Notre Dame will kick off the College Football Playoff when the Fighting Irish host the upstart Indiana Hoosiers Friday night in a game that will be nationally televised by ABC at 8 p.m. ET. Head coach Marcus Freeman's team has enjoyed an exceptional 11-1 season and Notre Dame is favored by 7 points over the Hoosiers.

The Fighting Irish suffered a shocking loss early in the season to Northern Illinois, but they were able to rebound from that defeat by sweeping the rest of its opponents. Based on the program's history — Notre Dame has been one of the college football's legendary programs — the team is rightfully favored over an opponent that is known for basketball success and football failures.

That has not been the case this season, as Indiana pulled off one of the most eye-opening seasons in recent memory. The Hoosiers (11-1) have displayed an explosive offense that has scored 30 points or more in 10 of its 12 games and has eclipsed the 40-point mark on 8 occasions.

Indiana squeaked out a 20-15 win over Michigan and suffered a 38-15 loss to Ohio State. By the end of the season the Hoosiers were no longer sneaking up on opponents and that is not going to happen against Notre Dame. If the Hoosiers are going to find a way to come up with a historic upset, head coach Curt Cignetti's team is going to have to win the battle in the trenches and quarterback Kurtis Rourke (27-4 TD to interception ratio) come up with some huge plays.

Notre Dame could be vulnerable in the CFP

Whether Indiana is the team that can cause major problems for Notre Dame and end the Fighting Irish season in shocking fashion is debatable, but there are issues about the team's readiness for playing against college football's elite programs.

Notre Dame did not face the toughest schedule this year, and after beating Texas A&M 23-13 in the season opener on the road, they were rarely tested this season.

The loss to Northern Illinois was clearly a major upset, but the Fighting Irish cruised the rest of the season against the 63rd-ranked schedule in the nation. A strong argument can be made that the toughest opponents on the Notre Dame schedule were Louisville, Navy and Army. They were the only ranked opponents the Fighting Irish faced after the season opener against the 20th-ranked Aggies.

Notre Dame slipped past Louisville 31-24 before overpowering both service academies. If they can get past Indiana in the first round, Notre Dame may be in over its head when taking on second-seeded Georgia in the next round.

Fighting Irish clearly have talent, but pressure to advance will be extreme

Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) runs the ball against the Army Black Knights during the first half at Yankee Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Notre Dame opens the playoff at home against an opponent that seemingly has nothing to lose. Even if the Hoosiers lose this game, it has been a fantastic season.

Freeman has been chasing a playoff opportunity and the postseason expansion this season means he has that opportunity.

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Notre Dame's Riley Leonard is an excellent quarterback who has had a brilliant season under center. He is a legitimate two-way threat, as he completed 194 of 293 passes for 2,092 yards with 16 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions. As a runner, Leonard carried the ball 124 times for 721 yards, gaining an average of 5.8 yards per carry. He is a major weapon in the scoring area, as Leonard ran for 14 touchdowns this season.

Leonard is joined by running back Jeremiyah Love in the backfield. Love carried the ball 134 times for 949 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 7.1 yards per carry.

The Fighting Irish don't have a gamebreaking receiver, but Beaux Collins caught a team-high 34 passes for 427 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Defense will have to step up in CFP

The Notre Dame defense will be put to the test against the Hoosiers and in any subsequent games. Although Notre Dame's defense struggled a bit in the regular-season finale against USC in a 49-35 victory, Freeman's team held nine of its opponents to 14 points or less.

Linebackers Jack Kiser and Drayk Bowen led Notre Dame in tackles with 64 and 54 respectively. Kiser has 1 forced fumble and 2 fumble recoveries to his credit. Bowen forced two fumbles this season.

Defensive linemen Rylie Mills and Howard Cross III are the key to the Notre Dame pass rush. Mills had 6.5 sacks during the regular season to lead the team, while Cross had 4 quarterback traps.

Safety Xavier Watts may be the most important player on the defense. He had a team-leading 5 interceptions, 8 passes defensed and 50 tackles. Watts returned one of his picks for a touchdown.

The Fighting Irish have an excellent chance of getting past Indiana in their CFP opener. However, the soft schedule they faced during the regular season will keep them from going any further.