By Jacob Seliga
Lead Writer
The new era of college football playoff begins this weekend as for the first time, 12 teams enter the postseason with a chance to win the national championship.
Under this new format one of the biggest changes is that four conference champions received byes to the quarterfinals that will be played on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
The other major change is that there’s a first round with the remaining eight teams with matchups taking place on home campuses of the higher seed.
The first matchup under this new format takes place tonight in South Bend, Indiana where Notre Dame and Indiana will face off in a frigid game for a spot in the quarterfinals to face No. 2 Georgia.
No. 7 Notre Dame vs No. 10 Indiana, 6PM, ABC
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-1) (lone loss to Northern Illinois)
Key Stats:
Rushing Offense: 224.8 yards per game, No. 11 nationally
Passing Offense: 196.4 yards per game, No. 96 nationally
Scoring Defense: 13.6 points allowed per game, No. 3 nationally
Total Yardage: 296.8 yards allowed per game, No. 13 nationally
Key Players:
Jeremiyah Love (RB): One of the most prolific rushers in the country who broke out this season rushing for 934 yards at 7.1 yards per carry and 15 touchdowns becoming an All-American caliber back in the process.
Xavier Watts (DB): Watts has been the most valuable player in the Irish’s defense this season pulling in five interceptions from the safety position. With injuries early in the season, Watts stepped up and has provided a lockdown presence in the secondary.
Riley Leonard (QB): Arguably the best dual-threat quarterback in college football this season. Leonard had over 2,000 passing yards and 16 touchdowns through the air and on the ground rushed for 721 yards and 14 touchdowns leading one of the best units in the country.
Indiana Hoosiers (11-1) (lone loss to No. 8 Ohio State)
Key Stats:
Passing Offense: 254.8 yards per game, No. 34 nationally
Rushing Offense: 160.0 yards per game, No. 69 nationally
Scoring Defense: 15.7 points allowed per game, No. 6 nationally
Total Defense: 256.1 yards allowed per game, No. 3 nationally
Key Players:
Kurtis Rourke (QB): After leading Ohio for five years, Rourke transferred to IU and has been the ultimate signal caller for the Hoosiers. Rourke has put up career highs with 2,827 passing yards and 27 passing touchdowns and has been one of the best stories of the 2024 season.
Mikail Kamara (DL): Another transfer making an impact is Kamara who came to Bloomington from James Madison and has been one of the best defensive linemen in the nation. Kamara has 10 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and has forced three fumbles bullying opponents in the process.
Elijah Sarratt (WR): On the perimeter is Sarratt who just like the rest of the Hoosiers lineup has broken out on the national scene in 2024. Rourke’s favorite target has pulled in a team high 49 receptions for 890 yards and eight touchdowns and has continued his success from his time at James Madison last season.
Prediction: Notre Dame 34 Indiana 13
The Irish enter the postseason with national championship aspirations and have been doubted now more than ever.
Had Notre Dame not been upset by Northern Illinois in week two, the conversation is likely somewhat different entering this matchup but as one of the most hated if not the most hated program in the country, the Irish have some work to do in the eyes of the public.
The conversation amongst most casual fans has been two topics: “The Irish don’t play anyone” and “The Irish haven’t won anything since the Clinton administration” and the criticism, although somewhat accurate, is mostly false.
Notre Dame challenged itself by going to a ranked Texas A&M in week one and dominated the Aggies and defeated “power four” opponents Louisville, USC, Virginia, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Stanford, and Purdue. As well as ranked victories over both Navy and Army.
Indiana on the other hand has been America’s sweetheart this season. Head Coach Curt Cignetti has come over from James Madison and turned the Hoosier state from the basketball capital of the world to the football powerhouse of both the Big 10 and the country.
Cignetti has swept almost every major coaching award this season turning around a program that has been a doormat in college football for a while and is searching for its first postseason victory in 33 years and only its fourth in the program’s 125 year history.
This is the classic “David vs Goliath” contest and how fitting it takes place in the background of Touchdown Jesus on the campus of the Catholic beacon that is Notre Dame University.
However, this isn’t the Bible, this is football and simply put, David doesn’t have enough firepower in this matchup.
The lone quality opponent the Hoosiers have played in 2024 was Ohio State on the road and Indiana was thoroughly rolled by the Buckeyes and in many ways this Notre Dame team is deadlier than that Ohio State team.
The Hoosiers pride themselves on their rushing defense but haven’t seen an attack like Leonard and Love on the ground and with one of the best defenses in the country, Notre Dame outclasses Indiana at every position.
The Irish will end the magical season of Indiana in the snow at home picking up its biggest postseason win in 30 years and will prepare to face Georgia at the Sugar bowl in New Orleans on New Year’s Day for a spot in the semifinals.
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