The first round of the 12-team College Football Playoff begins Friday night in South Bend when No. 7 Notre Dame faces 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 straight games to secure 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 breathed life into the Indiana program. The Hoosiers reached the 10-win mark for the first time in program history and closed the regular season with a 66-0 victory over Purdue to finish at 11-1. Indiana's only loss came last month on the road against Ohio State.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of the Notre Dame-Indiana game.
How to watch Notre Dame vs. Indiana live
Date: Friday December 20th | 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 who can make 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 stood out. Leonard ran the ball 124 times for 721 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Kurtis Rourke, QB, Indiana: The Ohio native threw for 2,827 yards and 27 touchdowns in his first season as a starter for Indiana. In the Hoosiers' last game against Purdue, Rourke threw for 349 yards and six touchdowns. Rourke missed some time midway through the season due to a thumb injury, but quickly recovered and returned to route running.
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame: Love had an incredible season as a running back for Notre Dame. He ran for 949 yards on 134 attempts (7.1 yards per attempt) and scored 15 touchdowns, a team-high. Loving and supportive running back Jadarian Price provides a dynamic one-two punch in the backfield.
Judge Ellison, RB, Indiana: After spending the first four seasons of his career at Wake Forest, Ellison transferred to Indiana and was given the starting job. That year, he rushed for a career-high 811 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. Ellison faces a Notre Dame run defense that ranks 51st 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, Picks
Indiana has been one of the best stories in college football this season. Cignetti has taken the Hoosiers from bottom of the Big Ten to a national title contender, but Notre Dame is a tough opponent. The Fighting Irish are 0-2 in their CFP history (against Alabama and Clemson), but Marcus Freeman and Co. will clinch the program's first win of the postseason with a dominant home win. Selection: Notre Dame -7
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