Forget the game; the real story here is the blizzard! Twelve hours of traffic chaos before the No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 10 Indiana playoff showdown? Talk about a wild start to the postseason. As the temperatures could fall as low as -5 degrees Celsius, the first affair of the 2024 CFP will be a chilly Midwestern treat. Although there is only a 15% chance of snow or precipitation, it will be a snowy mess. But Marcus Freeman and the boys don’t care about any of that. Primarily, his senior QB1 Riley Leonard and the rest of the passing corps.

News from Notre Dame local and USA Today reporter Mike Berardino on X shows that Riley Leonard and the Fighting Irish QB booth are in summer vibes, judging by their outfit selection. Inspired by DK Metcalf and Seahawks—that famous shirtless practice in the snow. Mike noticed they are trying to do something similar: “No gloves for Riley Leonard, bearded CJ Carr or any of the #NDFootball QBs in pregame on-field walk-through with QB coach Gino Guidugli. Jersey Steve Angeli is sleeveless. RL13 does have a pulled-up hoodie and a cap and is keeping those hands inside his pockets.” Only difference is those guys were jacked, but they sure mean business.

Sleeveless CJ Carr, hands-in-pockets Gino coach, and the bold Mount Pleasant native sporting no gloves—it all felt more like a dare than a dress code. It’s not every day you see a quarterback, especially one with Southern roots, flirt with frostbite to prep for game day. While the cold might bother some, Leonard seems to see it as a mental game. His Duke days prepared him for ACC battles, but South Bend winters are another beast entirely. Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke, a Canadian native, might have a home-field advantage when it comes to handling frosty conditions. But Leonard doesn’t seem to let the thermometer dictate the narrative.

The 6’4″, 216-pound, big passer’s approach wasn’t just for show. With Indiana football coming to town, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The Hoosiers boast one of the stingiest run defenses in college football this season, but they’re yet to face a dual-threat quarterback with Leonard’s toolbox.

The 2022 Military Bowl (MVP) has quietly been torching defenses all year and was one of only six Power Four quarterbacks this season, accumulating over 1,900 passing yards and 650 rushing yards. “He’s an excellent player,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti admitted. “I’ve been watching him for a couple years… he’s a competitor.”

The Fighting Irish thrive on their run game and an aggressive pass rush, but Riley Leonard adds a new dimension to their offense. He can extend plays with his legs, create magic when a play breaks down, and, most importantly, take the kind of risks that keep defensive coordinators up at night. Praise Coach Freeman’s early season message for their snow-proof mentality that kept these Sount Blend Irish fighting to reach this stage.

Riley Leonard heard loud and clear from coach after this early Notre Dame loss

Notre Dame’s playoff journey wasn’t all golden helmets and victory marches. The Fighting Irish faced an early, gut-wrenching stumble when Northern Illinois shocked them at home on September 7, derailing any dreams of an unbeaten season. But according to RL13, that loss ended up being the spark they didn’t know they needed—thanks to head coach Marcus Freeman’s poignant message to NBC Sports Wednesday.

“It’s hard for me to even say I’m thankful for it, but I am,” Leonard admitted in a conversation with NBC Sports. Freeman’s post-loss message wasn’t your typical rallying cry. Instead, he embraced the adversity head-on. “He told us he was thankful for similar losses in previous years because they helped him grow,” Leonard recalled. “And I just sat there like, ‘Dude, there’s no way. No way I’ll ever say that.’ But here we are.” That loss became the team’s mantra. Before every game, Freeman would remind them to “keep the pain,” using the sting of defeat as motivation to fuel their climb back into the playoff picture. And here they are.

In the end, Freeman’s wisdom proved prophetic. And now he is more ready than ever before to fight the snow and the Cig’s Hoosiers with pumped chests and just a pulled-up hoodie.