Notre Dame dominates Indiana In College Football Playoff opener to set up Sugar Bowl matchup vs. Georgia

Indiana was no match for Notre Dame.

The No. 7 Combating Irish cruised to a 27-17 win over the No. 10 Hoosiers within the inaugural sport of the 12-team Faculty Soccer Playoff on Friday night time. The sport was successfully over when Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love tied a faculty report and set a Faculty Soccer Playoff report when he ran 98 yards for a TD within the first quarter.

In fact, no one watching knew on the time that Love had ended the sport. However because it went on, it turned clearer that Love’s run was the nice instance of how the night time was going to go for Indiana.

Love’s TD gave Notre Dame a 7-0 lead and the Combating Irish led 17-3 at halftime. Indiana’s three factors got here when the Hoosiers determined to kick a area purpose with lower than 5 minutes to go within the second quarter after spending a timeout to make the choice. You can perceive why Indiana would have chosen to go for it; the distinction between 11 and 14 factors remains to be a two-possession sport. Had Indiana by some means reduce the result in seven, there might need been a believable path to a win.

As a substitute, Indiana kicked the sphere purpose. Notre Dame responded with a area purpose of its personal earlier than halftime.

Any likelihood of an Indiana upset disappeared within the third quarter. Notre Dame obtained the ball first and returned the kickoff previous midfield. The Hoosiers have been in a position to rapidly drive a punt, however went three-and-out as soon as they obtained the ball again.

Indiana appeared to have Notre Dame stopped on the Irish’s subsequent drive, however James Carpenter obtained flagged for hitting Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard as Leonard went out of bounds. The third-down penalty gave Notre Dame a free first down and the Irish prolonged their result in 17 factors and three possessions.

It was undoubtedly over from there. And if that wasn’t sufficient of a clue, Indiana’s resolution to punt the ball whereas trailing by 17 with lower than 11 minutes to go ought to have given many impartial observers sufficient of an incentive to vary the channel earlier than Indiana obtained two late touchdowns to make the ultimate scoreline respectable.

Notre Dame will get Georgia

The win provides the Combating Irish a matchup in opposition to No. 2 Georgia within the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1. It’ll be the fifth Sugar Bowl look for Notre Dame and the college’s first since 2007, when Notre Dame misplaced 41-14 to an LSU staff led by JaMarcus Russell. In 1981, Georgia beat Notre Dame within the Sugar Bowl to (unofficially) declare a nationwide title.

This Notre Dame staff is able to beating Georgia on the primary day of 2025, particularly with the questions surrounding the Bulldogs at quarterback. Gunner Stockton appears to be like set to start out for the Bulldogs after Carson Beck’s elbow harm within the SEC title sport. Beck may miss the whole thing of the Faculty Soccer Playoff.

Nevertheless, Notre Dame will have to be higher on offense than it was on Saturday night time. Riley Leonard threw an interception on the Irish’s first drive and the run sport didn’t do a lot exterior of Love’s 98-yard run. Notre Dame was clearly the higher staff on Friday night time, however it could have been a a lot nearer sport if not for Love’s huge play.

The Irish may even have an harm concern on the defensive position. Rylie Moss limped off the sphere following a sack of Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke when his proper leg whipped right into a teammate within the second half.

Don’t name Indiana a fraud

Blowouts occur. Particularly within the Faculty Soccer Playoff. Indiana is much from the primary staff to not have an opportunity within the postseason. And the entire earlier blowouts got here in a four-team playoff.

But it surely’s truthful to have a look at Indiana’s season and think about it lucky. In actual fact, it’s completely acceptable and fairly correct.

After years of being in the identical Massive Ten division as Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State, the Hoosiers didn’t get the Nittany Lions on their schedule in 2024. In trade, they obtained Washington, the staff that misplaced to Michigan within the nationwide title sport practically a 12 months in the past.

Sure, each Michigan and Washington have been far worse than they have been in 2023 because of participant departures and training adjustments. However that’s not Indiana’s fault. The Hoosiers beat each of them in addition to everybody else on their common season schedule exterior of Ohio State. That sport didn’t go nicely. The Buckeyes gained, 38-15.

Ohio State overwhelmed Indiana’s offensive line in that sport and the mismatch was clear once more on Friday as Notre Dame was by far the higher staff in opposition to Indiana’s offensive line. The Hoosiers have been one of many highest-scoring groups within the nation, however it’s clear from its video games in opposition to Ohio State and Notre Dame that they occupied an area in school soccer above most groups however beneath the very best.

That’s OK. Not each staff that makes the 12-team playoff goes to be nice and there are myriad groups all through the historical past of school soccer who posted double-digit win seasons because of lucky schedules. And at 11-1 within the Massive Ten, Indiana greater than deserved an opportunity to play for the nationwide title. In contrast to a sure staff within the SEC, it didn’t have two regular-season losses to .500 groups.