“In life, all good things come to an end eventually.” That’s what Curt Cignetti said after Indiana suffered their first defeat when Ohio State broke their 10-game winning streak. The 63-year-old knows what it feels like to lose against a team with a home-field advantage. Is the pattern going to go on repeat? Because where the Hoosiers are seeded right now, they could be at the mercy of Riley Leonard and co. 

Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard joined GoJo And Golic on December 10 to drop his reaction when the final seeds were revealed. He said, “When we found out it was Indiana, what more can you ask for? Everybody was talking about alright, it’s a football State now. We’re ready to roll. I think the ticket prices are going for like $1,200 minimum. It’s crazy.”

A playoff game in your state! Between two inter-state rival football teams! A huge excitement is sweeping over the state of Indiana, and the high demand for tickets is clear proof. According to reports, “Notre Dame’s home College Football Playoff game against Indiana is officially sold out. Tickets never went to market… Secondary market currently at Swift levels.” As per Ticketmaster, the cost of a ticket to the playoff game ranges from a price of $1,083 to a whopping $4,300.  

Curt Cignetti and Indiana have a lesser reason to celebrate, as they’re not going to have a home-field advantage. After their lone 38-15 fall to Ryan Day and the Buckeyes, the Hoosiers secured the No. 10 seed in the new 12-team playoff bracket as one of the bottom four teams. This means that they won’t get the edge to host the first playoff round against the higher seeded teams. Instead, they’ll travel to South Bend to face No. 7 Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium.

Curt Cignetti questions Indiana’s playoff seeding 

Curt Cignetti doesn’t understand why Indiana is ranked where it is. Following the final seeding reveal, he asked, “There are six one-loss teams in the country right? We lost to the second-ranked team on the road. Penn State lost to the fourth-ranked team at home. Texas lost to the fifth-ranked team at home. Boise State lost to the seventh-ranked team. Notre Dame lost to Northern Illinois, and SMU lost to an unranked team at the time they played. So how are we not, right now, seeded for a home game?”

Cignetti’s desire for a home game is understandable. The last time they traveled to Columbus to play at Ohio Stadium, the crowd noise coupled with Indiana’s silent count contributed to their downfall. There’s no surety it’ll repeat, but at least, both Notre Dame and Indiana evaded the weather dilemma that other playoff teams are set to face. 

The excitement goes further than the playoff tag. This will be the first time Notre Dame and Indiana have played each other since 1991. The Fighting Irish won that game 49-27. What will the 2024 season offer them?