Hoosiers Seek to Show OSU Loss Was a 'Fluke' in CFP First Round

Written By: Ben Gillard (@benjgillard)

All eyes will be on South Bend this Friday where the #10 Indiana Hoosiers will take on #7 Notre Dame. This is the first CFP matchup ever between two schools in the same state, and the hype surrounding “The Battle For Indiana” has been building to a fever pitch. For the Hoosiers watching the media coverage, déjà vu of their Week 13 loss against Ohio State has likely begun to set in. True to their motto, this Indiana team is not daunted by the hype but rather eager to solidify their place as an emerging power with a victory.

When asked about the similarities between this game and the OSU game, starting LB Aiden Fisher said, “There were a lot of distractions going into that game, a big game with a hostile crowd, and it's just something that we have to learn to manage and handle. Going into this game, it's no different than the Ohio State game. It's a big game, one with obvious, huge implications, but at the end of the day, it's just another game we have to prep for like we did the past 12 games.”

It’s clear that while the Hoosiers are approaching their CFP matchup as “just another game,” they have made some critical changes to the way they block out the noise and hype since the OSU game. In particular, a report from Curt Cignetti that phones were not allowed in meetings this week seems to show that the staff is trying their best to keep the team focused on the game.

QB Kurtis Rourke also highlighted the similarities between the Notre Dame and OSU matchups, saying, “I think Notre Dame is a very talented team, and Ohio State is also very talented, and they do a lot of good things and have been able to make some plays on defense and turn the ball over, or turn other teams over. It's been tough for some offenses to move the ball, and that's similar in what they do. I think we left some things out there at Ohio State, and things that have been corrected, and so going into Notre Dame, we're really just looking forward to executing at our level and the way that we know how to.”

Ultimately, as TE Zach Horton emphasized. “Yeah…we can play in these situations, and…we can play in these types of games. Watching the Ohio State game that wasn't us. We felt like we have a lot to prove and we are ready for these big-time games and we can play no matter where we are at, and we can really stay confident.”

The Hoosiers have an opportunity on Friday to not only prove that they are the best team in the state but also one of the best teams in the country, and it seems the team is excited at the chance to prove themselves.