You're listening to the Back Home Network presented by Home Field Apparel. All right folks, welcome back to Crimson Cast Scott here with you. Excited to do a preview for a Notre Dame game. Dude, we're like 72 hours away from the College Football Playoff. It's awesome. Before we get to Tyler, just a quick shout out to two of our friends and sponsors. We have home field apparel. Check them out. They have all they have college football apparel gear for Indiana.
They they have Notre Dame gear, but why would you buy that when you could buy Indiana gear? Use the promo code HOME 23 to get 2023% off your to get 15% off your first purchase or messing up throwing whatever promo code you want me to get. Whatever discount code you know you know you want. Who knows? And also our friends over at Upland Brewery who have the Hoosier Game Day Logger in the
iconic Crimson and cream can. They don't sell it at Notre Dame Stadium, but you can buy some wherever Upland is sold and bring it to the stadium to tailgate. You got an 8:00 game, tons of time to tailgate. And as always, up one reminds you to enjoy and drink responsibly. So we are joined today as I unmute him and I have all my mics working this time. We are joined today by Tyler James of Inside Notre Dame Sports. Tyler man, thanks for joining.
Good to talk to you. Of course, thanks for having. Me, we are we're very excited. I'm just going to start here, like obviously this is a place Indiana has never been. I I'm curious how, how are Notre Dame fans? To me, it's obviously exciting to be in the College Football Playoff, but what is the feeling for Notre Dame fans a little more like been there, done that or as as fired up as, as maybe,
you know, Indiana fans are? I would say more the latter and I think this in part because Notre Dame's hosting a playoff game, like Notre Dame's never done that before. I mean, no one's never done that. Notre Dame will be the first one to do that in this 12 team playoff just based on the way that this the game schedule
worked out. So Notre Dame fans are excited about the way the season has gone since that loss to Northern Illinois. Many people didn't think it the season would end up where it is now at at that moment, but that this team has really galvanized and the fan base is sort of embrace them. And I think they're really fired
up about the game. I think the fact that it is Indiana and that there's plenty of Indiana basketball fans and Notre Dame football fans and everyone knows Indiana fans and Indiana fans trying to get in the stadium. So I think that's even I my expectation is that it's making Notre Dame fans even more excited for this game and wanting to make sure that Notre Dame puts its best foot forward.
Yeah, how is, you know, you, you heard the, we've heard the stories of, you know, Georgia, I don't want to say taking over, but Georgia having a big presence, Notre Dame Stadium, Ohio State having a president's presence. You know, from from my perspective, all the people I know are going to the game, like a lot of Indiana fans are going to the game. It sounds like everyone I know is going. I know we're not going to take over the stadium, but how how is the feeling been within the
Notre Dame fan base? Are you seeing a lot of, you know, interest from Indiana fans? Like it is it's unique because it's not that far away from Bloomington and we don't have a lot of experience playing there. But I'm, I'm curious if you're seeing, you know, a feeling at this point, Are Notre Dame fans worried about Indiana fans coming in to and too high a number?
Yeah. I mean, I think there's a a natural worry that's somewhat deserves based on past experiences, although I think I think as of late, particularly when you think about like the Ohio State game last season, that wasn't as lopsided as maybe some of the other fan bases have it, that have been able to get into the stadium. So, yeah, it'll be interesting to see. There's the the the tickets, the Notre Dame tickets, which accounts for the vast majority of tickets never made public
sale. They were, they were all given out and, and obviously purchased through the season ticket holders and a lottery system that Notre Dame has for donors to its university. And so I it's up to those people who got those tickets and, and whether they're willing to sell them or they have Indiana fan friends that they want to allow to come to the game. So it'll be interesting to see what what that looks like. I think what we've learned in
the past is like red stands out. Like, yes, there looks like a lot of red in the crowd and Notre Dame fans don't necessarily always wear the same color. And so that doesn't necessarily help. But I imagine especially on Friday with it being so cold, a lot of people are going to be bundled up. So I don't know if you're going to know who's who's a fan of who, unless you can tell by the flag or the the towel they're waving because both teams are are bringing towels to the game,
it sounds like. So that'll be interesting to see what it what it looks like in the stadium. Yeah, I love, I love the dueling towel. That's fantastic. I'll ask you this, you know, from an Indiana perspective, when we saw the draw, and I've been saying this, you know, to a lot of people have been saying on this podcast, you know, it's no knock on the team because all teams are good at this point. But I, I was, you know, of all the options there and all the places we could play and the
teams we could play. I, I thought this was a pretty favorable draw for Indiana as opposed to when, you know, the week before we're playing Georgia, but not to compare. But like that playing Georgia in Georgia didn't feel like it's going to be an awesome time for Indiana. This feels like a pretty good draw from Notre Dame's perspective. You've also been in the College Football Playoff discussion this entire time as well, seeing your
spots here and there. What was the what was your perspective and the fans perspective from Notre Dame on, you know, a who, what do you think of the draw of Indiana? And then kind of what was your view of like, were there draws that you kind of like didn't like and how you thought it all played out for Notre from a Notre Dame perspective on on the
way the bracket looks? Yeah, I mean, Notre Dame fans and and riders like myself thought that Notre Dame had a chance to get the five seed at some point. The way the conference championship weekend played out sort of made that unlikely. And and so it wasn't that surprising that that Texas and Penn State State ahead of Notre Dame in the rankings, which pushed Notre Dame down to the
seventh seed. The the thought was always like that five seed might be the best path, but I'm not sure it necessarily is the way things played out. I think the six seed Penn State got probably the most favorable path. And so there's been a conversation for weeks now amongst Notre Dame fans is like, hey, shouldn't we be ahead of Penn State in the rankings? That obviously never happened. And I think Penn State sort of solidified that with with playing tough against Oregon in
the championship game. So I understand how it sort of played out that way. But yeah, Indiana, like it's, I think there's some similarities between these two teams, Indiana and Notre Dame that that make it an interesting match up. Indiana, I think Indiana's offense is more relied on its passing game, whereas Notre Dame's offense is more relying
on its running game. But both teams have good defenses and don't turn the ball over very much, sort of limit their mistakes and and sort of count on you to to sort of mess up as the opponent. So it's an interesting a match up in that in that sense, I think it's, I don't think it's the worst match up for Notre Dame by any stretch, especially this time of year. Like I think that's what we're all like, well, how good can I use passing game B if it's cold
and snowing? Obviously it was perfectly fine against Purdue, but we all know that Purdue sucks. So weather, weather doesn't matter what the weather is. Everyone's going to do that to Purdue because Notre Dame do the same. And so, yeah, I think it's I think it's a good match up. I, I wouldn't be shocked if Indiana won this game. It's going to have to be a, a game script that follows like Indiana strengths and Notre Dame and Indiana sort of shutting down Notre Dame strengths.
But I, I think we'll see how it plays out. Notre Dame's played against some teams and I, it feels like an insult to compare Indiana to Navy and Army, but those were teams that people were questioning, well, how good are they based on their schedule? And then in those games, Notre Dame just blew, blew the doors off them. And I think Indiana's probably better than those teams, but those teams made some mistakes, which is which allow those games
to be blowouts. And I think Indiana made some mistakes against Ohio State that led to that. And we'll see sort of how Indiana handles the adversity of playing in a in a potentially hostile environment, which it didn't handle well at Ohio State. Yeah, no, it's it's true. What's so fun in this matchup? Is it it's it, you know, we've been saying this, it almost feels like at times Notre Dame is not part of Indiana. I mean, I know it's in South Bend.
I know it's in Indiana, but Notre Dame almost is like a level above college football. It just is it is what it is. And you know, the national media is starting to figure out like, hey, this is the battle of Indiana. But it, it's odd because there really is outside of the reversible jacket fan of the Notre Dame football, Indiana basketball, which I don't know about you. I'm I've never been a fan of that person. I don't know your case. Like I'm just like, pick one.
Like be a Notre Dame basketball fan or an Indiana football fan. Like stay, stay with it all the way through. There's really not a lot of connection here between Indiana and Notre Dame. Like, I'm, I'm very curious to see what the atmosphere is like because I, I'm assuming Notre Dame doesn't have a lot of hatred toward Indiana, just kind
of like, wow, this is cute. Like you guys are a football team also in Indiana. And from our perspective, you know, we've gotten curb stomped year after year by Michigan, Ohio State, you know, so if we can take down a Michigan, there's something there. Obviously winning the game would be huge for Indiana, But it's it's odd.
I mean, they've only played a couple of times for for programs that are so close and for a Notre Dame team that kind of plays Big 10 geographical teams like Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State. It it is just really interesting how that there's not a lot of history here. And it almost feels like, you know, I went to the Rose Bowl this year. We played UCLA. It was kind of like the other fans was like, hey, I, I don't really know you and you don't know we have no history there.
It's it's I, I find that interesting. And I wonder what the atmosphere is going to be like based on the fact that it's it's, it's almost like the first time we've ever played each other, even though it's not. Yeah, I mean, Notre Dame fans have a pretty good reputation of being a pretty welcoming fan base. Like, they're not here to like, throw stuff at you like it. That's not the kind of fan base that Notre Dame is inside the stadium. So you're not Ohio State, is
what you're saying? Right, Yeah. So I don't think there's going to be a lot of scowling. Like I think it, I, I think my guess would be might be dictated on how IU fans are, are acting. Like if they're acting fools and wanting to start stuff, I think Notre Dame fans might get a little, a little more intense as a result of that. But I think they'll be welcoming. I don't think obviously, I think there's a little added to it with this being a playoff game and, and people may be upset
like, hey, how are you? How did you get in in here as an Indiana fan? Outside of the the 3500 tickets that were allotted to Indiana, which we obviously know there will be more than that in the stadium. So yeah, I don't think it's going to the, I don't think there's like ill will towards Indiana fans.
I think a lot of people know Indiana fans and maybe there's some guys that are fans that like maybe they're passively Indiana football fans, but now they're more actively Indiana football fans based on this season, which I, I, I don't blame the fans for getting more engaged based on success. So I don't think it'll be nasty in the stadium between the fans, but I certainly it could turn that way.
If Indiana has the upper hand on the field, then Notre Dame fans don't like what's going on out there. So Speaking of that, like on, on the field, I'll, I'll ask you kind of a two-part question. You know, if, what would you say is if something is half, like if this is happening on the field, you think Notre Dame has a really good chance of winning.
And then the flip side is, you know, if you were seeing, you know, what would you be seeing during the game that would really give you concern about Notre Dame having a chance to, to win? So I kind of the both sides of the coin, like what would you see that really makes you think like, man, if you see this in the first quarter of the, you know, the first half, it's like, dude, Indiana's going to have a rough night. And then the flip side of that
as well. Yeah, I, I think the two biggest things to me and I, I think they're, they're, they go both ways for both teams is, is who can run the football better? Like particularly for Notre Dame, if it's not able to run the football, that raises questions of, of Notre Dame's sort of suspect passing game at times. And Ken Riley, Leonard in the Notre Dame's passing game find some success with or without the help of the running game. I think Notre Dame needs to run the ball regardless.
I think Riley Leonard only has to make a a handful of throws here or there to maybe loosen up the defense and allow some some extra running room for for Notre Dame's running backs or himself. And then turnovers, I think is the other thing like neither of these teams turn over the turnover the ball very much their defenses do for force a lot of turnovers. So how how does how does that play out? Like who makes the first turnover? Will that will that be a significant part in the outcome
of the game? So like, to me, like the biggest thing is if Notre Dame can't run the ball, like that's the biggest concern for Notre Dame. And then I think if IU is able to run the ball, that just makes I use offense so much more hard, difficult to stop. And so that would be concerning from a Notre Dame defensive perspective.
So if IU can run the ball and then obviously whoever turns it over like it, I don't think what obviously whoever turns it over more is is going to have a harder time to win the game and we'll see how how that all plays out. Yeah, no, the the you keep hitting the running game, which which is true. Like it's, it's what I keep going back to is that, you know, statistically, Indiana's defense against the run is one of the best in the country.
You know, we always have to say, you know, based on opponents and like it's, but we're we're here. All you have is the stats to go off of. You know, our defense has been very good against the run and definitely Notre Dame's offense is, is a run first offense and that's where they get the majority of their offense and production. And so I, I love seeing those battles that are kind of head to head battles, you know, for, for Indiana.
I think the thing that the open question for us is, you know, Curtis Rourke was was great up until that injury against Nebraska. And then he hasn't quite been the same. I I saw just, you know, with my eyes that the ball looked better, like it was zipping and throwing better against Purdue. Now, obviously everything was open against Purdue, but the overall offense, like it hasn't really gotten its mojo back since that. You know, it was doing pretty well.
And then like Michigan and Ohio State, it definitely hit a wall. The question is like, was Purdue enough to get things figured out or was it just Purdue sucks and that's just a blip on the road? I think that's a real open question for Indiana is like, can they get their offense back to a point where, you know, what made them special in my mind was their ability to just stack scoring drives after scoring drives and put real pressure on
the other team. It's an open question whether they're going to be able to do that against Notre Dame. Yeah, Notre Dame hasn't played from behind a lot in games.
They're they're used to being ahead, maybe not to as wide of of a degree as Indiana has been at times, but I mean, even thinking about Notre Dame's schedule, Notre Dame went out and scored 66 against Purdue, which was the week after Notre Dame lost to Northern Illinois. But then the following week after that scored just 28 points against Miami, Ohio. So obviously Purdue can maybe be a little misleading in terms of
a, a healing effect. So we'll see like what that what that means for Indiana. I think Notre Dame's going to have a pretty good game plan, game plan defensively and try to pressure Curtis Rourke and and and limit his ability to expose the defense. But I think Notre Dame's going to have to make some decisions. They're like, OK, if you're worried about stopping the passing game, does that make you
more vulnerable against the run? And then then I think IU becomes really more dangerous like I mentioned earlier with if the running game is is clicking for the Hoosiers.
I'll ask you this question because I, I thought it was a, you know, it ended up not being totally true because Indiana went up 7 O at Ohio State. But I, I thought that if Indiana could, could continue that lead, you know, I felt like there was going to be a lot of pressure on Ohio State because Ohio State, you know, at that point, like they didn't, they knew they had to play Michigan. They didn't know they were going to lose the Michigan. Like there's a world where if
Ohio State loses to Indiana and Michigan, Brian Day could have been fired just the next day. You know, it didn't end up Indiana made a couple of mistakes. Ohio State really took control of that game. You know it in this case, I, I obviously the players don't take anybody lightly. You're in the College Football Playoff. Everyone here is good. But I definitely think Indiana's coming in as the underdog.
It's kind of the upstart story. You know, Notre Dame's at home, Notre Dame is Notre Dame. You know, if Indiana continues to have a lead, is there a world where all of the pressure moves over to Notre Dame if you're in the second-half? And like, is that something that could happen or do you think that that it's just not going to happen in that kind of way? I think it definitely could happen.
I so Notre Dame, like I mentioned, Notre Dame hasn't trailed a lot, but it has given up for scores to opponents at a higher rate than you would expect for a really good defense. And I think sometimes Notre Dame's just not necessarily prepared for the different things that a team might come out that it hasn't done all season and then quickly after that is able to course correct it and, and come up with a defensive game plan and adjustments to limit what those teams are doing.
So, so I there could be a similar script to to what that Ohio State Ohio State game was where maybe IU has a good first drive and then Notre Dame sort of locks in and, and slows things down. But then maybe maybe that maybe IU keeps things going. That's sort of what happened with USCUSC and Notre Dame's final regular season game. The offense for USC was able to continue to find some success and that wasn't something that Notre Dame was used to doing.
But Notre Dame's offense kept having answers to to not make that too uncomfortable. But then it was still close towards the end of the game and Notre Dame clinched it with some some pick sixes at the end that made it a little bit more lopsided than the game actually was. So it'll it'll be interesting to see. I think the pressure aspect of it, like Notre Dame even maybe not in game pressure a lot, but Notre Dame's been pressured since losing to Northern Illinois, right?
Like they could not lose again. Like if they wanted to make the Coswell playoff, they had to win each game. So the game pressure wasn't always there, but there were times even in the some of the games that aren't the the scoreboard. The scoreboard doesn't necessarily dictate it that it was, it was like the, this, the, the, the result of the game was a little bit in question. Like it wouldn't be unreasonable for to see the other team jump ahead and stay ahead. And Notre Dame was able to
overcome that. Whether that's against Virginia, whether that's against Georgia Tech, whether that's against Miami, Ohio and Louisville. Louisville was probably its most impressive victory early in the season because Louisville played its tail off. It made some mistakes earlier in the game that put it in a hole, but Louisville's offense was able to find some pretty good success by its quarterback and some receivers making some spectacular plays.
And maybe that's something that that Indiana can do here on Friday night. So I I've actually never been to Notre Dame Stadium. I've been to a lot of places. I'm going on Friday. I think there's a good number of Indiana fans either haven't been before or haven't been in like a lot. A couple of my friends. I haven't been in there 20-30 years. Again, there's just not a lot of outside of going to see Notre Dame. Obviously we're not Indiana's
not playing there much. Speak to a little bit about the atmosphere of what what what we're going to find as fans, how it might affect the game and the fact that it's a night game. Like I've been saying this for a while that you know it, there is something special about Notre Dame. There's something special about a Notre Dame night game.
You know, I, I think back to sorry to bring it up, like the Matt Liner, you know, push play when he was at USA, Like if you have great games and you have great moments and they happen at Notre Dame at night, it it's kind of unique and can be a real special moment. But but speak about the atmosphere a little bit because I remember going into the Ohio
State game, that was one thing. You know, we had a couple people from Ohio State come on and they were kind of pissed because they were like the noon, the noon atmosphere isn't the same as a night atmosphere. And it's just like, it's not going to be exactly the same, even though it was still a top
five matchup. So I'm curious, you know, just for people coming in, what to look for as a fan, what to enjoy, but also how the how a night game atmosphere may positively negatively affect, you know, how the game goes for Notre Dame or Indiana. Yeah, I think there's something special about just being on campus.
Notre Dame is a smaller campus and like you don't have to travel that far on campus by foot to see sort of the sights that you're from from TV. If you haven't been to Notre Dame before, you can see the golden Dome. You can see touchdown Jesus right at right looking over the stadium. And so I think it all sorts of adds it like the stadium itself. It's it's nicer now since it's been renovated, but it's just a pretty very playing like bowl.
Like there's not, it's not like a unique in any sort of way with that. But obviously the you can sort of sense the history and tradition there and Notre Dame's done a good job while modernizing it and sort of making it still feel like like Notre Dame Stadium. So yeah, I would encourage fans to sort of walk around before the game and take in those sites and inside. I think night games, the atmosphere in Fortnite games has
continued to improve. I don't Notre Dame hasn't had like at least I've been covering Notre Dame since 2012 since then. Like not necessarily known for being an intimidating environment. I think back in the early 90s when Notre Dame was really rolling, it was a different sort of deal.
But Notre Dame does a lot in terms of its in game presentation with music to try to get fans involved, does some stuff between the third and fourth quarters with a light show and and stuff to, to get things excited. So I expect it to be a really cool atmosphere. I, I expect Notre Dame fans to be very into it, especially being the night game. I think that leaves plenty of time to get liquored up. Notre Dame. Notre Dame doesn't sell alcohol in in the in the stands.
Like there is access to it in like the premium seating areas. But the folks that are sitting in the regular seats, they're not, they're not able to buy alcohol in the stadium. So I think some of them do plenty of pre gaming to prepare for that and maybe sneak in some man as well. But I expect the crowd to be full throated and ready to go. And, and I sometimes it's people refer to the Notre Dame fans that sort of sit there and they call, they call them the wine
and cheese crowd. I don't, I don't expect like if you're going to this game, you're going to be willing to put yourself through the cold at night. Like I feel like you're there for a reason. You're there to cheer for your team. And so I expect Notre Dame fans to be very supportive and loud and and try to make a difference in the game all. Right. That sounds good. Before we get to kind of the end and, you know, predictions are
just thoughts on the game. I'll ask you this because you mentioned, you know, after the loss of Northern Illinois, it was a tight path that they had to win out. And you know, with Alabama not making it, I hate kind of the threats of like, well, we're done scheduling hard because I mean, they're at their schedule kind of sucked anyway. But you know, with with conferences grow. It's a Notre Dame question every single time. And I know you're not in charge of this stuff.
I'm just curious your thoughts. You know, as conferences get bigger, there's going to be less and less non conference games and less opportunities for Notre Dame to schedule high quality opponents. You know, with the way that this 12 team playoff played out, seeing the advantages that the conference champions are getting, which is a whole nother conversation like Boise State, knock yourself out, you get to buy. It's like they're going to
change all that. But do you think is this giving you more like more view of like we, we got to stay independent or do you view it as more like it? It would be better for Notre Dame to get into a conference and have an opportunity for one of the years, maybe you're a two or three lost team to still get in the playoffs.
Because right now, it does feel like the path is always going to be unbelievably razor thin for Notre Dame, kind of being the only one that doesn't have a conference affiliation. Yeah, I, I think there is some concern there. And the concern from my perspective is like the willingness of the power conferences to continue to
schedule Notre Dame, right. I think if those conferences really wanted to put the screws to Notre Dame, they just, they just tell their teams to stop scheduling Notre Dame. Obviously the ACC relationship allows Notre Dame to fill most
half of his schedule. And then you sort of have ongoing rivalries with Navy Stanford, although there I think there's maybe a little bit of question, there's no Stanford game scheduled at this point for next season with Stanford joining the ACC that I think there's some back and forth going about like it whether or not Stanford counts as an ACC game to for Notre Dame's contract with the ACC and stuff like that. So it's it'll be interesting to
see. And obviously USC joined the Big 10. So does USC get incentivized to not schedule Notre Dame moving forward? It's hard to imagine that because of how historic that rivalry is. But there's not that much that's sacred in college football anymore, unfortunately. So I think there is some concern there. I think as long as there's still a viable path to the playoff and Notre Dame, like even like Notre Dame's the seventh seed with with one loss and it's one of its worst losses ever.
Like that's not a terrible path. But yeah, it I think the one of the major concerns is like, well, Notre Dame can't get a buy, but also doesn't have to play in the conference championship game. So it does get an extra week off. I think we're all still learning what that all looks like. It means I think it's too early to make any sort of bold statements about what this would look like long term. And we don't even know if this is going to be the playoff format moving forward past next
season. So I think Notre Dame's going to have a voice and role in in determining where things continue to go as it relates to the playoff. But I wouldn't be shocked if down the line, like it just becomes untenable for Notre Dame to put together a meaningful schedule on an annual basis that would make it reasonable for Notre Dame to get into the playoffs with with one loss or something like that. I.
I agree. And I, I think at this point, what they've kind of what, what Notre Dame has lost from my perspectives as an outsider is the ability to have kind of a Clemson type season where you, you, you stub your toe and you're really kind of out of it. But you're able to, I don't say back door, but just find a way into the, into the playoff.
It, it feels like that's not going to be available to Notre Dame. It's all, I mean, it's also, you know, the, the money aspect is just I, I continue to be amazed at this. But you know, it used to be because Notre Dame had that exclusive TV contract. It really put them above and beyond a lot of other teams. At this point, I'm pretty sure that every Big 10 team in every SEC school is probably making more, if not double what Notre Dame makes just off the NBC contract.
So you're, you're kind of getting to a point where the money, I'm not sure like Notre Dame could end up making more just coming into the Big 10 with a full share than what they get off the NBC contract. Yeah, Notre Dame doesn't share the numbers with us, so we don't know exactly what they look like. But it's been expressed that that Notre Dame is fine. Like it's not.
The gap is not that big, if there is much of a gap at all between not just the NBC contract, but Notre Dame also gives money from the ACC media deal as with all those games that it plays against the ACC team. So they're they're making up for it in different ways. And I think there is some institutional value to being independent. I think there are a lot of donors that really value that and continue to donate at a high
level because of that. So I think there are decisions that have to be made continuously like the the NBC contract. I don't believe it's as long term as it normally is because I think that that Notre Dame needs to have the flexibility to be able to sort of flex and continue to keep up with these these power conferences, but specifically the Big 10, the SEC with with what the those programs or those conferences are able to do right now.
Yeah, No, it's it, it, it's one of those things that always continues to come up at the last thing I'll say. I just don't talk to a lot of Notre Dame fans about this. I I talk about Notre Dame a lot in respect to this. Not like, you know, people who cover the team. The, the, the, the piece that I would be concerned about if I was Notre Dame is it does feel like there's going to be kind of
one, again, we don't know. This continues to always change, but it feels like there's going to be another round of expansion that like 20 and 20 seems like fair numbers for the AC, for the, for the Big 10 and the, the SEC feels like you get to 40. That's kind of a good, a good round Number.
And if I was Notre Dame, my only concern would be is if that expansion happens and they're not a part of it, that then it's like, have you now calcified yourself outside and suddenly this move, the train continues to move and it's like you you can't find a way into one of those two.
And, and really, you know, we've talked about this is you have a lot of weird marriages of schools and conferences, but you know, like, like Stanford doesn't really make sense of the ACC, nor does Berkeley, but there would not be a more unlikely marriage than Notre Dame and the SEC. Like it's just you, the Notre Dame as a school could not be more diametrically opposed to everything the SEC is than that.
So it's like you, I, I just continue to come back to like, if the Big 10 just says, like we got, you know, we're getting North Carolina and Clemser, whatever, we're getting the 20. I'd be really concerned as a Notre Dame fans like, Oh man, that's, that's like now we're losing our options out. I I don't know that's I'm just curious your thoughts on that and then we can we can move off this and get to final thoughts
on the game. Yeah, I mean, I, I think it does seem unlikely that Notre Dame will join the SEC, but a lot of things seem unlikely that it happened, you know? So like, I think Notre Dame, it's sort of a game of chickens. It it Notre Dame be like, OK, Big 10, if you're going to make this move, like we'll join the SEC and then we'll Big 10. Will the Big 10 call their bluff? Would, would Notre Dame follow through on that?
And then vice versa? Like I think there is some leverage from Notre Dame's perspective. It's like, well, don't do anything crazy because then we'll just join the other conference that you don't want us in because we all know that you either both of those conferences want Notre Dame if they could have them. So I, I don't know, it seems like a big game of chicken to me. I don't know how it all play
out, but Notre Dame's at least. Or maybe it's like the classic office scene where they're all pointing, pointing finger guns at each other right now. And that's what that's what's going on right now. Yeah, and in the end it'll just be it'll be money, whatever the best money option will be there. So we've kind of kicked all around it. What are what? I mean, you know, it's always the most cliche. What's your prediction? But what what do you what are you thinking for the game?
If you want to throw a prediction out there, you can. Or how you think it's going to play out? Like what? What do you think we're going to see in, you know, 74 hours now on Friday night? Yeah, I've been looking at a Notre Dame 28 to 7 victory or 2017 victory. Come on, man. No 17. Sorry, sorry, sorry, misspoke. I, I expect it to be tight in the first half.
I do think Notre Dame will pull away a little bit, but I don't think it's going to be like, I don't think it'll ever feel like extremely comfortable for Notre Dame. I think it's going to be close throughout. Notre Dame's field goal kicker has been struggling. So I have a hard time putting a field goal into my score prediction for Notre Dame right now. So that's why I'm going with 28. And I think is going to be able to have some success offensively.
I think it's defense will probably force a timely turnover that'll help out its offense. But yeah, I don't I don't think it's going to be lopsided. I think it'll be close and I think Indiana will be able to move the ball, but I think maybe we'll have some trouble getting into the end zone at times. I think it's, that's, it's all fair. I, I really, I'm not sure where I'm going to land on the game. I I think being a Homer, I'm probably going to pick in the other. It's it's wild.
I mean, we are beyond any rational thought that it's like kind of like the spot in Ghostbusters where he's like I'm, I'm beyond the the capacity of a rational thought. We are way past any expectation I ever had. The idea that I'm picking Indiana to win a road game in a College Football Playoff is like bananas. But I, I would just say that, you know, the the only game we struggled was against Ohio State.
It wasn't awesome. But if you really take a positive view of that, there was a couple of miscues on special teams that really lost the game. And it's not like it was close. But if you change those, it it wasn't also like a complete butt whooping. And, you know, and this is no knock on Notre Dame or the stadium, but Notre Dame Stadium is not Ohio Stadium. You know, it's, it's 30,000 less people. They've lost, I think three games in the last four years at home.
Ohio State hasn't done that in a decade. You know, it's, it's just two different kinds of places. So I, I think there's a reality where Indiana, if their offense comes in a little bit better. And I signeti has shown every time the lights get bright outside of that one Ohio State game, they've been able to respond and normally respond in a pretty good manner. So I think, I think there's a real chance Indiana could win, but I think it's going to be a
close game one way or the other. I would pick in I I'm I'm on the fence. I would say I like Indiana +7 on the points where that line is right now, I like Indiana plus seven. I think that's a fairway to bet it. I have a real hard time saying Indiana's going to win, but it would not. It would not shock me, but it would definitely make me happy. All right. Well, hey, Tyler, I really appreciate, really I appreciate you coming on. I hope you enjoy the game on Friday.
And whichever risk goes, let's, let's one of us beat Georgia. Let's we, we can all agree we got it. We got to Rep the state of Indiana and take care of Georgia. All right, sounds good. Enjoy the game as well. All right, you too. So this is Tyler James from inside Notre Dame Sports, and we'll have a couple more podcasts, I think, for you the rest of this week as we get ready for the game on Friday.
I know GAIL will be up there a couple live events, so check out his Twitter Crimson Cast and I want to thank you all for listening. And as always for Crimson Cast, this is Scott signing off.