Lee Corso predicts College Football Playoff National Champions, Lou Holtz fires back

The banter between Lee Corso and Lou Holtz is nothing new. However, their latest exchange added a delightful spark to the College Football Playoff conversation. 

When Holtz asked Corso who he believes will win the national championship, Corso didn’t hesitate, riding with Indiana. The undefeated 11–0 Hoosiers sit at No. 2 in the CFP rankings.

Holtz, never one to let a moment pass quietly, shot back with a classic jab: “You sound like an out-of-work comedian,” the former Fighting Irish coach stated, via Daren Stoltzfus of WESH. He then made his own stance clear, believing it’s Notre Dame’s time again.

The picks make sense when viewed through the lens of their coaching histories. Corso coached at Indiana from 1973–82, compiling a 41-68-2 record and still carrying a soft spot for the program he once tried to lift. 

Holtz, meanwhile, is synonymous with Notre Dame greatness. A 100-30-2 record, a consensus national championship in 1988 and a legacy that still echoes through South Bend. Their allegiances shaped their predictions, but this time, both programs actually have real paths to the title.

Indiana’s dream season has them sitting at +500 to win it all, per BetMGM, trailing only Ohio State in the national odds. The Hoosiers just enjoyed their second bye week of the year and now prepare for a rivalry showdown at Purdue. 

A win secures their spot in the Big Ten Championship Game and likely positions them for a first-round bye in the 12-team Playoff. Last season’s matchup with Notre Dame in the First Round, a 27-17 loss in South Bend, still lingers for the Hoosiers, and could be fuel for what might be a revenge tour in December.

Notre Dame, meanwhile, sits at 9-2 and No. 9 in the CFP rankings, with odds at +1100. But the Irish are moving with force, as they’ve won nine straight after an 0-2 start and are coming off a 70-7 demolition of Syracuse. 

With Stanford up next, Notre Dame is closing in on locking down its postseason position, and the Irish look as complete as they’ve been in years. Behind Jeremiyah Love’s surge into the Heisman conversation and Marcus Freeman’s patented defensive toughness, Holtz’s confidence doesn’t look misplaced.

Both teams are barreling toward the Playoff, and both old coaches have plenty of reason to believe. Corso is riding with the undefeated Hoosiers. Holtz is betting on the Irish mystique. And for once, they might both be right to dream.

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