You're listening to the Back Home Network presented by Home
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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
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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.