(Photo: WNDU)
College Football Playoff- First Round
(10) Indiana Hoosiers at (7) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Indiana: They have been such a great story for the sport and those are always the best ones, the teams you didn’t see being as strong as they’ve been. For years, this program has struggled and been at the bottom of the Big Ten. All it took was hiring the right coach and they hit the jackpot with the hiring of Curt Cignetti who has done an excellent job leading this program to relevancy. They were also smart in locking him up to a contract extension knowing he’d be a big-time name during the off-season to fill coaching vacancies. When you take care of the football, good things happen and that’s exactly what’s happened this year in Bloomington. They were a balanced group offensively and the passing attack for the Indiana Hoosiers was the most efficient in the country! Also, the offense was ranked second behind the Miami Hurricanes in scoring and in the Big Ten, the only team better than Indiana to convert on third downs this year was the number one ranked team in the country, the Oregon Ducks. What I respect is they play within their box and they don’t try to force themselves into a style of play. There’s no trickery or anything gimmicky. What you see is who they are and I respect it. On the other side of the football, they are a rock and have been one of the best in America at getting off the field on third down. What a season it’s been and Curt is just getting started. Tonight, they stay in-state for their College Football Playoff debut.
Notre Dame: Let’s take it back to September 7th, 2024. They’re about to make their home debut and they are heavily favored against the Northern Illinois Huskies. This comes after a huge win on the road in College Station against the Texas A&M Aggies the week before. If any of you have followed me closely, the one thing I’ve said either on this site, Monday Evening Quarterback, or any of the other shows I contribute for is teams, unfortunately, carry over the celebration from the previous game and this is exactly what happened to them in week two as they were upset by the Huskies. Sometimes what looks to be a bump in the road can be the best thing for a football team and since that loss, they’ve woken up as the Fighting Irish have won every game since then, ten in a row to be exact! I’ve said this for years when it comes to Notre Dame and that’s everything else is set in stone for them as they can run the ball, they have a strong offensive line and the defense will forever be one of the best groups in the country. It’s been inconsistent play at Quarterback, but thankfully, they have been able to rely heavily on Jeremiyah Love who has meant everything to this offense. They play with confidence on both sides of the football. Believe it or not, this is their second time ever making the College Football Playoff. They kick things off tonight with Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers coming to town.
Indiana X-Factor: Elijah Sarratt– He’s been the leading Wide Receiver for the Hoosiers this year. Elijah transferred to them during the off-season and has been a huge addition to an offense that’s been one of the best in the country this year. He’s a 6’2 Wide Receiver who’s quick off his release and finds ways to help move the chains. Elijah is at his best when he’s working the middle and running that seam route. He and Kurtis Rourke must be on the same page tonight if they want to advance to the next round of the College Football Playoff.
Notre Dame X-Factor: Howard Cross III– Unfortunately, he missed the final three games of the regular season with a high ankle sprain and hasn’t played in a game since November 9th. Howard is a man-child in the middle of this Irish defense. At 6’1 and 290 pounds, he’s so active and quick for a man of his size and has a strong release off the snap of the football. He can generate a pass rush from the interior winning those battles up front with power and pure strength. How healthy will he be and will he show some rust after not playing for so long? He will be needed to anchor this defense against an offense that averaged 43 points per game.
Final Thoughts: There’s something special about Friday Night Lights and I have a feeling this expanded version of the College Football Playoff will be received very well because it will give us more football! The new playoff bracket will begin tonight in South Bend, Indiana for an in-state showdown! These two teams haven’t faced each other since 1991 and I know for a fact Notre Dame Stadium will be rocking indeed. The key matchup in this game is the Hoosiers’ run defense against the Notre Dame rushing attack. Notre Dame has relied heavily on their running game all year long and I don’t expect anything to change come playoff time. They will face a challenge tonight against the best run defense in the country. Also, Indiana will have to account for Riley Leonard who is one of the best running Quarterbacks in our sport. Notre Dame has a strong pass rush and the best way to neutralize that is to attack with the quick passing game and Kurtis Rourke releases the ball very quickly. If Indiana can get the tempo going in their favor, they will have a shot. When the Irish have their rhythm going for them, they play confidently and know their defense will save the day. Their offense is going to have to work through tonight to succeed and it could take some time, but eventually, they will. I like Notre Dame to advance for a showdown with Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs in the second round.
Prediction: Notre Dame 31, Indiana 27
