Notre Dame's dominant win over Indiana says more about the Irish than the Hoosiers

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish delivered a dominant performance in their first-round playoff win against the Indiana Hoosiers on Friday night, delighting the home crowd with a convincing 27-17 win.

This was firmly one of those games where the final score was far closer than much of the game was; Indiana used a furious late rally to draw within 10. The Hoosiers drew critics' ire, as claims they didn't belong in the playoff began to echo from certain fan bases south of the Mason-Dixon who lost to such powerhouses as Vanderbilt and Kentucky this season.

But make no mistake: the Irish dominance says far more about them than it does the Hoosiers.

This is a good Indiana team. Were they flawed? Of course; they're Indiana football in their first season under a new head coach. They were thin at multiple skill positions, and lacked the size and mobility to be a truly elite team, but they were both good and deserving of their spot in the field. You don't become the no.1 scoring offense in college football by being bad; you don't go 11-1 and 8-1 in the Big Ten by being overrated.

No, ultimately, this game was about one thing, and one thing only: this Notre Dame team is legit. Marcus Freeman's team did exactly what they wanted, when they wanted in South Bend. Their defense controlled the line of scrimmage and stifled the Hoosiers' vaunted offense. The offense was able to run at will in this game; Jeremiyah Love broke off a 98-yard touchdown in the first quarter, and averaged right around 4 yards per carry.

But mostly, Notre Dame's defense proved that they're a force to be reckoned with. The Irish have one thing they're trying to do: get out to a solid lead and then just... sit on you. They play a physical, hard-hitting brand of football designed to take away any joy you might find on offense, and against the Hoosiers they did exactly that until they took their foot off the gas in the fourth quarter.

The Irish lost a lot of national buzz after losing to Northern Illinois, but they have looked every bit a dominant force since that game. They're going to run it down your throat and keep you from doing any of the things you want to do, which is a recipe for success against just about everyone.

Of course, next week will be the biggest test Notre Dame has faced this season. Even though they're banged up, Georgia have the talent to match up with the Irish at every position. Can the Irish do what they want against a foe with the Bulldogs' level of talent?

We've seen the Irish execute this game plan against elite-level talent this season, as well. They bossed Texas A&M around in the season opener, and while they gave up 35 points to USC, they kept the Trojans mostly at arms length in the second half.

If Friday night taught us anything, it's that Marcus Freeman's team will be up to the challenge the Bulldogs will pose, and could be set up nicely for a deep playoff run.

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Notre Dame's dominant win over Indiana says more about the Irish than it does the Hoosiers

By Sam Westmoreland | 1:00 PM EST