Hoosier Huddle's Game Day Primer: CFB Playoff Round One Primer –Indiana Hoosiers at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
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Written by: TJ Inman
What: 10-seed Indiana Hoosiers (11-1) at 7-seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-1)
When: Friday, December 20 at 8:00 pm
Where: Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana
How to Watch: The game will be broadcast on ABC/ESPN and can be heard on the IU Radio Network.
Series History: Despite the proximity in location, Notre Dame and Indiana have not played on the gridiron since 1991 and there have been only 29 meetings all-time. Notre Dame has, as expected, dominated the series with 23 wins to IU’s five. Indiana last defeated the Fighting Irish in 1950 and IU’s only win in South Bend occurred in 1898.
What’s at Stake: The Indiana Hoosiers and Notre Dame Fighting Irish both made the College Playoff Football. In case the ramifications of that are not 100% clear, this game is part of the tournament that will decide who is the national champion. The winner of this contest gets to claim the first victory ever in the 12-team playoff and advances to the Sugar Bowl for a crack at Georgia. The Bulldogs will likely be without starting quarterback Carson Beck and that could open the door for a shot to reach the College Football Playoff Semifinals. Obviously, there are additional in-state ramifications but it gets no bigger than an actual playoff game and that is the opportunity in front of both teams on Friday night.
A FEW THINGS TO LOOK FOR
1. Weather and Atmosphere
No one knows quite what to expect on Friday night in South Bend. This will be the first 12-team College Football Playoff game and the first playoff game played on a college campus. Obviously, the weather in South Bend at night on December 20 could turn into a major storyline. There is a chance of lake effect snow and a certainty of very cold temperatures. How will both teams handle the elements? How will Indiana handle a hostile atmosphere on the road? Much has been said about IU’s struggles on offense during the road game at Ohio State and the Hoosiers have talked about how much they learned and have adjusted since that experience but we won’t know if their plan works until it plays out on the field. How many IU fans will make their way into Notre Dame Stadium? No one knows exactly how those things will play out but we are about to find out.
2. Limiting Notre Dame’s Running Game
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have a fantastic rushing attack led by a pair of great running backs in Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price and quarterback Riley Leonard. Love averages 7.08 yards per carry and Price has racked up 7.31 yards per rush while Leonard has 14 rushing touchdowns and 5.81 yards per carry. The mobile ability of Leonard is something IU has not seen much of yet this season and Bryant Haines mentioned wanting to make Notre Dame’s quarterback “pay the toll” every time he chooses to run the ball. Will Indiana deploy a spy like Jailin Walker or Terry Jones to keep Riley Leonard from doing damage with his legs? Indiana’s run defense is second in the country in yards allowed per carry while Notre Dame is second in yards per rush.
3. Turnover Battle
There are so many important things in this game: red zone scoring, protecting Kurtis Rourke and giving IU’s passing game a chance to have an impact against Notre Dame’s susceptible secondary, special teams plays, the list could go on and on. Turnover margin is a fascinating one to keep an eye on though as both Notre Dame and Indiana are top five nationally in turnover margin per game at +1.3 for ND (3rd) and +1.1 for IU (5th). In a game with such massive stakes, an uncharacteristic couple of turnovers for either team could prove decisive.