College Football Playoff first-round games: How early weather forecasts look in South Bend, other campus sites

For years, Big Ten teams have clamored for the rest of the country to come up to the Midwest and play them in the elements. Even when Southern teams play non-conference games, they’re usually in September, before the cold really sets in. Thanks to the expanded College Football Playoff this year, it’s finally happening. 

Three of the four first-round games will take place at cold weather locations, with two of them happening at freezing Big Ten stadiums. Those three games could all face temperatures below freezing, which would be a massive swing compared to warm-weather or indoor sites. Hilariously, the one Southern game in Texas will provide a perfect contrast. 

With that in mind, we collected early data from Weather.com to give us an early look at the potential elements impacting the first-round games. We also assigned a “weather shock rating” to road teams to gauge whether the weather could affect the results of the games. 

When: 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 20
Where: Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana

Forecast: Cloudy, High 30 | Low 23

The first home site game in College Football Playoff history should bring plenty of cold, but two teams ready for the moment. Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke comes from Canada, and should be unaffected. Notre Dame has a handful of southerners on the roster, but will at least have the advantage of training in the cold before the game. There’s also a 20% chance of precipitation, so don’t be surprised if that changes before game time. 

Weather shock rating: 2/5

When: 12 p.m. ET on Dec. 21
Where: Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania

Forecast: Cloudy, High 32 | Low 24

The high in Dallas on Dec. 21 is 58 degrees. The Mustangs will be playing in the 20s when they travel to face off against Penn State on…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-playoff-first-round-games-how-early-weather-forecasts-look-in-south-bend-other-campus-sites/

Author : Shehan Jeyarajah

Publish date : 2024-12-09 16:29:00

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