The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have earned a home game in the expanded College Football Playoff, securing a spot in the top eight of the rankings.
The Fighting Irish were ranked No. 5 in the final rankings, but were awarded the No. 7 seed in the playoff bracket by virtue of Arizona State and Boise State earning byes by winning their conferences.
As a result, Notre Dame will host a playoff game and it will be an in-state battle, as the 11-1 Indiana Hoosiers will take on the Irish one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the playoff slate.
That game will take place on Friday, Dec. 20, with a 7 p.m. kickoff on ESPN and ABC.
Unlike most of the teams in the field, Notre Dame did not have to play on Saturday thanks to their status as an independent team, but that independence also meant that they were not eligible for one of the top-four seeds in the playoff.
As a result, Notre Dame was not eligible for a first-round bye in the playoff, and will instead be one of four teams hosting a playoff game in less than two weeks.
The 12-team playoff will culminate Jan. 20 at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Local
Here are the full seedings and matchups.
No. 1 – Oregon Ducks (13-0)
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly> Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
No. 2 – Georgia Bulldogs (11-2)
No. 3 – Boise State Broncos (12-1)
No. 4 – Arizona State Sun Devils (11-2)
No. 12 Clemson Tigers (10-3) at No. 5 Texas Longhorns (11-2)
No. 11 SMU Mustangs at No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions (11-2)
No. 10 Indiana Hoosiers at No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-1)
No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers (10-2) at No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes (10-2)
