The quest for college football’s national championship begins with an unusual storyline.
While Notre Dame seemed out of the race soon after the season started, Indiana wasn’t on anybody’s list to compete for a national championship at the start of the season.
Notre Dame (#7) would likely be atop the college football rankings if not for an early-season loss to Northern Illinois. It was the only blemish on the year for the rejuvenated Fighting Irish.
Riley Leonard (photo courtesy NDSMC Observer)
Senior quarterback and Duke transfer Riley Leonard (2,092 yds. Pass, 16 TDs, 5 INTs QBR 79.0) and company reeled off ten consecutive wins after that loss, all but one by double digits. Leonard alone contributed over 2800 yards of total offense and 16 TDs through the air. Also, a prolific runner, his 721 rushing yards and 14 ground touchdowns rank second on the team behind sophomore runningback Jeremiah Love, who ended the regular season with a 7.1-yard average and 15 touchdowns while rushing for 949 yards on 134 carries. Love put up over 1,000 yards of total offense by adding 206 yards receiving on 22 catches and two touchdowns.
The defense will be key if the Irish make a deep run in the playoffs and collect their twelfth national championship. Anchoring the defense is senior safety Xavier Watts. Watts registered 50 total tackles and 31 solo tackles, defended eight passes, made five interceptions, recovered one fumble, and scored one touchdown. Linebackers Jack Kiser (64 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble) and Drayk Bowen (54 tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles) spearhead a rugged defense.
On the other side of the field, #10 IU is a newcomer to the national championship quest. The Hoosiers have not won a postseason game since the 1991 Copper Bowl, and the school’s last bowl appearance was in the 2021 Outback Bowl. That was then, and this is now for the transformed Hossiers. After the 2023 season, IU parted ways with Tom Allen, now the Penn State Defensive Coordinator, and lured Frank Cignetti away from James Madison to serve as head coach. What a difference a year makes! The team went from 3-9 in ’23 to 11-1 this season, losing only to #2 ranked Ohio State on the road in the 11th game of the year.
Kurtis Rouke (photo courtesy WKRG)
Senior Quarterback Kurtis Rourke (2,827 yards, 27 TDs, four INTs, 85.7 QBR, transfer from Ohio University) will lead an Indiana team that averages 43.3 points per game, good for 2nd in the nation. Leading rusher Justice Ellison (811 yards, 10 TDs, 5.5-yard average) and wide receiver Elijah Sarratt (890 yards, eight TDs, 18.2-yard average) contributed to the Hoosier’s 438.8 yards of total offense per game. On the defense side of the ball, junior linebacker Aiden Fisher (108 tackles, 44 solo tackles, 1.5 sacks) is a key figure in holding opposing offenses to 244.8 yards per game.
It’s the Hoosiers vs Fighting Irish, Friday, December 20, 2024, at 8:00 pm on ABC-TV at Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana.
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Notre Dame -7, opened at -8.5, per ESPN Bet as of December 19 morning.
