First of two College Football Playoff semifinals features 7 seeds Notre Dame and 6 seeds State of Pennsylvania will face off in the Orange Bowl on Thursday night. A spot in the College Football Playoff National Championship is on the line, with both programs seeking their first national title in nearly 40 years.
This will be just the 20th meeting ever between the two teams and the first since 2007. Penn State and Notre Dame played every year from 1981 to 1992, notably pitting legendary coaches Joe Paterno (Penn State) and Lou Holtz ( Our Lady). ) against each other. The current record is 9-9-1, so the outcome of Thursday’s game will tip the scales in one team’s favor.
Penn State has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the new 12-team College Football Playoff format this season. The Nittany Lions hosted an overmatched game EMS team in the first round then played Boise State in the quarterfinals where they were able to leverage a significant talent advantage to secure a 31-14 victory. This is not to demean what Penn State accomplished this season; the Nittany Lions won 11 games in a tough Big Ten Conference and pushed Oregon on the brink of the Big Ten Championship Game.
Notre Dame, meanwhile, suffered an inexplicable defeat at the start of the season. Northern Illinois far in the rearview mirror dominating almost every team that has taken the field against him since. This includes two impressive playoff victories against Indiana and SEC champion Georgia.
Follow with LIVE Updates of Penn State against Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl semifinals.
How to watch Notre Dame vs. Penn State live
Date: Thursday January 9 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Hard Rock Stadium — Miami, Florida
TV: ESPN | Live broadcast: fubo (Try for free)
Notre Dame vs. Penn State: Need to Know
Major injuries to watch out for: Both teams involved are dealing with serious injuries that are worth monitoring as kickoff approaches. Notre Dame running back Jeremy Love aggravated a knee injury during Notre Dame’s win over Georgia, and he was spotted wearing a bulky brace on his team’s sideline. He is the leading Irish rusher with 148 carries for 1,112 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carterthe Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, was out for three quarters against Boise State while dealing with an apparent arm/shoulder injury. A CBS Sports All-AmericanCarter has been one of the best defensive players in college football this season. In 15 games, Carter had 11 sacks, 21.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and three pass deflections.
Tyler Warren It’s worth watching: Penn State tight end Tyler Warren is one of the most exciting players in the country, but the 2024 Mackey Award winner is much more than a tight end. Penn State’s offensive staff, led by coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, is getting creative with him. Warren has been lined up as a tight end, wide receiver, slot receiver, quarterback, running back, fullback and even offensive line this season, and he has excelled at each spot. He is currently Penn State’s leading receiver with 98 catches for 1,158 yards and eight touchdowns. He also has 197 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Notre Dame secondary put to the test: Notre Dame’s secondary might have its hands full trying to cover a tight end like Warren, but the Irish certainly have the talent to compete. It starts with security Xavier Wattswho runs well in space and has the ability to cover all levels of the pitch. He is comfortable playing deep and near the box, where he has impacted the running game multiple times during the College Football Playoff. His running mate, Adon Shulerwas the highest-rated safety in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, according to Pro Football Focus. These two will be key to stopping Warren and erasing Penn State’s passing game behind the quarterback’s strong arm. Drew Allar.
Notre Dame vs. Penn State prediction, picks
It seems like at some point all the injuries will catch up to Notre Dame. The Irish are in a particularly precarious position if Love can’t play given what he represents on offense. Yet Notre Dame more than made do with its fate as the Irish continued to carve a path of dominance throughout the postseason against teams deemed by the selection committee to be worthy of playing for a national championship. Notre Dame played dominant from scrimmage, and she proved herself at quarterback in Riley Leonardwho literally put his body on the line to keep his team’s hopes alive. I’m not going to pick on the Irish at this point; they have shown no signs of slowing down. Pick: Notre Dame -2.5 (-105)
Who wins Penn State against Notre Dame, and which side of the spread reaches well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out, all from the model that has simulated this game 10,000 times.