This weekend, four first-round games will begin the 12-team College Football Playoff. And it all begins on Friday when Notre Dame, the seventh seed, takes on Indiana, the tenth seed.
After a surprising upset defeat to Northern Illinois in September, Notre Dame (11-1) secured the No. 7 seed by sweeping off a nine-game winning run.
One of the season’s most notable storylines has been Indiana (11-1). This season, a team led by transfer portal technology and led by first-year coach Curt Cignetti has defeated all save Ohio State.
Here is all you need to know about Notre Dame vs. Indiana’s CFP first-round matchup.
DIRECTIONS FOR WATCHING
Date: December 20, Friday
It is 8 p.m.
Venue: South Bend, Indiana’s Notre Dame Stadium
TV: ABC/ESPN
ODDS FOR BETTING
As stated by FanDuel Sportsbook
Spread: -7.5 Notre Dame
Moneyline: Indiana (+235); Notre Dame (-295).
Above/Below: 51.5 points
PARTICIPANTS TO VIEW
(In parenthesis are the player’s jersey number.)
Riley Leonard, the quarterback for Notre Dame (13): Of the CFP quarterbacks, Leonard has the most rushing yards (721) and touchdowns (14). In terms of throwing attempts per game, he is ranked 91st in the FBS. With Leonard and running back Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame hopes to dominate on the ground.
Kurtis Rourke, quarterback for Indiana (9): Rourke is Leonard’s opposite. He is an exceptionally proficient pocket passer. Rourke leads the FBS with 9.9 yards per attempt. He has the ninth-highest completion rate (70.4). Additionally, he is tied for 10th place in the nation with 27 touchdown passes.
DB at Notre Dame One of the top defensive backs in college football, Xavier Watts (0), is tied with Texas Jahdae Barron for the most interceptions in the field with five. With a single play, the veteran can completely change the course of the game.
The Indiana Edge Mikail Kamara (6): Following Cignetti from James Madison, Kamara is one of numerous successful moves. Kamara has the fourth-most tackles for loss in the league with 15.
DATA TO BE Aware OF
(Ordering out of 134 FBS clubs.)
Notre Dame scored 39.8 points per game (3rd); Indiana scored 43.3 points per game (2nd).
Indiana: 6.66 yards per play (12th); Notre Dame: 6.7 yards per play (8th)
Defense scores: Indiana: 14.7 (6th); Notre Dame: 13.6 (3rd)
Allowed yards per play: Indiana: 4.13 (3rd); Notre Dame: 4.53 (6th).
ADVANTAGES
Notre Dame: It makes sense that Notre Dame is ranked fourth in the country for game control by ESPN. The Fighting Irish control play and win games by the scruff of the neck. When you’re third in the FBS with an average of 6.3 yards per rush, it helps.
Indiana: There are playmakers in Indiana. However, the Hoosiers also think it belongs. The Hoosiers are a self-assured group for a club assembled with Group of Five transfers. That is important.
DEFECTS
Can Leonard use his arm to win a crucial game for Notre Dame? Only once this season have the Irish been behind at the half, and that was in the defeat to Northern Illinois. Can a run-first Leonard do enough through the air to pull Notre Dame out of a sizable deficit?
Indiana: We witnessed what transpired when the Hoosiers were not the favorites. The Buckeyes dominated to a 23-point victory, demonstrating that Ohio State possessed superior talent overall. Is Indiana able to handle this kind of competition?
Stories by
Johnny McGonigal
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