The first game of the 12-team College Football Playoff era is also a first in over 120 years for Notre Dame. The matchup with Indiana is the first Notre Dame home game on a Friday since Nov. 30, 1900. Yes, really.
Indiana: The Hoosiers are the No. 10 seed with one loss because of a regular-season schedule that featured just one team with eight or more wins. And that team was the one that beat the Hoosiers. Indiana started 10-0 before losing 38-15 at Ohio State in a game where nothing went right for Indiana. The Hoosiers took out their frustration on Purdue the next week with a 66-0 win and has another shot to show it’s among the nation’s elite with a matchup against the Irish.
Notre Dame: Not counting Oregon, the only undefeated team in the country, the Fighting Irish have the longest win streak. Notre Dame’s Week 2 loss to Northern Illinois feels like it happened in another dimension. The Huskies turned out not to be a contender in the MAC and Notre Dame has evolved into a powerhouse ever since. Just one of Notre Dame’s 11 wins has been by one score.
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End of 3rd: Notre Dame 20, Indiana 3
Hoosiers have 15 minutes to try to get something going and save their season. The winner will face Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.
Another 3-and-out for Hoosiers
The offensive woes continue for Indiana, which doesn’t have a first down yet in the 2nd half.
Notre Dame adds a FG
Mitch Jeter’s kick is good from 33 yards. The Irish extend the lead to 20-3.
Costly penalty for Indiana
Indiana had Notre Dame stopped on 3rd and long, but Indiana’s James Carpenter hit QB Riley Leonard as he was going out of bounds. The late hit penalty gives ND a fresh set of downs.
Indiana goes nowhere
Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke gets sacked twice, leading to a punt from the Hoosiers’ own end zone.
Great starting field position for Notre Dame.
Notre Dame’s leader in sacks, Rylie Mills, was injured in that series. That could be significant for the Irish.
Indiana forces a punt
Notre Dame couldn’t capitalize on the big return, failing to get a first down. It’s a punt and Indiana ball just like that.
Notre Dame starts 2nd half with a bang
The Irish ran a lateral on the opening kick return of the 2nd half, and Jordan Faison took it all the way to the Indiana 47-yard line.
Halftime stats
Total yards:
Notre Dame – 242 (7.1 yards per play)
Indiana – 138 (4.6 ypp)
Player stats:
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Halftime: Notre Dame 17, Indiana 3
The Irish have mostly dominated on both sides of the ball. Indiana’s red zone interception looms large.
Notre Dame adds a FG
Mitch Jeter’s 49-yarder hits and the Irish lead is back to 14 points.
Big spot for Jeter, who has battled injuries and struggled for most of the season.
Notre Dame into IU territory
The Irish are just past midfield with 42 seconds left in the half, trying to add some points before the break.
Unfamiliar feeling for Hoosiers
Indiana isn’t used to playing from behind this season.
Indiana takes the FG
Hoosiers opt for the points as Nicolas Radicic hits from 34 yards to point them on the board.
Notre Dame leads 14-3 with 3:26 to play in the first half.
Decision time for Indiana
The Hoosiers are facing 4th and 4 at the Notre Dame 16. They looked like they were planning to go for it before calling a timeout. What do you do?
Indiana gets a stop
Notre Dame goes 3 and out and punts it away.
Hoosiers ball and the really need to get some points on the board.
Indiana’s offense stalling
The Hoosiers are forced to punt for the third time already as they’re struggling to block Notre Dame’s defensive front. Ugly start for one of the nation’s top offenses
Notre Dame’s TD drive was 16 plays, 83 yards and took 9:08 of game clock.
That was ND simply imposing its will on its in-state foe.
Touchdown Notre Dame!
Riley Leonard finds Jayden Thomas in the back of the end zone. And the Irish double their lead to 14-0.
Just about a perfect start for the home team in the playoffs.
End of 1st: Notre Dame 7, Indiana 0
After a wild first few minutes, things have settled a bit in South Bend. But Notre Dame is in the red zone and threatening to add to its lead.
Notre Dame marching
The Irish have the ball again and they’ve methodically moved it into Indiana territory.
Already on the edge of field goal range.
What a start!
The first 5 minutes of the first playoff game in a 12-team format featured:
Have we taken a breath yet?
Notre Dame 98-yard TD!
Jeremiyah Love breaks free for a HUGE touchdown run down the sideline!
Irish strike first to take a 7-0 lead.
Notre Dame gets it back on a INT!
Right after Indiana got into the red zone, Kurtis Rourke gets intercepted by Xavier Watts near the goal line. That’s Watts’ 6th INT of the season.
The Irish get it right back.
Indiana interception!
Notre Dame’s first pass attempt of the game is picked off by D’Angelo Ponds after James Carpenter batted Riley Leonard’s pass into the air at the line.
Hoosiers take over at the Notre Dame 41-yard line!
Indiana goes three-and-out
It’s a short possession for the Hoosiers as they have no luck moving the ball on the opening drive (they actually moved backwards three yards).
The 12-team College Football Playoff is underway!!!
Indiana will have the ball first.
The kickoff temperature announced as 28 degrees.
“It feels like 19,” says the Notre Dame Stadium press box announcer.
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As expanded College Football Playoff arrives, the sport’s chaotic realities are on full display: ‘It is absolute bedlam’
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As college football evolves and parity spreads, Dabo Swinney still prefers ‘old way.’ But even Clemson’s stubborn coach is learning to adapt
Click the photo above to read the story. (John Byrum/Getty Images)
Reaching the College Football Playoff is a lucrative business for schools
Click the photo above to read the story. (Melinda Meijer/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
Ranking the potential upsets in the first round
Click the photo above to read the story. (Ben Jackson/Getty Images)
Good evening folks and welcome to our live tracker for the first game of the 12-team College Football Playoff!
We still have about an hour before kickoff, so here’s what’s been going on in college football the last few days while we wait.
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