LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt picked Indiana to upset Notre Dame in the opening game of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoffs Friday night in South Bend, Indiana.
In one of his hourly anti-Big Ten rants, SEC Network voice Paul Finebaum called the Hoosiers "the biggest con job in the playoff."
By midnight Friday, in what is predicted to be snowy and 25-degree north-central Indiana weather, we'll have our answer.
(One more note about the weather. The folks at Notre Dame believe it will be a factor. On Wednesday, the university announced it was moving the area outside the stadium reserved for TV live shots. The normal TV spot will be transformed into a tent with a "Warm-Up Area" for spectators.)
Either the Hoosiers will extend their magical season to a Sugar Bowl matchup with Georgia on New Year's Day, or the Fighting Irish will make the trip to New Orleans.
A look at the game that nobody predicted to occur prior to the season:
The Time: Friday, 8 p.m., Notre Dame Stadium (77,622), South Bend, Ind.
How to Watch/Listen: TV — ABC WHAS 11 or ESPN (Sean McDonough, play by play; Greg McElroy, analyst; Molly McGrath and Katie George, sidelines); RADIO — Indiana Hoosier Sports Network 1450 AM WXVW, 96.1 FM (Don Fischer, play by play; Buck Suhr, analyst; John Herrick, sidelines).
The Line: Point spread — Notre Dame favored by 7.5 points; Over/under total points scored is 52.5.
The Computer Rankings: Sagarin Predictor: Notre Dame No. 1, Indiana No. 10; ESPN FPI: Notre Dame No. 2; Indiana No. 10; Massey Football Rankings: Notre Dame No. 3; Indiana No. 10; Colley Matrix: Notre Dame No. 2; Indiana No. 8; Dr. Peter Wolfe: Notre Dame No. 5; Indiana No. 9.
The Last Time: The Hoosiers and Irish have not played since Sept. 7, 1991 when all-Americana and future all-pro fullback Jerome Bettis ran for 111 yards as a Notre Dame squad coached by Lou Holtz defeated an IU team coached by Bill Mallory, 49-27.
The Series: The Irish have dominated, winning 23, losing 5 with a tie. Indiana's last victory over the Irish came Oct. 21, 1950.
The Records: The Hoosiers are 11-1, losing to Ohio State on Nov. 23. The Irish are also 11-1, losing a home game to Northern Illinois, 16-14, on Sept. 7.
The teams share one opponent: Purdue. IU defeated the visiting Boilermakers, 66-0, while Notre Dame won at Purdue, 66-7.
Player to Watch for Indiana: Quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who finished ninth in Heisman Trophy balloting last Saturday. Without time to set, survey the field and throw, Rourke completed only 8 of 18 passes for 68 yards and no touchdowns in the Hoosiers loss at Ohio State. Rourke completed at least 15 throws for 180 or more yards in 10 other games.
Player to Watch for Notre Dame: Quarterback Riley Leonard ranks 95th in the nation in passing yards per game (174.3) but he is 10th among quarterbacks in rushing yards with 721. Credit Leonard with 16 passing touchdowns and 14 rushing touchdowns. Leonard is Notre Dame's second leading rusher.
Sideline Storylines:
- The last IU-Notre Dame game was the first one televised by NBC, which has aired Irish games nationally for 34 seasons. This will be the first game televised by another network from Notre Dame Stadium since NBC secured exclusive rights to Notre Dame home games.
- It will also be the first Friday night game played at Notre Dame Stadium.
- Leonard said one of the most difficult aspects of this week has been that it is finals week for Notre Dame students. "That's no joke," he said.
- IU coach Curt Cignetti has been a nearly unanimous pick as the national coach of the year, winning awards from the Associated Press, the Walter Camp Foundation, the Football Writers of America Association, the Eddie Robinson Award, the Hope Depot national coach of the year and the American Football Coaches Association Award.
- He's the first IU coach to win 11 games in a season, delivering at a program that had won 9 total games the previous three seasons. Indiana was picked to finish 17th in the 18-team Big Ten in August. IU finished third, behind Oregon and Penn State, but ahead of Ohio State and Michigan.
- "It's a credit to our team and our coaches," Cignetti said. "You know, it's flattering. I haven't had a lot of time to think about it truthfully. I'm sure at some point it will register."
- Indiana has not won a post-season game since the Hoosiers defeated Baylor, 24-0, on Dec. 31, 1991 in the Copper Bowl. They have lost their last six bowl games.
- Indiana ranked second nationally in scoring offense this season at 43.3 points per game while Notre Dame was third at 39.8.
- Notre Dame ranks 10th in rushing offense at 224.8 yards per game. Indiana ranks first in rushing defense at 70.8.
- The Irish will celebrate the return of defensive tackle Howard Cross III, a preseason all-American who missed the last three games with injuries.
- Notre Dame defensive end R.J. Oben is the son of former University of Louisville and NFL offensive lineman Roman Oben. A sixth-year player, Oben transferred to Notre Dame from Duke. He's got 14 tackles in 12 games.
The Quote: Cignetti on the potential for weather to affect the game:
"I hope it snows a foot and a half. We have a Canadian quarterback (Rourke). Did you see him throw the ball against Purdue? This guy grew up like in the frigid north. He looked pretty good to me that night. So I don't think it's going to bother him very much.
"So much revolves around that guy, right? Everybody else will find a way to stay warm, but it's not a concern. It's going to be cold. It's going to be windy. There could be snow on the ground. Both teams have to play on it.
"We've been practicing outside in the cold for a long time. We played in it against Purdue. When we started the game, there was snow on the turf. It was cold. It was windy. So we've been through it."
The Pick: Notre Dame 30, Indiana 21.
Indiana Football Coverage:
- 'Better than going to Disney World': Fans revel in CFP debuts at campus sites
- Indiana's Curt Cignetti named AP Coach of the Year after leading a remarkable turnaround
- BOZICH | Indiana starts improbable College Football Playoff journey at Notre Dame Dec. 20
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