Indiana vs. Penn State was start of magical 2020 season that gave Tom Allen a big payday

Indiana (2-5, 0-4 Big Ten) and No. 10 Penn State (6-1, 3-1) are in polar opposite places this season, but it wasn’t long ago the teams delivered one of 2020’s most exciting games.

Down 28-20 with under two minutes left in the fourth quarter, Tom Allen’s Hoosiers — led by now-Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. — rattled off a 7-play, 75-yard drive capped by Penix’s successful 2-point conversion run to force overtime.

Penix, of course, was not finished. He famous dive toward the pylon in OT delivered euphoria for a program playing in front of a significantly reduced crowd during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Penix completed 8 of 9 passes for 71 yards during the final drive of regulation and in overtime. He scored two touchdowns — one rushing and one passing — and had a rushing score on each of the 2-point tries.

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IU football’s 2020 season gave Tom Allen big contract

That 36-35 overtime win to open the 2020 season was the launching pad for one of the best Hoosiers football seasons in recent memory. Indiana finished with a 6-2 record in the pandemic-altered season and No. 12 ranking in the US LBM Coaches Poll thanks to wins over No. 8 Penn State, No. 23 Michigan and No. 18 Wisconsin. The Hoosiers also went toe to toe with No. 3 Ohio State, losing 42-35 and nearly earning the opportunity to play for the conference title and College Football Playoff.

That season also earned Allen a hefty seven-year contract extension worth $4.9 million annually.

But Penix struggled with injuries during much of his time at Indiana, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament late in 2020 and suffering another season-ending injury in 2021 before transferring to Washington, where he’s among the Heisman Trophy frontrunners in 2023. Indiana hasn’t threatened in the Big Ten East since his departure.

The Hoosiers went 2-10 in 2021, including 0-9 in Big Ten play. They improved went 4-8 in 2022, including 2-7 conference play. Now in 2023, Indiana is 2-5 and 0-4 the Big Ten and recently fired offensive coordinator Walt Bell as the offense has struggled to produce just 311.7 yards per game, ranking 116th in the FBS.

Tom Allen contract status, buyout information

Allen still has four years following the 2023 season on his extended contract, and his buyout is significant: $20.8 million if fired Dec. 1, 2023. The buyout drops to $7.95 million after Dec. 1, 2024.

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Indiana’s struggles since that 2020 may only be magnified in 2024 with the addition of Pac-12 defectors Washington, Oregon, USC and UCLA, all of which are ranked in the Week 9 US LBM Coaches Poll.

Saturday’s game vs. Penn State might resemble the one that took place in 2020. But it is a reminder of that magical game and season — a magic the Hoosiers are still trying to recreate.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How Indiana-Penn State in 2020 launched Tom Allen into bigger contract