Notre Dame left no doubt about their dominance in their showdown against Indiana, securing a 27-17 victory that was more decisive than the final score might suggest.
From the first whistle, the Fighting Irish set the tone with a 98-yard touchdown run by Jeremiyah Love after Kurtis Rourke threw a tough interception with Indiana driving. It was all Notre Dame after that.
The Irish controlled the tempo throughout, particularly with their balanced attack. Quarterback Riley Leonard efficiently passed for 201 yards, completing 23-of-32 attempts with a touchdown, while also adding a 1-yard rushing score in the fourth quarter. Leonard’s leadership was complemented by Love’s impressive 108 yards on just eight carries.
Notre Dame’s offensive line consistently opened up lanes, allowing the team to rack up 193 rushing yards and average a solid 5.5 yards per carry.
Indiana struggled to find its footing, especially in the first three quarters. Their offense managed only three points through 45 minutes, with Notre Dame’s defense suffocating the Hoosiers' rushing attack. Indiana finished with a mere 63 yards on the ground, averaging just 2.3 yards per attempt. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke showed flashes late in the game, throwing for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late.
Notre Dame also excelled in clock management, dominating possession with over 35 minutes of control. This was evident in a methodical second-quarter drive, which lasted over nine minutes and culminated in a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Thomas. Kicker Mitch Jeter chipped in with two field goals, including a 49-yarder to close the first half.
Indiana scored a couple of touchdowns late in the game to make things interesting, but a failed second onside kick with 0:25 sealed their fate.
With a blowout loss, the college football community is already beginning to discuss the 12-team College Football Playoff field and how teams were determined. While some are noting that strength of schedule should be a bigger deciding factor moving forward, this honestly is more of a statement on the Big Ten than anything.
For the last few years, people have continued to push this narrative that the Big Ten is the second-best conference in the country and that they should command the same respect as the SEC. Honestly, Friday's performance should put more pressure on that conference than anything because it's starting to look like it's just a facade rather than reality.
Notre Dame will continue its season with a game against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl as part of the CFP quarterfinals.