The first College Football Playoff game of the season will see an in-state rivalry renewed between Indiana and Notre Dame, with the two schools only 200 miles apart from each other. The Hoosiers are making their CFP debut while the Fighting Irish make their third CFP appearance and first since the 2020 season.
Keep reading for how to watch tonight’s matchup, a preview, players to watch, betting odds, and the head-to-head record between the two teams.
How to watch Indiana vs. Notre Dame College Football Playoff first round matchup
Seventh-seed Notre Dame will face tenth-seed Indiana on Friday, Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC. The game will be played at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.
- Date: Tonight, Friday, December 20, 2024
- Time: 8:00 PM ET
- Where: Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana
- TV/Streaming: ABC/ESPN
Indiana vs. Notre Dame preview
Notre Dame is favored in this matchup by a touchdown, but the team’s signal caller, Riley Leonard, is expecting a “dog fight.”
Both teams have one loss on the season. For the Irish, their lone loss was a shocker in September when they fell to Northern Illinois, 16-14, after being a four-score favorite. The Hoosiers were 10-0 before falling to Ohio State, 38-15, in late November.
READ MORE: Who will win the first-round College Football Playoff games — and how will they do it?
One of the biggest distinctions between the two teams this season is their schedules. Notre Dame finished the season with wins against four ranked teams and some impressive routs of Purdue (66-7), Stanford (49-7) and Florida State (52-3). Meanwhile, despite the impressive run, Indiana failed to win its one ranked matchup against Ohio State (38-15). The Hoosiers are on a 13-game losing streak to ranked opponents, with their last ranked win being over No. 16 Wisconsin in 2020.
Looking at the teams’ strengths, they’re very similar, with some of the most complete performances in the nation this season. Both offenses are averaging over 420 total yards per game, with Indiana averaging about 17 more than Notre Dame. The teams are neck-and-neck in total defense. Ohio State is No. 1 in the nation, allowing only 241 yards per game, and Indiana is No. 2, allowing only 245 yards.
A dog fight is probably a fair assessment of this matchup going in, and it could be a low-scoring game if both defenses perform to the level they’re capable, especially early on as the offenses find their rhythm. Home-field advantage for Notre Dame should also never be underestimated, even with an opponent that should travel well.
Indiana vs. Notre Dame players to watch
Indiana
- QB: Senior Kurtis Rourke - Rourke has thrown for 2,827 yards in his first season with the Hoosiers after transferring from Ohio, where he spent five seasons. He’s completed more than 70% of his passes, averaging 9.9 yards. He’s also minimized interceptions, with only 4 INTs to 27 TDs.
- RB: Senior Justice Ellison - Ellison played Notre Dame last season when he was with Wake Forest. Since transferring to Indiana, he’s averaging 5.5 yards a carry, amassing 811 total yards and 10 touchdowns, including three 100+ yard games.
- WR: Junior Elijah Sarratt - Sarratt transferred from James Madison this season and immediately became Rourke’s No. 1 target. He’s had four 100+ yard games and scored 8 touchdowns.
- LB: Junior Aiden Fisher - Another James Madison transfer, Fisher has 108 total tackles this season, including 44 solo (averaging more than 3 solo tackles per game).
2024-25 College Football Playoff full bracket and scores, schedule, matchups
Notre Dame
- QB: Senior Riley Leonard - The Duke transfer immediately made an impact in Marcus Freeman’s offense, racking up 2,092 yards (66.2% completion rate) and 16 touchdowns to just 5 interceptions. Leonard is also the team’s second-best rusher, with 721 total yards (5.8 average) and 14 touchdowns.
- RB: Sophomore Jeremiyah Love - Notre Dame’s best rusher, Love has put up 949 yards this season (averaging 7.1 yards) and 15 touchdowns. That includes four 100+ yard games. He was 1 yard short of 100 against USC to close the regular season, which would’ve been a three-game streak, but he left the game with a right knee injury in the second half. Love is expected to play Friday.
- RB: Junior Jadarian Price - The Irish are dangerous on the ground, with three true threats. Price put up 651 yards this season (averaging 7.3) and 7 touchdowns, including a 100+ yard game against USC.
- S: Senior Xavier Watts - Watts is the one to watch on defense after accounting for 50 total tackles, 31 solo tackles and 5 interceptions so far this season.
Indiana vs. Notre Dame odds
*odds courtesy of BetMGM
- Moneyline: Notre Dame (-300), Indiana (+230)
- Spread: Notre Dame (-7.5)
- Over/Under: 50.5 points
The spread opened at Notre Dame -8.5 but bumped down to -7.5 in early trading and has held at that number for the better part of the last week. Indiana’s moneyline opened at +245 and has slowly come down to +230 while Notre Dame has improved from -305 to -300. The game total opened at 51.5 and is down to 50.5 across the board.
Read our full betting breakdown of the matchup here.
Indiana vs. Notre Dame head-to-head record
Notre Dame is 23-5-1 all-time vs. Indiana. The Irish are 13-1-1 at home and 6-3 away. The last time the two programs met was in 1991, when No. 7 Notre Dame beat Indiana in South Bend, 49-27.
