Indiana vs. Notre Dame Prediction: Faculty Soccer Playoff First Spherical Choose

Indiana Hoosiers at Notre Dame Preventing Irish:

The primary recreation of the whole Faculty Soccer Playoff begins at 8:00 PM ET on Friday, December 20. It is going to characteristic the No. 7 Notre Dame Preventing Irish internet hosting the No. 10 Indiana Hoosiers at Notre Dame Stadium. The winner of this recreation will face the Georgia Bulldogs within the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

For all the school soccer insights for bowl season, take a look at our web site College Football Play Center.

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Friday, December 20 at 8:00 PM ET

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti likes the truth that the Hoosiers have been questionable all season. He enjoys the position of the “little man”, though he himself is daring, assured and assertive. Cignetti actually likes the truth that Indiana could have an opportunity to spoil Notre Dame’s season. These colleges are positioned roughly 200 miles from one another, and the Preventing Irish have one of many largest franchises in faculty sports activities. So, Indiana might make some noise by beating an in-state rival. This provides slightly additional pleasure to this match.

This might be an influence vs. energy showdown. Curtis Rourke leads a Hoosiers offense that ranks fourth within the nation in Dropback EPA per recreation (0.139), and the senior is coming off an everyday season through which he threw for two,827 yards with 27 touchdowns and simply 4 interceptions. Nevertheless, Rourke was simply 8 for 18 for 68 yards in Indiana’s 38-15 loss to Ohio State on November 23. It was the one time this season that the Hoosiers needed to face elite competitors, and Rourke failed the check. And whereas the Buckeyes rank third within the nation in dropback EPA per play allowed (-0.164), the Preventing Irish are first in that regard (-0.172). Will Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan (not that man) discover a option to get Rourke and the offensive line prepared for an additional top-notch cross protection? This may finally determine whether or not or not we get one other chapter in Indiana’s wonderful story. I haven’t got a number of confidence within the working recreation going up in opposition to Notre Dame’s defensive entrance.

After all, it is honest to marvel if this Preventing Irish protection is nearly as good because it appears. Notre Dame did not precisely play the hardest schedule, and the group allowed USC quarterback Jayden Maiava to throw for 360 yards and three touchdowns within the remaining recreation of the common season. However for what it is price, Maiava is extra proficient than Rourke, and the Trojans have top-level expertise on the talent positions. Notre Dame will not need to take care of that in opposition to Indiana. The most effective asset the Hoosiers have is a training workers that at all times has their guys able to go. However one would assume Marcus Freeman, probably the greatest defensive minds within the nation, would have a protection able to play as nicely.

As for the opposite aspect of the ball, Notre Dame is working slightly cold and warm. Nevertheless, Riley Leonard is an enormous dual-threat quarterback who can play everywhere in the subject, and Indiana hasn’t needed to take care of something like him this 12 months. His capacity to make performs along with his legs might be robust for the Hoosiers to deal with in what must be a cold-weather recreation. It is laborious to drop it on a great day.

For these wanting on the whole, remember that, by way of EPA per recreation, that is the fourth-best protection within the nation versus the Seventeenth-best protection. Additionally, Indiana has made 56.3% of its offensive performs this season, with Notre Dame not far behind at 55.7%. These aren’t groups seeking to throw 30 or extra passes.

I’ll personally look right here. I do not assume both of those groups needs to enter a shootout, and there is a actually good likelihood we’ll see some snow. Whoever wins this has to grind it out.

Choose: Under 51.5 (-110)