Notre Dame vs. Indiana weather: Updated snow forecast for the first-round CFP game

We wondered if weather would play a factor in the expanded College Football Playoff. With three of first-round games being played north of The Mason-Dixon Line, you better believe snow and the elements will be part of the equation. On Friday night, we will see No. 7 Notre Dame host No. 10 Indiana up in South Bend in sub-freezing temperatures. There is a slight chance of precipitation, too.

Although I am a big critic of postseason games being played in the elements because I want the best players to be rewarded with the best of conditions, I will allow it because this is what we signed up for. The idea of first-round playoff games being played at college football teams' home stadiums was too good of a concept to pass up. Only Clemson at Texas will not be dealing with bad weather in all of this.

Because Indiana at Notre Dame is the first first-round playoff game to date, all eyes in the college football world will be on this game. The good news is both of these universities are located in the same state, so the potentially bad weather is not going to negatively impact them. The bad news is the losing team may find a way to use this as an excuse for why they are not going to New Orleans.

Ahead of Friday night's broadcast, ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit shared the conditions up in South Bend.

Let's discuss who has more of an advantage if Indiana vs. Notre Dame will have to be played in snow.

Notre Dame vs. Indiana weather update: What to expect in playoff game

Kickoff from Notre Dame Stadium will be at 8:00 p.m. ET. We are looking at it being 28 degrees Fahrenheit at kickoff with a 10 mph wind coming from the north and about a 15 percent chance of precipitation. It will drop down to 24 degrees Fahrenheit heading into the early hours of Saturday morning. It gets a little less windy, but the chance of precipitation will be about the same.

Visibility could be an issue, as it goes from partly cloudy to mostly cloudy as the game moves along. In short, it is not going to be impossible to move the football through the air on Friday night, but it will not be easy. It may hurt the passing game the most, but bad weather usually helps the less talented of the two teams. Indiana throws the football better, but I would argue Notre Dame is the better team.

Assuming Curt Cignetti devises a strong offensive game plan, Indiana might be able to pull off the road upset. This would require quarterback Kurtis Rourke to play one of the best games of his college career, dating back to his time at Ohio U. He is Canadian after all, so I am sure he is well-equipped to throw the ball in the snow. If Riley Leonard cannot throw it for Notre Dame, this will be a huge issue.

Because of the weather conditions, look for this game to be of the low-scoring variety either way.