Notre Dame College Football Playoff predictions: Irish vs. Indiana staff picks

The College Football Playoff is finally here. No. 7 Notre Dame takes on No. 10 Indiana in a first-round matchup at 8 p.m. ET on Friday in South Bend, which will be broadcast on ABC and ESPN.

Here are Blue & Gold’s staff predictions.

Tyler Horka: Notre Dame 28, Indiana 17

Indiana has only faced a defense with as much talent and coaching direction as that of Notre Dame once, and it didn’t go so well. The Hoosiers scored 15 points against Ohio State. I expect them to be in that same ballpark against the Irish, and I also expect the Notre Dame offense to control the game with its multi-faceted rushing attack. 

Indiana has a strong defense, but it hasn’t had to stop a three-pronged attack like the Irish have in Jeremiyah Love, Riley Leonard and Jadarian Price. As for Leonard through the air, he’s taking care of the football and throwing at an efficient level. All of those things will continue, and Notre Dame will win by double digits. 

Todd D. Burlage: Notre Dame 28, Indiana 20

Had anyone predicted in the preseason that one of the first-round College Football Playoff games would be an in-state matchup between two teams from Indiana they would’ve been dismissed as crazy. But in one of the more unlikely developments of this season, No. 7-seeded Notre Dame and No. 10 Indiana both finished 11-1 and will meet to determine who will play No. 2 Georgia in the CFP quarterfinal round. 

The Hoosiers will put up the nation’s second-best rushing defense in the country at 70.8 yards allowed per game against a vaunted Irish running attack that averages 224.8 yards per game and ranks 10th nationally. As far as similarities, Indiana ranks fourth in the country in turnover margin at plus-1.25 per game. Notre Dame ranks tied for second in the category at plus-1.33. And finally, the Irish lead the nation in scoring margin at plus-26.3, while Indiana rates third at plus-24.5. 

Indiana wrote one of college football’s best feel-good stories of this season. Notre Dame and its terrific defense will bring that story to a close. 

Kyle Kelly: Fighting Irish 28, Hoosiers 20

According to Marcus Freeman, the Irish would’ve much rather seen a warm-weather team in South Bend on a cool Dec. 20 night. Surely, those comments will become great bulletin board material for an Indiana team that is having a historically special season. 

Still, I look for it to come to an end in the first round with the Irish taking care of business in front of their home crowd. Give me Notre Dame by two scores to secure a trip to the Sugar Bowl. 

Steve Downey: Fighting Irish 34, Hoosiers 19

The Hoosiers’ extreme makeover — a new head coach and 54 newcomers on the roster — was a rousing success this season. However, despite head coach Curt Cignetti’s bravado for his team, I can’t help but think Indiana is a bit of a paper tiger. 

Ohio State provided Notre Dame with the blueprint to take down IU. The Buckeyes defense blitzed the high-flying Hoosiers into their worst offensive performance of this season, and in particular stifled their passing attack. The Irish’s pass defense is even better than the OSU’s, with the performance at USC more an exception rather than the rule. The belief here is that defensive coordinator Al Golden will dial up a game plan that will help deliver the Fighting Irish’s first College Football Playoff victory and their biggest postseason win in three decades. 

Jack Soble: Notre Dame 31, Indiana 21

Notre Dame fans will think I’m being too kind to Indiana, but the Hoosiers seemed to get a case of “the lights were too bright” last time they faced an elite opponent in Ohio State. Had their punt team not screwed up twice (they dropped a snap and allowed a return for a touchdown), this is probably about what the score would have been. 

With experience in a game like that, I think Cignetti will have his guys prepared for what should be an electric atmosphere in South Bend. This one will be close for a while. But the Irish have the talent edge on both sides of the ball, and they should pull away after the break.