Indiana Faces Notre Dame in First Round of College Football Playoff

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana football is making history as the Hoosiers prepare for their inaugural appearance in the College Football Playoff. This year marks a significant expansion to a 12-team bracket, allowing more teams to compete at this prestigious level.

After an impressive season finishing at 11-1, the Hoosiers will face off against Notre Dame in the first round of the playoffs, traveling to South Bend for the matchup. The College Football Playoff Committee has ranked Indiana at No. 8, placing them as the 10-seed after considering byes for conference champions.

Notre Dame enters this game as the No. 5 seed following their own strong season, also ending at 11-1. The Fighting Irish have been on a remarkable winning streak, taking ten consecutive victories since their only loss to Northern Illinois in Week 2. Under head coach Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame has dominated their opponents with a staggering scoreline of 464-147 over the season—an average victory margin of 31.7 points.

The playoffs will also feature Oregon, Georgia, Boise State, and Arizona State who secured direct spots into the quarterfinals after winning their respective conference championships.

Big Ten Coach of the Year Curt Cignetti will address the media regarding the playoff bracket on Sunday afternoon. Stay tuned for comprehensive coverage from Bloomington starting on News 8 at 6 PM and continuing during Sportslocker at 10:20 PM.

Here's a look at the full College Football Playoff schedule with official seeding:

• Receiving byes: No. 1 Oregon, No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Boise State and No. 4 Arizona State
• No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Texas
• No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State
• No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame
• No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State