Notre Dame rolls past Indiana in College Football Playoff opener: What’s next?

By Pete Sampson, Joe Rexrode and Seth Emerson

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – No. 7 Notre Dame cruised past No. 10 Indiana 27-17 in the first game of the 12-team College Football Playoff Friday night. The Fighting Irish advance to play No. 2 at Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.

Two interceptions in the first three drives and a 98-yard touchdown run by Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love got the first playoff game on campus off to a dramatic start. But the fireworks flowed from there, especially for the Hoosiers, until they finally reached the end zone twice in the final two minutes to shrink the margin of defeat. Still, Indiana was held to its second-lowest scoring output of the season and was held to 278 yards of offense to Notre Dame’s 394. Indiana gained just 63 yards rushing to Notre Dame’s 193.

Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard went 22-for-32 for 201 yards and a touchdown with another 30 yards and a score on the ground. But it was the efforts of Notre Dame’s defense to stop Indiana’s usually potent offense that set this one apart.

Athletics‘s analysis:

Notre Dame’s defense dominates

Notre Dame opened the season asking its defense to carry it, which it did nearly every week through Thanksgiving. The Irish asked their defense to do the same to open the postseason. Again, it answered the bell, holding Indiana to 17 points as the Hoosiers barely threatened the goal line shortly after a first-quarter drive that ended with a Xavier Watts interception.

It was a near-perfect game plan from defensive coordinator Al Golden, who turned up the pressure on Kurtis Rourke early and never let the Indiana quarterback get comfortable. Notre Dame’s defensive line had a lot to do with it, as Howard Cross’ return from a sprained ankle overwhelmed Indiana’s offensive line. Although the Irish lost defensive tackle Rylie Mills and defensive end Bryce Young during the game to injury, it didn’t matter much.

Indiana, the nation’s no. 2 scoring offense in the regular season at 43.3 points per game. battle, had no chance.

The performances put Notre Dame’s struggles to bed at USC three weeks ago, as the Irish were picked apart through the air until ending the game with back-to-back pick-sixes. The performance was enough to make one wonder if Notre Dame had finally been stretched too thin, relying on the underclassmen in the secondary with a pass rush to lose steam.

Not exactly.

Indiana barely took enough shots against Notre Dame.

The Irish will be tested at a new level against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, and the growing list of injuries will be cause for concern. But in the final home game of the season, Notre Dame put together another performance to suggest it has a national championship-level defense. — Sampson

Indiana had an incredible season, but Ohio State and Notre Dame pulled the plug

Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers need make no apologies for reaching the College Football Playoff with an 11-1 record. The CFP Committee doesn’t need to apologize either. Indiana played dominant football for most of the season against a program that looked a lot tougher than it turned out to be. But Notre Dame’s fumble to the tune of the Hoosiers’ 38-15 loss at Ohio State combined to tell the story of a team that couldn’t hang in front against supremely talented defenses. Michigan also exposed the offensive line a bit in the loss at Indiana. Kurtis Rourke had little time to throw and missed some he should have made on the rare occasions he was able to scan the field. It was a historic, spectacular debut season for Cignetti. It ended with a reminder that a program with this history producing a true national title contender in one year is simply not realistic. — Rexrode

What’s next? Georgia in the sugar bowl

Kirby Smart noted what Notre Dame fans chanted while the Georgia coach appeared on ESPN’s “College GameDay” Friday afternoon: “We want Georgia! We want Georgia!”

“They’ve got to win this one first,” Smart replied, smiling amid the boos.

Notre Dame won, setting up a marquee matchup that resonates with Georgia’s history and Smart’s tenure.

It’s a redux of the 1981 Sugar Bowl, when Georgia won its second-ever national title. Then in 2017, it was at Notre Dame where Smart launched his program with a one-point victory en route to an unexpected run to the national championship game. Georgia won the revenge in Athens two years later, although it was also close.

That was when Brian Kelly was the coach. Georgia is still essentially the same talent-laden, physical SEC program, just with a more modern passing offense. The question is how far Marcus Freeman has taken a Notre Dame program that has withered in the postseason before.

The Fighting Irish are a physical team. The Bulldogs haven’t had their usual dominance in the trenches, but much of that was due to injuries, and now they’re as healthy as they’ve been all year.

Georgia’s defense is based on stopping the run and taking chances against the pass. But it has been susceptible to edge runs this year, so you have to imagine the creeping Smart felt when you watch Love go 98 yards down the left sideline. Love probably won’t run like that from Georgia’s defensive backs, but he could get a lot of plays on the outside. Georgia has also been receptive to dual-threat quarterbacks, so Leonard’s feet could be a headache.

Then again, so could freshman Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton in his first college start. Stockton vs. Notre Dame’s solid secondary will also be interesting. Georgia figures to have much better position players than Indiana, especially with tailbacks Trevor Etienne and Nate Frazier.

All in all, it is a difficult game to predict. During Smart’s appearance, ESPN’s Rece Davis pointed out that Notre Dame has never beaten Georgia. True, but all three games have been decided by one possession. No one should be surprised if the fourth matchup is just as close. — Emerson

(Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)