans, wearing Indiana jerseys."
Jones is also pumped to play "against guys I was playing against when I was young. I'm excited."
Excitement included practice.
"It was amazing to be back on the field with my guys competing, learning and attacking," Jones said.
This is exactly what head coach Tom Allen wants to hear. He likes what he's seen so far.
"I was really encouraged by (Sunday's) practice. You really never know. We have a lot of new faces that have not been in this situation before.
"Even just the travel. We had guys coming in from all parts of the country, so sometimes guys get delayed a day or two getting to the bowl site, but that did not happen with our guys. We only had one that had a flight delayed that caused him to be later on that first day, but everyone was here by Saturday. Everybody was here for practice (Sunday).
"I thought we had a really good, focused practice. I thought our speed was good even though it was raining.
"It was good focus, which is what you have to have. I thought we had some really good meetings. We brought in a guest speaker who did a phenomenal job talking to our guys and hitting all the key things about the preparation piece and what it takes to be at your best in the bowl game."
IU will face a Tennessee team peaking at the right time. It has won five-straight games to turn a disappointing season into a special one.
"It's all about protecting the football," Allen said. "When you turn it over, I do not care who you are, that is how you are going to get beat. That was one issue for them.
"They were probably not consistent, which is what we are all striving for. We all play good enough teams, even if a team is a mid-major team, they have good enough players to make you pay for those mistakes and turnovers. (Tennessee has) definitely changed that.
"Then you start playing with confidence once you start having success. It does not matter how you find a way to win a game. It just starts building and building just like you have seen them do.
"They have good coaches and very, very talented players. This is a good team."
IU hopes to continue the Big Ten's bowl success. Penn State, Michigan State and Iowa won their games. Ohio State and Illinois lost theirs.
"We have a lot of confidence in our league, the teams that we play, and the coaches in our league," Allen said. "The talent in the Big Ten is probably, across the board, as high as it has ever been. I think that is showing up in the bowls."
In other upcoming Big Ten bowl matchups, Michigan will play Alabama, Minnesota will play Auburn and Wisconsin will play Oregon.
"It is not really surprising to me for it to be this way," Allen said. "There are a lot of good players in the Big Ten. We see those guys each and every week, so it causes you to have to prepare at a really high level, play at a high level, and keep recruiting at a higher level each year. That continues to grow the conference."
Big Ten teams went 5-4 in 2018 bowl games and 7-1 in 2017.
"I remember when I was in the SEC several years ago, (the Big Ten) was not quite perceived that way." Allen said. "I think that has changed in the last several years to the point where we have had some good bowl records for the Big Ten. I think that will continue."
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