The Indiana Hoosiers are ranked No. 10 in the final regular-season standings and will face No. 10 Notre Dame in the first round of the College Football Playoffs.
This game will mark the first-ever College Football Playoff match held at a school’s home stadium, with Notre Dame Stadium hosting the action on Friday, December 20, at 8 p.m. ET in South Bend, Indiana.
Head coach Curt Cignetti commented on Indiana’s playoff berth on Sunday, reflecting on the team’s surprising journey:
“Our chances of making the College Football Playoff at the start of the season were likely very slim,” Cignetti said. “But now, our chances of winning the next four games are much better.”
Indiana and Notre Dame have met 29 times, with the most recent matchup occurring in 1991, when the Irish won 49-27. Indiana’s last victory over Notre Dame was in 1950, and their only win in South Bend was in 1898.
“Notre Dame has won ten straight, and Coach Freeman has done an outstanding job with them. I’ve reviewed their stats, and they are an excellent team,” Cignetti said. “I’m confident in our team, and we’re eager for the challenge. We’ll apply the lessons from our tough road games to this matchup.”
This Notre Dame-Indiana game will be the sole first-round contest on Friday, Dec. 20, with the other three games scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 21.
The winner will advance to the Allstate Sugar Bowl to face the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs on January 1, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
According to ESPN, Notre Dame is currently an 8.5-point favorite in this matchup.
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