College Football Playoff Semifinals: Notre Dame vs. Penn State in the Orange Bowl
7th-seeded Notre Dame will face sixth-seeded Penn State in the Orange Bowl on Thursday night in the first College Football Playoff semifinal. A coveted spot in the College Football Playoff National Championship is at stake as both teams aim to end a nearly 40-year title drought
The highly anticipated clash marks the 20th meeting between the two storied programs and the first since 2007. Notre Dame and Penn State previously faced each other annually from 1981 to 1992, with legendary coaches Lou Holtz (Notre Dame) and Joe Paterno (Penn State). And leading the way were their respective teams. The all-time series record is tied at 9-9-1, making Thursday’s game the deciding tiebreaker.
Penn State’s road to the semifinals
Penn State is taking advantage of a new 12-team College Football Playoff format this season. The Nittany Lions dominated the opening rounds, defeating SMU in the first round and then advancing to face Boise State in the quarterfinals. Penn State talent advantage was evident in the 31-14 win over boise state.
Despite a relatively favorable road record, Penn State’s success this season has been undeniable. They won 11 games in a competitive Big Ten Conference and narrowly lost to Oregon in the Big Ten Championship game, further underscoring their resilience and strength
The wonderful revival of Notre Dame
Notre dame has been rebounded from an earliest season loss to Northern Illinois. Since then, the Fighting Irish have dominated almost every opponent that they have faced. Their playoff run includes solid wins over Indiana and SEC champion Georgia, showing they are capable of rising to the occasion.
How to watch: Notre Dame vs. Penn State
Date: Thursday, January 9th
Time: 7:30 p.m. E.T
Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Florida
TV: ESPN
Live: Fubo (free trial available)
With both teams eager to earn a spot in the championship game and end a decade-long title drought, don’t miss out on what this semifinal clash promises to be an exciting college football game!
