BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Behind the scenes of Indiana's historic season is the sacrifices everyone involved is making.
For the players, much like Thanksgiving, they won't be able to go home and see their families on Christmas due to COVID-19 protocols.
Indiana is nearly one week away from competing in the 2021 Outback Bowl against Ole Miss in Tampa, Fla. If any player were to leave the team's "bubble" in Bloomington, they wouldn't be eligible to practice next week, which is the final week of bowl prep.
The Hoosiers have already missed about two weeks of practice after 28 members in the program tested positive for COVID-19. But the team put a stop to all team-related activities on Dec. 8, and they got it under control and returned to practice this week.
So for Christmas, head coach Tom Allen said the team is celebrating with each other.
"It is one of the sacrifices that these guys are having to make, which is not easy. I get that," Allen said. "It is hard, but we are going to be together as our football family and then there will be some (parents) that they choose to come to spend some time with their boys here for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day."
The team practiced on Christmas Eve, but Allen gave them the day off football for Christmas.
Allen is also trying to make sure the players get a little bit of a Christmas feel for the day as well.
"We are going to have a dinner together, got some presents for the guys," Allen said. "Got a big old Christmas tree. Going to have a big Christmas get together for our team."
The Hoosiers put out a video of the team singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," calling themselves the Caroling Hoosiers.
Christmas day is just one of the many sacrifices the Hoosiers have made to make this season go as smoothly as possible.
Indiana is 6-1 on the year and ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll and No. 11 in the final College Football Playoff rankings.
There's one game to go, and the Hoosiers are more motivated than ever to win their first bowl game since 1991.
As Allen always says, LEO (Love Each Other) is a part of the Hoosiers' DNA. They play for each other and enjoy doing so, which is why Allen has been so impressed with how the team has dealt with all the uncertainty and adversity thrown at them this season.
"So, definitely not ideal but it is another thing that I think people from the outside do not understand what these guys have been through and how much they have sacrificed and invested for this program, for this university," Allen said. "And it is a special thing and they are a special group and I really respect them so much for the way they have handled this."
Related Stories:
- OLE MISS TIES RUN DEEP: A number of Indiana coaches have previously been at Ole Miss. CLICK HERE
- WOMMACK FINALIST FOR BROYLES AWARD: For the first time ever, an Indiana coordinator is a finalist for the Broyles Award. CLICK HERE
- TOM ALLEN FINALIST FOR "BEAR" BRYANT AWARD: Tom Allen is one of eight finalists for Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year award. CLICK HERE
- INDIANA RESUMES PRACTICE: After two weeks off due to COVID-19, Indiana has returned to practice this week. CLICK HERE
December 26, 2020 at 01:31AM
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Indiana Spends Christmas With Football Family - Sports Illustrated
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