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Paul Finebaum Predicts Winner of Notre Dame-Indiana Without Hesitation

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Escarpio | Last updated Dec 20, 2024 9:36 AM ET

ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum reviewed the first-round College Football Playoff slate, ahead of Friday's matchup between No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 10 Indiana.

Finebaum shared his thoughts on the matchup in South Bend, Indiana, giving his prediction as to who will advance to the second round and play the Georgia Bulldogs.

The ESPN analyst mentioned that weather may be a factor, but he doesn't believe it will be a major difference-maker since both schools are from up north.

South Bend is experiencing heavy amounts of snowfall with 10 to 20 mile an hour winds and 33-degree weather.

In Finebaum's eyes, the biggest factor of the game will be Notre Dame's defense, which the ESPN analyst believes will drive the Fighting Irish to victory.

"I like Notre Dame," Finebaum said. "There's so many factors in this game, including snow on the ground right now. I don't think that's going to have a big factor. They're both northern schools, but to me, Notre Dame's defense is going to be the difference."

The Fighting Irish are headed into the College Football Playoff with an 11-1 record, suffering their only loss to Northern Illinois.

Notre Dame is one of the hottest teams in college football, entering the game on a 10-game win streak. Given their recent dominance, the Fighting Irish are a 6.5-point favorite over Indiana, per ESPN BET.

As Finebaum explained, Notre Dame has fielded one of the best defenses in college football. They're No. 3 in the nation opponents' points per game (13.6) and No. 7 in opponents' yards per game (296.8).

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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