College Football Playoff begins new era with No. 3 Notre Dame hosting No. 9 Indiana

No. 9 Indiana (11-1, No. 10 seed) at No. 3 Notre Dame (11-1, No. 7), Friday, 8 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN).

College Football Odds: Notre Dame by 7 1/2.

Series record: Notre Dame leads 23-5-1.

What’s at stake?

The simple answer is win and advance to the Sugar Bowl against second-seeded Georgia (No. 2 AP). But these two schools also have something to prove. The Fighting Irish have won 10 straight since their loss to Northern Illinois, essentially making each successive contest a playoff game. If they win four more, they'll have their first national championship since 1988, the school's longest drought since claiming its first title in 1924. Playoff newcomer Indiana, which has its first 11-win season in school history, wants to prove wrong the critics who complained about its schedule while showing it belongs on college football's big stage.

Key matchup

Indiana's run defense vs. Notre Dame's ground game. The Irish have relied heavily on their running game all season and why not? RBs Jeremiah Love and Jadarian Price are a strong one-two punch and Riley Leonard is one of the nation's top running quarterbacks. This week, though, they face the FBS' top run defense. The Hoosiers allow just 70.8 yards per game and are second nationally in yards allowed per carry (2.46). Whichever team wins this matchup likely will have at least one more game.

Players to watch

Indiana: QB Kurtis Rourke. The second-team All-Big Ten selection led the FBS in passing efficiency (181.38) and finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy race. He had one poor game, at then-No. 2 Ohio State. The Buckeyes harassed Rourke constantly and he finished the day 8 of 18 for 68 yards in a 38-15 loss. If Notre Dame replicates that kind of pressure, it could be another long day for Rourke and the Hoosiers.

Notre Dame: DT Howard Cross III. The preseason All-American is expected to return Friday after missing the final three regular-season games with a high ankle sprain. He hasn't played in a game since Nov. 9. Will he be fresh? Will he be rusty? Time will tell. But Notre Dame is betting he can anchor the front seven and slow down the highest-scoring team (43.3 points) in the playoffs.

Facts & figures

Notre Dame has won six straight in the series, but the two schools have met only once since 1958. The Irish won the last matchup 49-27 in 1991. ... The teams have one common opponent: Purdue. Notre Dame handed the Boilermakers their worst loss in school history, 66-7, in September. The Hoosiers then posted an even bigger blowout, 66-0, in their regular-season finale. ... This will be the first College Football Playoff game played at a campus site — and the first game ever played under the Friday night lights at Notre Dame Stadium. ... Ten of Indiana's 11 victories this season have come by 14 or more points. The Hoosiers have faced deficits in only three games and trailed in the second half of just one game. ... The Irish defense finished the regular season first nationally in pass efficiency defense (94.10), takeaways (28) and defensive scores (six) and third in scoring defense (13.6). ... Indiana coach Curt Cignetti was named The Associated Press Coach of the Year on Tuesday, becoming the first Hoosiers coach to win the national award. ... Love is the only FBS player to rush for a touchdown in every game this season. ... Ty Son Lawton (11) and Justice Ellison (10) are Indiana's first RB duo to each post 10 or more TD runs in the same season. ... Leonard is one of 10 FBS quarterbacks to throw for 1,900 yards and rush for 650. He has 33 career TD runs. ... This will be Notre Dame's first home game not telecast by NBC since 1990.

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