And your winner is ...

 Curt Cignetti says he hopes it snows a foot-and-a-half up in South Bend tomorrow night, but that's just Coach Cig. If demeanor were a color, brash would be the dominant one on his palette.

So he's no help.

Neither, because I checked, is the actual weather report for Friday night: Cold (in the 20s) and windy at kickoff, with possible snow showers. Doesn't sound like one of those lake-effect blizzards that so favor South Bend in the winter will make an appearance.

Besides, as Coach Cig points out, it was cold, windy and snowy for the Bucket game, and Indiana tattooed helpless Purdue like a speed bag, winning 66-0 as quarterback Kurtis Rourke threw for 349 yards and six touchdowns.

What to do, what to do.

My gut, which usually determines these things, has been a gutless punk since the IU-Notre Dame College Football Playoff matchup was announced. It's finally telling me something now, but it's being pretty timid about it.

"Come on, enough verbiage," you're saying now. "Out with it. Who's gonna win?"

Well, if I had to pick at this point ...

"You have to. So, who will get the honor of being dropkicked by Georgia in the quarterfinals?"

Well ... I say Notre Dame. 

I say Notre Dame, because, first of all, the Irish are at home. Also, if it's cold and windy, they're the more likely team to run it down the defense's throat, because that's kinda been their identity all season. Also-also, their own defense has been the rock upon which they've built their 11-1 season -- a season in which they pummeled two then-undefeated teams (Army and Navy), and delivered mortal beatdowns to almost everyone else on a schedule that was step or so better than Indiana's. 

On the other hand, Indiana didn't lose to Charlotte or Florida International or any of its other early-season snack cakes. But Notre Dame did lose (at home, no less) to Northern Illinois, a so-so MAC team that was supposed to be one of  ND's snack cakes.

Of course, that happened three-and-a-half months ago. It's as relevant to what will happen tomorrow as Gus Dorais throwing down-and-outs to Knute Rockne.

So what will happen?

My gut tells me, timidly, that Rourke will be fine when he has time to throw, which won't be nearly as often as he's used to. That will give a slight quarterback edge to ND's Riley Leonard, whose legs give him that advantage. Notre Dame's secondary will slow Indiana's superb receiver corps but won't shut them down completely; the Irish will have success grounding-and-pounding because the O-line will wedge open cracks for Leonard and running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price; and Notre Dame consequently will wear down Indiana in the second half to rack the W.

Call it, I don't know, Notre Dame 33, Indiana 24. Or 33-26. Something like that.

On the other hand ...

On the other hand, Indiana 33, Notre Dame 26 could happen, too. 

Told you my gut's a weenie.