The first College Football Playoff game of the 12-team era will kick off in a winter wonderland.
Notre Dame hosts Indiana in South Bend, Ind., which has had three inches of snowfall this morning and is expected to continue until around 11 a.m. ET. Forecasts do not predict snowfall at the 8 p.m. ET kickoff, but the players will face chilly conditions with winds of 11 mph and the weather dipping to 29 degrees by the game’s start, according to Weather.com.
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— The Fighting Irish (@FightingIrish) December 20, 2024
Indiana is prepared for the weather, with coach Curt Cignetti saying Wednesday that he hoped for a snow game since quarterback Kurtis Rourke, a native of Ontario, Canada, thrives in cold conditions.
“I hope it snows a foot and a half,” Cignetti said. “We have a Canadian quarterback. Did you see him throw the ball against Purdue? This guy grew up like in the frigid north. He looked pretty good to me that night. So I don’t think it’s going to bother him very much. … Everybody else will find a way to stay warm, but it’s not a concern.”
Indiana beat Purdue 66-0 in snowy conditions in its regular-season finale, where Rourke threw for 349 yards and six touchdowns.
Notre Dame is coming off a 49-35 win over rival USC.
Friday night’s matchup has enormous national implications; the winner will play Georgia in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal. It resonates locally as the first meeting between Indiana and Notre Dame since 1991. And it has historical value as the inaugural game of the 12-team Playoff era — at Notre Dame Stadium, one of the most historic venues in sports.
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