The College Football Playoff begins Friday in South Bend
USATSI
The first round of the 12-team College Football Playoff begins Friday night in South Bend when No. 7 Notre Dame hosts No. 10 Indiana. The Fighting Irish are making their third appearance in the CFP, while playoff-newcomer Indiana is in the midst of its best season in program history.
Notre Dame is coming off a 49-35 win over USC last month. After losing to Northern Illinois in Week 2, the Fighting Irish won 10 consecutive games to punch their ticket to the CFP. Notre Dame has notable wins over Texas A&M, Louisville, Navy, Army and USC.
First-year coach Curt Cignetti has brought life to the Indiana program. The Hoosiers reached the 10-win mark for the first time in program history and ended the regular season with a 66-0 win over Purdue to finish 11-1. Indiana’s lone loss came against Ohio State on the road last month.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of Notre Dame’s matchup against Indiana.
How to watch Notre Dame vs. Indiana live
Date: Friday, Dec. 20 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Notre Dame Stadium — South Bend, Indiana
TV: ESPN | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
Notre Dame vs. Indiana: Players to watch
Riley Leonard, QB, Notre Dame: Leonard is a dynamic dual-threat capable of making plays with his legs. The Duke transfer threw for 2,092 yards and 16 touchdowns in his first season at Notre Dame, but it’s the plays he made on the ground — particularly in the red zone — that stand out. Leonard ran the ball 124 times for 721 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Kurtis Rourke, QB, Indiana: The Ohio transfer threw for 2,827 yards and 27 touchdowns in his first season as Indiana’s starter. In the Hoosiers’ final game against Purdue, Rourke threw for 349 yards and six touchdowns. Rourke missed some time in the middle of the season due to a thumb injury but made a quick recovery to return for the stretch run.
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame: Love had an incredible season as Notre Dame’s starting running back. He ran for 949 yards on 134 attempts (7.1 yards per attempt) and a team-high 15 touchdowns. Love and backup running back Jadarian Price provide a dynamic one-two punch in the backfield.
Justice Ellison, RB, Indiana: After spending the first four seasons of his career at Wake Forest, Ellison transferred to Indiana and earned the starting job. This year he ran for a career-high 811 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. Ellison will face a Notre Dame run defense that ranked No. 51 in the FBS.
Xavier Watts, DB, Notre Dame: Watts was named a first-team All-American by CBS Sports after a standout season on defense. Notre Dame’s star safety recorded five interceptions this season, including a 100-yard interception that was returned the other way for a touchdown against USC.
Notre Dame vs. Indiana prediction, pick
Indiana has been one of the best stories in college football this season. Cignetti has transformed the Hoosiers from Big Ten bottom-feeder to a national title contender, but Notre Dame is a tough draw. The Fighting Irish are 0-2 (against Alabama and Clemson) in their CFP history, but Marcus Freeman and company will earn the program’s first win in the postseason with a dominant win at home. Pick: Notre Dame -7
SportsLine’s proven computer model is calling for three outright upsets during college football’s championship week. Visit SportsLine now to see them all, plus get spread picks for every game from the model that simulates every matchup 10,000 times.
