IU plays at Notre Dame on Friday night in the first round of the College Football Playoff. 

Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti led the team to an 11-1 record and No. 9 ranking in the Associated Press poll. 

Read more: IU to play at Notre Dame in football playoff opener  

With IU’s sudden success, the university last month signed Cignetti to a new eight-year contract worth $8 million per year plus an annual $1 million retention bonus. The university agreed to renovations at Memorial Stadium and a much larger pool of money for assistant coaches and other support staff. 

Despite the team’s unprecedented record — and the national exposure that came with it for IU and Bloomington — there are skeptics. The Hoosiers lost 38-15 to the only ranked team they played, Ohio State on the road, reinforcing a belief by some that IU is overrated. 

Cignetti said this week the team has something to prove against the Irish. 

Read more: Snow in South Bend? Bring it on, Cignetti says  

IU and Notre Dame last met in 1991 at Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish won 49-27. 

This week on Noon Edition we’ll talk with veteran sports journalists Bob Kravitz, Rick Bozich, and Nat Newell about Friday’s game, this remarkable season, and whether the Hoosiers can sustain their success.

Join us on the air by calling 812-855-0811 or toll-free at 1-877-285-9348. You can also send questions for the show to [email protected].  

You can also record your questions and send them in through email.