By MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer
Marcus Freeman spent his first two seasons as the Notre Dame coach chasing the playoff dream.
This year, he’s living it – at home.
After closing the regular season on a 10-game winning streak and getting two weeks to prepare for the most meaningful postseason game of his career, Freeman is finally ready to lead the seventh-seeded Fighting Irish against 10th-seeded Indiana on Friday on what is expected to be a frigid night in South Bend, Indiana.
“We’ve been in the playoffs since Week 3,” Freeman said, alluding to their postseason hopes following the stunning loss to Northern Illinois. “Every game we play is a version of a playoff game in our minds. We have to continue to understand that you don’t have any more added pressure than you’ve had the previous 10.”
Except the Irish (11-1) know this one is different.
Notre Dame hasn’t made a national championship run since 1988, its longest title drought since winning the school’s first in 1924. And unlike previous playoffs, the Irish will be playing the first game on campus in College Football Playoff history.
Just how unusual will this environment be?
It’s the first time Notre Dame has hosted a postseason game, the first time Notre Dame Stadium has hosted a Friday night game and the first time since 1990 that a Notre Dame home game has not been telecast by NBC.
Still, the Irish are doing what they can to make this seem like just another football week.
“The hardest thing throughout this whole process has probably been finals here at Notre Dame because that’s no joke,” quarterback Riley Leonard said of the end-of-semester exams. “Otherwise, it’s like a couple of bye weeks for us. We handle it the same way. Practice has been the same, the same recipe for success.”
But the stakes are significantly higher in this matchup between the two Indiana schools that are separated by less than 200 miles but have met just once since 1959. Notre Dame won, 49-27, in 1991.
No. 9 Indiana (11-1) is the most improbable playoff entrant.
Associated Press Coach of the Year Curt Cignetti engineered an eight-game turnaround in his first season with the Hoosiers, setting a new single-season school record for victories while falling just a tiebreaker short of playing for its first Big Ten title since 1967.
The Hoosiers are scoring 43.3 points, the most of any playoff team, and have one of the FBS’ stingiest defenses, too. And even though Indiana failed its only test against a ranked foe, the Hoosiers believe that loss will help them do what most still believe impossible – reaching the Sugar Bowl for a quarterfinal game against No. 2 seed Georgia.
“It was a tough loss, but I think it was really important for us to have a game like that, to be tested and know what it takes to win these games,” quarterback Kurtis Rourke said, referring to the 38-15 loss at then-No. 2 Ohio State last month. “This is a win-or-go-home kind of setup, so we’re going to have to make sure that we come with our best effort.”
They also might have one key advantage – postseason experience.
Cignetti and many of his assistant coaches were together for FCS and Division II playoff teams, and Cignetti also has that national championship ring from his days as Alabama coach Nick Saban’s recruiting coordinator.
“Well, I am kind of used to this routine,” Cignetti said. “But I don’t think it’s a major change for any of the coaches, to be quite honest with you, that are in the playoff.”
Cignetti is trying to keep things simple for his players.
“I think to me and our guys, in my mind, it’s just another game. You prepare for this one like you prepare for all of them. I think for our players, they’re going to be excited to play and excited to prove something,” Cignetti said. “At the end of the day, it’s just football. The game is going to be won or lost between the white lines. I want them to go out there, fly around, have a little swag and play the way we can play.”
CROSS TALK
Notre Dame’s defense has been one of the best all season despite a rash of injuries, including two that took out preseason All-Americans.
But one of those, defensive tackled Howard Cross III, is expected to return Friday after missing the final three regular-season games. There is little doubt Cross will be fresh, nearly six weeks after suffering the high ankle sprain. The question is will he be rested or rusty?
“I feel physically, fine,” Cross said. “So I’m just happy, blessed to be able to get on the field.”
STAYING AHEAD
Indiana didn’t just win games this season. It dominated opponents.
Ten of the Hoosiers’ 11 wins were by 14 or more points and they faced deficits in only three games and only once in the second half. But even if that’s not the same story underneath the Friday night lights, the Hoosiers insist they’re ready for any challenge.
“We know we’re supposed to be here, we know we belong, but we’re always going to have that chip (on our shoulder),” Indiana receiver Elijah Sarratt said. “We remember what everyone was saying during the season and remember what everyone is saying now. We’re going to go down there, focus on us and try to handle business.”
RUNNING DOWN A DREAM
The most telling matchup Friday will be Notre Dame’s ground game against Indiana’s defense.
The Irish offense has centered primarily around a three-pronged running attack that features Leonard, Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price.
Indiana, meanwhile, leads the nation in fewest yards rushing per game allowed (70.8) and the 2.46 yards per carry allowed is second best in FBS. Even in their loss, Ohio State rushed 29 times for just 115 yards. So the Hoosiers know where they must begin if they hope to advance.
“We’ve got to stop the run,” All-Big Ten linebacker Aiden Fisher said. “That’s something we’re very prideful in here as a defense and something that they are really good on offense. It’s going to be a really good matchup.”
No. 10 seed INDIANA (11-1) at No. 7 NOTRE DAME (11-1)
What: College Football Playoff, first-round game
When: Friday, 5 p.m. PT
Where: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana
TV/radio: ABC (Ch.7)/ESPN, 710 AM