When No. 10 Indiana (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) visits No. 7 Notre Dame (11-1) to open the College Football Playoff on Friday night, it will put an end to months of chatter and speculation about whether or not the cream and crimson-clad Hoosiers belong amongst the big boys of college football.
In his first season in Bloomington, often-overlooked head coach Curt Cignetti has given Indiana an opportunity to play for a national title, something most thought of as impossible. The Hoosiers are searching for their first win in South Bend since 1906 and their first victory of any kind over the Fighting Irish since 1950.
Notre Dame’s offense features senior quarterback Riley Leonard, a talented dual-threat passer who has amassed over 2,000 passing yards, 700 rushing yards and 30 total touchdowns while taking just 12 sacks. He is joined by the running back tandem of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, both of whom average over seven yards per carry and have combined for 23 touchdowns. Wideouts Beaux Collins and Jaden Greathouse along with tight end Mitchell Evans are Leonard’s favorite targets in the passing game, though the trio has combined for just six receiving touchdowns in 12 games.
“It’s a very balanced offense,” Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines said Monday. “They have a counter-punch to anything they throw at you. If you’re willing to run your quarterback down Main Street, that is unique. That presents its issues.”
The Irish score 39.8 points per game, ranking third nationally among FBS teams. Defensive linemen Rylie Mills and Howard Cross III (10.5 combined sacks), linebackers Jack Kiser and Drayk Bowen (118 combined tackles) and defensive backs Xavier Watts and Adon Shuler (eight combined interceptions) lead a Notre Dame defense that also ranks third nationally, allowing 13.6 points per game.
“They have really good personnel,” offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan said Monday. “Their personnel is going to be very similar to Michigan and Ohio State. They’re going to be up there with the best that we’ve played.”
Indiana allowed four sacks versus Michigan and five sacks at Ohio State — nine of the 18 sacks it allowed during the entire regular season.
“I don’t think anyone was happy with the way we came out of Ohio State,” Cignetti said Monday. “We didn’t give ourselves a chance to play offense.”
Quarterback Kurtis Rourke looked noticeably more uncomfortable in the second half versus Michigan and throughout the game at Ohio State when compared to other games. Shanahan hopes those past struggles will serve as learning experiences.
“I felt like our guys really learned a lot over those two weeks, and you saw the response that we were looking for in the Purdue game,” Shanahan said. “I’m looking forward to carrying that over and being able to go out there and execute at a high level on Friday.”
Notre Dame’s reality check came in week two, when it suffered a puzzling 16-14 loss at home to Northern Illinois. The Huskies finished the regular season with a 7-5 record and went 4-4 in MAC play after knocking off the Irish. Leonard amassed just 179 total yards and threw a pair of interceptions, and the game ended when kicker Mitch Jeter’s 62-yard desperation field goal attempt was blocked — his second miss of the afternoon.
The Irish have won 10 straight games since that loss, averaging 44.1 points per game while holding their opponents to 13.4 points per game. Notre Dame’s only glaring issue is its kicking game — the Irish are 8-for-18 on field goal attempts this season. They have used three different placekickers, with Jeter getting most of the reps.
Although he is 45-for-45 on extra points, Jeter is just 6-for-12 on field goal attempts. It appears that he is still the best option for head coach Marcus Freeman, but his struggles could spell trouble should Notre Dame be faced with a fourth-and-long in plus territory. The Irish may have no choice but to be hyper-aggressive in those situations throughout the Playoff.
If Indiana defeats Notre Dame, it will head to the Sugar Bowl to take on No. 2 Georgia, which will be without star quarterback Carson Beck after he sustained an elbow injury in the SEC Championship versus Texas. The Hoosiers have a chance to shock the world in the next five weeks, but it all begins at 8 p.m. on Friday in South Bend.
“It’s just another game,” Cignetti said. “For our players, they’re going to be excited to play and to prove something. The game is going to be won or lost between the white lines. I want them to go out there, fly around, have a little swag, and play the way we can play.”
Friday’s game will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN, the IU Sports Radio Network, Sirius XM Channel 84 and WIUX Sports.
