It’s here folks! We finally know the College Football Playoff destiny for Notre Dame, facing off against the Indiana Hoosiers on Friday, December 20th at 8 PM ET. The Fighting Irish finished No. 7 in the final playoff bracket, while Indiana is at No. 10. This sets up for the battle for the state of Indiana.

We are going to have two weeks to set the table for this football game, and really get to know the challenges that the Hoosiers present. Head coach Curt Cignetti has done a tremendous job with his team, and quickly turned over this roster due to the Transfer Portal. It has become a bit of an island of misfit toys but there’s no questioning the results.

Here are some early things to know about this Indiana squad.

Hoosier Offense

The Indiana offense is led by quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who was a very good player with the Ohio Bobcats recently. On the season, he has thrown for 2,827 yards and 27 touchdowns despite missing a game with injury. Rourke, who is a big signal caller at 6-4 and 230 pounds, also ran for two more scores and threw just four interceptions this season.

From a skill position perspective, the Hoosiers have a bunch of good players, but none are really star players per say. Their run game is balanced between two former transfers in Justice Ellison (Indiana) and Ty Son Lawton (James Madison). Neither is dynamic, but both are really physical downhill runners.

From a passing game perspective, this offense is led by former James Madison transfer Elijah Sarratt. The big-bodied pass catcher leads the team with 890 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on just 49 receptions. Omar Cooper Jr., Myles Price, and Ke’Shawn Williams also make a ton of plays for this offense, combining for 94 receptions for 1,384 yards and 13 scores.

Rourke loves to push the ball down the field, and he has the wide receivers to do so.

From an offensive line perspective, Indiana is a rock solid group. There is no major standout, but they have a couple of performers who have consistently gotten the job done. The best of that group is probably left tackle Carter Smith who has now been a stalwart of the group for two years. In totality, the front is going to play consistent football.

Hoosier Defense

Most people talk about the offense for the Hoosiers, but there is a strong argument that the defense is even better. They are led by a defensive line that is one of the better in the Big Ten, and one of the more underrated ones in all of college football. That group makes a living harassing ball carriers in the backfield.

The real playmaker of the group is defensive end Mikail Kamara, who has been a disruptive force for the defense. So far this season, Kamara has recorded 44 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks. He has also recorded two forced fumbles, and recovered another three.

Their interior defensive line is also tremendous. The transfer portal has once again been very kind to them, boasting a tremendous duo of CJ West (Kent State) and James Carpenter (James Madison). Together West and Carpenter have recorded 65 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and seven sacks. They bring a high level of physicality.

The best overall defender for Indiana this season has been linebacker Aiden Fisher, who is also a transfer from James Madison. Fisher leads the team with 108 total tackles, as well as totaling four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and four pass breakups. At 6-1 and 233 pounds, Fisher is the perfect modern day linebacker.

In the secondary, Indiana is more successful as a committee. They are led by versatile defensive back D’Angelo Ponds, who you guessed it, is a transfer from James Madison. On the season, Ponds has recorded 53 total tackles, five tackles for loss, two interceptions, and nine pass breakups.