Notre Dame, Indiana Ready To Make History In College Football Playoffs
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - The air is crisp, snow blankets the ground and history is about to be made as the first on-campus FBS College Football Playoff game will take place between No. 7 seed Notre Dame No. 10 Indiana.
It’s only fitting that this landmark matchup will be at Notre Dame Stadium in the shadow of Touchdown Jesus - one of the most iconic settings in all of sport.
This isn’t your ordinary matchup, and it goes well beyond the dusting of white powder in South Bend.
In a state that is known for its basketball, the upstart Hoosiers have a chance to slay the dragon and keep their Cinderella season alive after bursting onto the scene with 10 straight wins to open the season.
So, what’s the key to the game?
The game will be won or lost up front when Notre Dame has the ball.
The Fighting Irish have only given up 4.17 tackles for loss per game, which has been the driving force behind an offense that is 10th in the nation in rushing overall at 224.83 yards per game and was ninth in the nation during November at 241.50. The combo of running back Jeremiyah Love and dual-threat quarterback Riley Leonard have been almost impossible to slow down, much less shut down for the majority of the season.
It’ll be strength vs. strength, as the Hoosiers’ defense has led the charge to the CFP for coach Curt Cignetti’s crew. They’ve stopped opponents behind the line of scrimmage an average of 7.17 times per game (16th nationally), and they’re 2.83 sacks per game ranks 20th in the country.
Translation: This is going to be an old-school, smash-mouth treat, with the weather acting as the third opponent on the field. The forecast calls for snow flurries with a high of 33 degrees and low of 22 degrees. For perspective, only one home game in Notre Dame history has kicked off with a temperature below 22 degrees (a shutout win over Iowa Nov. 21, 1964).
Cignetti is trying to avoid that noise and just focus on what’s ahead of him. The 38-15 loss to Ohio State on Nov. 23 - the only ranked opponent the Hoosiers played all year - is what he hopes that his team uses as motivation.
"I think our guys have learned from that too and we'll be better in a hostile environment than we were that particular day," he said earlier this week. "At the end of the day, it's just football. 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."
These are uncharted waters, though. He’s never been here. His team wasn’t expected to be here. Hell, no team in the country - Notre Dame included - has ever been to a first-round, on-campus CFP game.
The stars are aligning for what should be an historic night in the greatest sport in the world. Two teams that love to get down and dirty will tee it up under the bright lights and between a sacred set of white lines, and usher in a new era of college football.
Buckle up.