Friday, Dec. 20
8:00 p.m. Eastern, 5:00 p.m. Pacific
ABC, ESPN
The sport of college football makes history on Friday night in South Bend, Indiana. The first game of the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff begins, and it’s a very compelling matchup of in-state opponents at opposite ends of the college football spectrum.
Notre Dame is the most storied program in the history of college football. The Fighting Irish have a national fan base and a national reputation. Built by Knute Rockne, sustained by Frank Leahy and Ara Parseghian, and still relevant 100 years after they first rose to national prominence in the 1920s, Notre Dame is a towering name in college football. The Four Horsemen, the Gipper, Rudy, Touchdown Jesus – they’re all part of the Notre Dame mystique and its contributions to both football and American culture. Notre Dame is synonymous with big games and large occasions. It’s fitting that Notre Dame Stadium hosts this historic first playoff game in the 12-team era.
Indiana football is as impoverished as Notre Dame is rich in college football terms. The Fighting Irish have stacks of national championships, Heisman Trophy winners, and iconic moments. Indiana entered 2024 with only one major achievement, the 1967 Big Ten championship which produced a 1968 Rose Bowl appearance. That’s the only major bowl game Indiana had ever been a part of in its lengthy and largely luckless existence. In came Curt Cignetti from James Madison. In one year – not even needing a grace period or extra time to settle in – Cignetti instantly turned Indiana into an 11-win team. That had never been done at IU. The Hoosiers went 10-0 in their first 10 games this year, also an unprecedented achievement for this program. That’s part of the attraction of this game – not just that it’s a battle of in-state neighbors, but it’s a meeting of a king versus a peasant in terms of past achievements and overall national prominence. Can the upstart beat the established power on the road? We’re all about to find out.
Indiana Hoosiers-Notre Dame Fighting Irish Odds
Spread: Indiana +7.5 (-115), Notre Dame -7.5 (-105)
Total: 50.5 (Over -115, Under -105)
Underdog moneyline: Indiana +230
Hear T.J. and Gary give insight into Indiana’s chances against Notre Dame in this historic CFP first round game off the “3 Dog Thursday Podcast” by clicking play below,
Notre Dame Makes Playoff History
The reality of a home game, played on campus, in the first round of the playoff was going to be especially interesting in situations involving a warm-weather team having to go north to a colder climate, but with Indiana – not an SEC team – being the visitors, that plot point doesn’t really become a factor here.
The most relevant game to discuss in relationship to this contest is Indiana’s loss to Ohio State. The Hoosiers played OSU on very even terms for roughly 25 minutes. They physically stood up to the Buckeyes, who are even more talented than Notre Dame. However, when Indiana’s punter dropped a snap, leading to a go-ahead Ohio State touchdown, the roof fell in on the Hoosiers, who were spooked and got their doors blown off in the second half.
This game probably boils down to Indiana being able to maintain its composure. If the Hoosiers don’t make that one really big mistake, they can probably keep this game close. However, one huge error could open the floodgates for Notre Dame. If you’re considering betting on this, locking in a pregame spread bet seems unwise. We don’t know how these teams are going to react. You will probably want to see the first few drives. If you get a clear sense that one team’s up for the battle and the other one is shellshocked, then you can make a live bet. However, making a pregame bet seems like a risk, given the novelty of the 12-team playoff and the unique nature of this event.