Indiana football (11-1, 8-1 in Big Ten) will play in its inaugural College Football Playoff game when they take the field against in-state foe Notre Dame in South Bend on Friday evening.
The Hoosiers enter its first playoff game as the 10th seed, winning a program-high 11 wins in the regular season. The final regular season game was a 66-0 drubbing on a snowy evening in Bloomington. Kurtis Rourke battled the elements, completing 23-of-31 passes for 349 yards and a record-breaking six touchdown throws.
After suffering a devastating loss to Northern Illinois, the Fighting Irish, led by Marcus Freeman bounced back, winning its next ten games en route to its third-CFP appearance. Notre Dame secured its spot in the playoff with a 49-35 victory against Southern Cal in Los Angeles. Riley Leonard threw for 155 yards while Jadarian Price ran 111 and a touchdown.
Kick-off is less than 24 hours away, so here's what you need to know regarding the Hoosiers' encounter with the Fighting Irish in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
LAST MEETING
Friday's meeting in the first round of the CFP marks the 30th all-time game between the Hoosiers and Fighting Irish and first since 1991 when Notre Dame beat Indiana 49-27 in South Bend.
Bill Mallory along with quarterback Trent Green opened the 1991 campaign with a loss to the Fighting Irish.
The Hoosiers went onto finish the season 7-4-1 and won the Copper Bowl against Baylor, which still is the last time Indiana football has won its bowl game.
INJURY UPDATES
Curt Cignetti reiterated throughout the week that Indiana is fully healthy for Friday's first-round showdown with the Fighting Irish.
STORYLINES TO WATCH
Will the weather play an impact?
With South Bend primed for overnight snow, Indiana and Notre Dame will likely be playing on a less-than-ideal surface on Friday night. Although snow is scheduled to stop before kickoff, temperatures will dip into the teens, making it one of the coldest games played at Notre Dame Stadium.
Cold and slippery conditions could mean that both offenses might struggle passing the football.
Luckily for Indiana, its quarterback is no stranger to the cold. Kurtis Rourke was born and raised in Ontario, Canada, and has thrown in cold environments in the past. Cignetti touted this fact during his final press conference ahead of the game and has full confidence that the weather will have no effect on his signal caller, but will it cause problems for the receivers?
Can Indiana learn from Ohio State mistakes?
In its only game against a ranked opponent, Indiana struggled mightily on the road in the raucous environment against a high-caliber opponent.
In the loss, Indiana utilized a silent count to snap the football, which allowed the Buckeyes to time up the Hoosiers snap and get to Rourke quickly.
Cignetti mentioned during the week that Indiana will ditch the silent count and go back to what has worked in its 11 wins this season. Although it will be loud, Notre Dame Stadium won't reach the decibel level of Ohio Stadium on Friday night.
A month ago, the Hoosiers were their own worst enemy in Columbus. Will they be able patch those mistakes up in another tough environment?
Can Indiana's pass game compliment run game and vice versa?
The Fighting Irish defense has been stout all season, but Indiana's offense has been just as good. The Hoosier offense ranks second nationally in scoring offense at 43.3 points per game, while the Notre Dame defense ranks ninth in scoring defense at 13.58 points allowed per contest.
When at its very best, Indiana's offense has been a well-balanced attack and the record-breaking season has been in large part due to stellar play in both the ground game and the aerial attack.
In order to keep the Notre Dame defense on its toes, Indiana will have to balance its attack, mixing pass and throw. That said, do not be surprised if Indiana tries a shot play on its first offensive play of the game to try to catch the Irish defense off-guard.
Matchup to Watch: Notre Dame running game vs Indiana defense
An unstoppable force will meet immovable object on Friday evening.
Indiana boasts the top-ranked run defense in the country, allowing 71 yards per game. This makes for a great matchup with Notre Dame's 10th-best ground game.
The Fighting Irish are led by Jeremiyah Love, who has 133 carries for 949 yards, while Jadarian Price has 649 yards on 114 carries. Quarterback Riley Leonard has 764 yards on the ground to go with his 14 touchdown runs.
Indiana's run defense is led by interior defensive lineman Mikail Kamara, who has 44 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks in an impressive first season with the Hoosiers.
The game will be won in the trenches, and if Indiana can shutdown the three-headed monster of Notre Dame's ground game, then it will have a legitimate shot to upset the Fighting Irish.
QUICK HITTERS
Who?: No. 10 Indiana (11-1, 7-1 in Big Ten) vs No. 7 Notre Dame (11-1)
When?: Friday, December 20th, 8:00 p.m. EST
Where?: Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame, Indiana
Projected Forecast: Partly Cloudy, 27 degrees, Wind 16 MPH N (RealFeel 17 degrees)
TV: ABC/ESPN - Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), Molly McGrath (sideline)
Radio: IU Radio Network, Don Fischer (play-by-play), Buck Suhr (analyst), John Herrick
Vegas: ND -7.5, o/u 52.5
ESPN SP+: Notre Dame 28-24, 38% chance of Hoosier victory
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