The first ever 12-team playoff has officially kicked off at South Bend! No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 10 Indiana got the stand-alone game on Friday to fight for their spot in the playoff quarterfinals. As the game rages on, one particular name from the Fighting Irish roster has caught everyone’s attention. Could he have come from the bloodline of a celebrated MLB legend? 

Mitch Jeter has become a standout name in Notre Dame-Indiana first playoff round showdown. The 5’11, 195-pound kicker joined Marcus Freeman and co in December last year after transferring from South Carolina. This 5-star graduate student marks Notre Dame’s third straight year to have a one-year transfer kicker on board. And what a tremendous signing it had been! 

Mitch Jeter is the one contributing to the Fighting Irish’s points inside Notre Dame Stadium. He just kicked a 33-yard field goal to give them a 20-7 lead over the Hoosiers early in the third quarter. That’s remarkable considering that he hit a 49-yard field goal a few minutes before this play. While he’s making a name for himself in college football, his surname is stirring curiosity. 

Now, people might wonder if Mitch Jeter is related to MLB star Derek Jeter who is a 5X World Series champion. But the answer is no. They aren’t related. Mitch Jeter is the son of William Claud Jeter and Virginia Raines. Derek Jeter, meanwhile, is married to Hannah Davis and has four kids – three daughters and one son and none of them are named Mitch. But the Mitch we’re talking about is one reason why Notre Dame’s playoff path has become quite optimistic. 

Can Notre Dame maintain the momentum?

The performance till the third quarter is in favor of Notre Dame. They have Indiana in their dust with their double-point lead as the Hoosiers’ only point came from N. Radicic with a 34-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Indiana went three-and-out with QB Kurtis Rourke getting sacked by Rylie Mills and Bryce Young. Notre Dame then began on the Hoosiers’ 41-yard but a late hit on the third down put them in the red zone. 

The Irish then attempted a fake field-goal and failed but Indiana’s timeout bailed them out before the pigskin snapped. This propelled them to let Mitch Jeter kick a field goal and he aced it with his second field goal. The chance to win the first playoff round is very real. Can Curt Cignetti’s team make a magical comeback in the last quarter? It’s unlikely they can compile 17+ points in one quarter. 

The Fighting Irish have even entered the national championship conversation. They have a very realistic path to win the natty unlike other teams. So, we’ll see where it goes.