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Irish, Hoosiers Open Playoff Under the Lights

Football Friday night graduates to the collegiate level at 8 p.m. EST on Dec. 20 as the No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-1) welcome the No. 8 Indiana Hoosiers (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten Conference) to Notre Dame Stadium. three hours and 20 minutes separate these in-state foes and that is roughly how much time each team will have to continue their trek to a College Football Playoff National Championship. Both teams are in unfamiliar territory. The Hoosiers are in the conversation for a national title for the first time in program history and the Irish have not been this close since 1988. Will Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers’ offense shock the football world? Or will Marcus Freeman and the Irish defense continue their domination?

Well-Rounded Fighting Irish

Notre Dame has been one of the most balanced teams in the nation. The offense has passed for 2,357 yards and rushed for 2,698 yards. The three-pronged offensive attack of Riley Leonard, Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price has accounted for the bulk of the Irish offense and has been the bane of defenses over the last 10 weeks. Love and Price have run roughshod through and around their opponents. Each back is averaging more than 7 yards per carry and while Love has contributed extra as a receiver out of the backfield, Price has been electric with his contributions to special teams.

However, it has been Leonard who has kept defensive coordinators up late in the film room. Scheming, to no avail, any way to slow down the dynamic quarterback. Leonard is not only a top QB in the nation he is also one of the best runners in college football. He has completed 66 percent of his passes and accounted for 30 of the offense’s 59 TDs.

Notre Dame LB Jack Kiser — © Michael Clubb - Imagn Images

The offense has been a rising thermometer this season but the defense is undoubtedly the thermostat. Only two opponents have scored 20 or more points on this stingy defense. While timely stops and turnovers have halted haughty offenses. Led by senior linebacker Jack Kiser and safety Xavier Watts, the Irish defense has survived the turmoils of a college football season with the emergence of underclassmen like LB Drayk Bowen and CB Christian Gray. The Irish defense will be called to turn the heat up again for a frigid Friday night playoff game.

Notre Dame’s Game Keys

Offensive Line

Notre Dame’s offensive line has been a rotating door thanks to injuries this season and like a well-coached unit they have overcome setbacks. In their last five games, they have only given up 5 sacks and produced 200 rushing yards in each game. Their ability to continue to create those running lanes will be crucial to any success the Irish will have versus Indiana.

Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love — © Gary A. Vasquez - Imagn Images

Jeremiyah Love, RB

Love has been a primary weapon for the Notre Dame offense all season. Behind the aforementioned offensive line, he has produced 949 yards rushing and 15 TDs. The kickoff temperature for game time is listed at 27 degrees so Love and the hog mollies upfront should be prepared to challenge the Hoosiers defensive line early and often.

Big Game Hoosiers

The last time college football put the Hoosiers on the hot seat, they burned out in Columbus, Ohio. Indiana fell to the Ohio State Buckeyes 38-15 and only managed 153 yards of offense. The Buckeyes are the No. 1-ranked defense in the country but now the Hoosiers face the No. 3 defense and are expecting a completely different outcome. Indiana routed Purdue 66-0 the following week as the offense found its footing and returned to its electric ways.

Senior QB Kurtis Rourke has been the conductor of the Hoosiers high-powered offense. He has thrown for more than 2,800 yards and 27 TDs, with only 4 interceptions. He has a top-3 passer rating in the nation and has spread the ball around to every receiver in an Indiana jersey. If Rourke and company can find some holes in the Irish secondary they will also find themselves with a chance for an early upset in the playoff.

Indiana’s Game Keys

Curt Cignetti

Cignetti has been dynamic in his first year with Indiana. He and the Hoosiers found themselves in contention to compete for a B1G title late into the season and despite the setback at Ohio State they still made their way into the first 12-team CFP. Cignetti must avoid the drop-off he and his team experienced at Ohio State and get ready to compete for all four quarters versus Notre Dame. How the Associated Press Coach of the Year rallies his players Friday will be essential for a Hoosiers victory.

Indiana Hoosiers

The Hoosiers are in completely new territory with their newfound success and expectation to prove they are worthy of their ranking and entrance into the CFP. They and Boise State have the most to prove with “better” programs like Miami and South Carolina missing out. Anything short of competing in this game will likely be met with cynicism about the burgeoning program. Their ability to respond and play versus the “big boys” will be on full display again Friday night.

Game Preview

This game is a classic offense versus defense matchup. Indiana is looking to find big plays and get an early lead against a formidable defense. A defense determined to set the tone of the game and show why they are a top-3 defense in college football. The Irish are chasing history while the Hoosiers are looking to make history. However, Indiana will have their hands full with Notre Dame on both sides of the ball. While they may have learned and grown from their loss to Ohio State, it likely will not be enough to win this game.

Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Irish should dominate this game on the ground. Notre Dame’s offensive line averages more than 300 pounds and will be matched up against a good, but undersized Hoosier defensive line. They will use their size and talent gap to free up lanes for Love, Leonard and Price. Then the defense will do what they have done all season and make every yard painstakingly difficult for their opponent.

Expect the Irish to win this one easily 31-17.