Big Ten takes, picks: Indiana acts like a football school; will Michigan cover large spread over Iowa?

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Indiana’s decision to fire coach Tom Allen after finishing the 2023 season with a third straight loss to Purdue and a 3-9 record likely didn’t cause much of a fuss nationally, nor did it surprise anybody who doesn’t pay close attention to Indiana football. A coach getting fired after a 3-9 season isn’t exactly a rare occurrence. However, it did raise my eyebrows ever so slightly. 

After Allen fired offensive coordinator Walt Bell, I wrote in this column that I wouldn’t be surprised if Allen were the next Big Ten coach to lose his job after Michigan State fired Mel Tucker. It was a suggestion that was met with some pushback from Indiana fans.

For Indiana to fire Allen after this season, it would have to pay a $20 million buyout. Of course, a lot of Hoosiers were skeptical the school would be willing to foot that bill. As it turns out, the school was willing. Or, mostly willing, as Allen and Indiana agreed to reduce the buyout to $15 million.

I see this as good news for Indiana fans. While it may not seem like it, the truth is that Indiana has spent money on football in recent years. It’s upgraded Memorial Stadium, and Allen made more money coaching Indiana football than either Archie Miller or Mike Woodson have been paid to coach Indiana basketball. Now Indiana is paying more than $20 million for Allen and his assistants to go away, so they can likely pay his replacement something similar if not more.

Perhaps Indiana is aware of an uncomfortable truth in college football right now. Yes, the Big Ten recently signed a new television deal that will bring it $1 billion per year in TV revenue, and part of that money is due to expansion and adding four teams from the Pac-12 next season. What isn’t talked about much, however, is that while…

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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/big-ten-takes-picks-indiana-acts-like-a-football-school-will-michigan-cover-large-spread-over-iowa/

Author : Tom Fornelli

Publish date : 2023-11-28 17:38:00

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