Marcus Freeman already trying to kill Indiana, Curt Cignetti with kindness

The first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff is officially set. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who were 11-1 on the year as an independent team, earned the No. 7 seed. That means they will host a game at Notre Dame Stadium against the 10-seed and in-state Indiana Hoosiers in the opening round.

One of the big surprises of the 2024 season has been the emergence of Indiana in their first year under head coach Curt Cignetti. The sideline boss is known for his overconfidence and brashness, as evidenced by his since viral comments about what he would tell college recruits — "I win. Google me." Cignetti is a winning football coach, as evidenced by his 119-35 overall record during his time with James Madison, Elon University, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Now, Cignetti will look to continue Indiana's improbable run this season with a long trip in the College Football Playoff. But first, they have to get past Notre Dame, who has shown to be a true force this season after a slow start.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman spoke about facing Indiana and the job Cignetti has done in his first year with the Hoosiers. Freeman paid huge compliments to Cignetti, while joking that he "I didn't know much about him, took a minute and Googled him."

Marcus Freeman gives huge props for Curt Cignetti ahead of College Football Playoff

Freeman used some of Cignetti's words to compliment him, saying that the Indiana sideline boss has "won everywhere he's been."

Cignetti helped lead the Hoosiers to a 10-0 start, picking up wins over the likes of Michigan, Nebraska, and Washington. Their undefeated season came to an end after they were defeated rather soundly by the Ohio State Buckeyes 38-15. With that, any chance they had of winning the Big Ten Championship came to an end. However, their play this season basically locked them into a Playoff spot.

For his work, Indiana gave Cignetti an eight-year contract extension that runs through the 2032 season. Cignetti will receive $8 million per year and a $1 million retention bonus.

Notre Dame had a rough start to the season, escaping College Station with a win overTexas A&M in the season-opener, and suffering a stunning loss to the Northern Illinois Huskies the following week. But since, they won their next 10 games to improve to 11-1. Some of those notable wins include beating No. 15 Louisville 31-24, No. 24 Navy 51-14, and No. 19 Army 49-14.

The winner of this matchup between Notre Dame and Indiana will move on to the Quarterfinals to take on the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day.

We'll see if Freeman's Fighting Irish will emerge victorious to continue their quest for their first claimed National Championship since 1988 or if Cignetti's Hoosiers will continue their magical run.