Indiana vs Notre Dame Pick & Prediction – 12/20/2024

The first game of the 12-team College Football Playoff will take place in South Bend, IN, as the Indiana Hoosiers visit the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Neither of these teams played in a conference championship game this season, as Indiana failed to make the Big Ten title game, while Notre Dame continues to be allowed to get into the playoff without picking a conference. But both teams have had top-10 seasons in college football and will look to advance to the quarterfinals with a win here.

I have broken down this Indiana vs Notre Dame matchup from every angle, with Notre Dame entering as an eight-point favorite, while oddsmakers have set the total at 51.5 points. Here, you will find my keys to the game for both teams and our best bet for what should be a great opener to this year’s College Football Playoff as these Indiana-based schools do battle in front of Touchdown Jesus.

Can Indiana Pass Huge Road Test In First Round?

The Indiana Hoosiers exceeded all expectations in the 2024 college football season. In their first season under former James Madison head coach Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers went 11-1, with their lone loss coming against the Ohio State Buckeyes on the road. Here, the Hoosiers will look to pass a similarly daunting road test against a Notre Dame team that has one of the best home-field advantages in all of college football today.

There are legitimate concerns going into this game about Indiana’s ability to win games against good teams. Their strength of schedule is only slightly better than that of Boise State, who made the playoff from the Mountain West Conference. But that criticism could also apply to Notre Dame, whose strength of schedule isn’t much to behold either. Despite DraftKings Sportsbook making the Fighting Irish a heavy favorite here, it is possible that Indiana keeps up with them in this matchup.

For Indiana to put Notre Dame on upset alert in this game, the offense of the Hoosiers will need to operate at the level we saw for most of this season, not the level we saw in their game against Ohio State. Indiana has one of the most precise passers in college football in Kurtis Rourke, who threw 27 touchdowns to just four interceptions. If he can avoid turning the ball over and keep his offense ahead of the chains, Indiana could conceivably stay in this game.

Notre Dame Hosts First CFP Game

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish won 11 of their 12 games this season, finishing the regular season ranked seventh by the College Football Playoff selection committee. Their reward for doing so is a home game in the first round of the tournament, where they will look to advance to the quarterfinals to face the Georgia Bulldogs. To advance to the quarters, the Fighting Irish defense will need to put forth one of its best performances of the season.

Notre Dame ranks third in scoring defense this season, allowing just under 14 points per game in 2024. But they are facing an Indiana team that ranks second in the country in scoring, averaging 43.3 points per game. Only the Miami Hurricanes averaged more points per game than Indiana this season and the Irish will need to be at their best to get enough stops to win this game, even if the Irish are the favorites in this matchup.

On offense, the play of Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard will decide his team’s fate. Leonard was announced as a semifinalist for college football’s Comeback Player of the Year award for his play this season. He is responsible for 30 total touchdowns this year, splitting them pretty evenly between rushing and passing touchdowns, making him difficult to prepare for.

Indiana vs Notre Dame Prediction

Our best bet for Indiana vs Notre Dame in the first round of the College Football Playoff is for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to cover the spread as a home favorite. Indiana has not proven it can beat the best of the best in college football this season, while Notre Dame has at least won convincingly against some ranked opponents. Look for the Irish to win big and to move onto the second round of the playoff.

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