Football Blue Blood, ‘Emerging Superpower’ Meet in College Football Playoff

Indiana and Notre Dame football have vastly different histories, but the in-state foes meet Friday in the College Football Playoff with the same goal of winning a national championship.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti talks to the defense against Maryland at Memorial Stadium. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Though they’re in the same state, Indiana and Notre Dame lie on opposite ends of the historical college football spectrum. Notre Dame is a college football blue blood with 11 national titles; Indiana has the most losses in the sport’s history. 

What happened in previous seasons won’t determine the outcome of Friday’s College Football Playoff game between the 10th-seeded Hoosiers and 7th-seeded Fighting Irish, scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind. But the dramatically different history between the programs adds to the intrigue of the matchup. 

In his fourth season, coach Marcus Freeman is trying to lead the Fighting Irish back to glory in the form of a national championship, something they haven’t won since 1988 despite reaching the title game in 2012 and semifinals in 2018 and 2020. On the other side, national coach of the year Curt Cignetti is doing things no one has ever accomplished at Indiana. He won a program-record 11 games in his first year and signed a new eight-year contract in November, believing he can take the Hoosiers to the sport’s pinnacle.

“The fact of the matter is we’re the emerging superpower in college football,” Cignetti said on FOX. “Why would I leave?” 

"We're the emerging superpower in college football. Why would I leave?"

Curt Cignetti reacts to his contract extension with @IndianaFootball 🔴🏈 pic.twitter.com/LwpdRFvlqn

— Big Noon Kickoff (@BNKonFOX) November 16, 2024

Here’s a look at the contrast between the Notre Dame and Indiana football programs over more than a century.

Total wins

• Indiana: 518
• Notre Dame: 959

Total losses

• Indiana: 714
• Notre Dame: 338

All-time win percentage

• Indiana: .423
• Notre Dame: .731

National championships

• Indiana: 0
• Notre Dame: 11 (1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988)

Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz on the sidelines against the West Virginia during the 1988-89 National Championship at Sun Devil Stadium. / Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

National runner-up

• Indiana: 0
• Notre Dame: 6

Record in bowl games

• Indiana: 3-10 (wins: 1991 Copper Bowl, 1988 Liberty Bowl, 1979 Holiday Bowl)
• Notre Dame: 21-21 (won last two: 2023 Sun Bowl, 2022 Gator Bowl)

College Football Playoff appearances (2014-2024)

• Indiana: 1
• Notre Dame: 3

Series history

Notre Dame leads 23-5-1

• Last matchup: Notre Dame won 49-27 in 1991
• Notre Dame has a six-game win streak since 1951
• Last Indiana win: 20-7 in 1950
• Four of Indiana’s five wins came between 1898 and 1906

Heisman trophy winners

• Indiana: 0 – Anthony Thompson finished second in 1989. Kurtis Rourke finished ninth in 2024.
• Notre Dame: 7 – Angelo Bertelli 1943; Johnny Lujack 1947; Leon Hart 1949; Johnny Lattner 1953; Paul Hornung 1956; John Huarte 1964; Tim Brown 1987. Five finished top-10 in voting since 2005: Brady Quinn (twice), Golden Tate, Manti Te’o, Ian Book.

Consensus All-Americans

• Indiana: 7
• Notre Dame: 109 (most of any school)

Winningest coach

• Indiana: Bill Mallory (68-78-3 from 1984-96)
• Notre Dame: Brian Kelly (113-40 from 2010-21)

Indiana coach Bill Mallory stands on the sidelines at Memorial Stadium during the 1987 season. / Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

College Football Hall of Fame members

• Indiana: 6
• Notre Dame: 55 (most of any school)

Conference titles

• Indiana: 2 (1945, 1967)
• Notre Dame: N/A

Weeks AP Top-25 poll

• Indiana: 78
• Notre Dame: 889

Seasons ranked in top 10 of AP poll

• Indiana: 5
• Notre Dame: 72

NFL Draft picks

• Indiana: 172
• Notre Dame: 532 (most of any school)

Related stories on Indiana football

• 3 QUESTIONS FOR IU-ND: Three notable factors in Indiana’s playoff game at Notre Dame will be how the Hoosiers’ offensive line protects Kurtis Rourke, how Indiana’s top-ranked rush defense fares against a potent Notre Dame run game, and which team wins the turnover battle. CLICK HERE

• HOW TO WATCH: No. 10-seeded Indiana football plays at No. 7-seeded Notre Dame at 8 p.m. ET Friday at Notre Dame Stadium. Here's how to watch, with game time and TV information, the latest on the point spread, series history, coaching information and more. CLICK HERE

• SNOW IN SOUTH BEND?: The Hoosiers shared thoughts on the potential for snow in South Bend, Ind., for Friday’s College Football Playoff game against Notre Dame. CLICK HERE

• CIGNETTI STAYING AT IU: On Wednesday’s Pat McAfee Show, Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti said, “This is where it ends for me.” CLICK HERE

• TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER: Hoosiers On SI's Transfer Portal Tracker for incomings and outgoings from and into the portal. CLICK HERE.

• JOY OF JAILIN: Indiana linebacker Jailin Walker brings joy to his job and it's infectious for the Hoosiers. CLICK HERE.

• WHAT CIGNETTI SAID: What Curt Cignetti said in his final press conference before Indiana's College Football Playoff game at Notre Dame. CLICK HERE.