College Football Playoff pairing Notre Dame-Penn State

On By Littum

game

Only four teams remain in the College Football Playoff, and the action is set to resume Thursday night. The first semifinal features a pair of programs with plenty of history but little championship success in the four-team playoff era or its predecessor, the Bowl Championship Series. In fact, the Fighting Irish were last named national champions in 1988, and the Nittany Lions’ last title was two years before that.

But while it’s safe to say both fanbases are more than a little hungry, all the rooters have to like what they’ve seen so far in the postseason from their respective teams. Notre Dame followed up a dominant defensive performance against upstart Indiana with another strong outing against an admittedly shorthanded Georgia team, while Penn State handled a flawed SMU and then overpowered Boise State to reach this round.

Here’s a closer look at tonight’s competition.

Orange Bowl – no. 6 Penn State vs. no. 7 Notre Dame

Time/TV/Place: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, Miami Gardens, Fla.

Why watch: If you like hard-hitting, old-school football, this is the game for you. The Fighting Irish defense has been the team’s strength all season, allowing an average of just 13.6 points a game while generating a nation-best 31 takeaways. LB Jack Kiser and DB Xavier Watts make a lot of ends, and the front line held up well against Georgia despite the absence of mainstay DL Rylie Mills, who suffered a knee injury in the Indiana game. The unit will now turn its attention to the stronger ground attack of the Nittany Lions with RBs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Penn State’s play-calling might have been too slick at times against Boise State, but QB Drew Allar will need some of the creative design situations to work against the Notre Dame secondary. Having an all-purpose weapon like TE Tyler Warren helps, but the wide receivers need to contribute as well. The same can be said for the Irish when they have the ball, as they have relied heavily on QB Riley Leonard making the right reads on short throws and keepers. Speedy RB Jeremiah Love tweaked a knee in the Georgia game but is expected to play. RB Jadarian Price can also help Leonard with ground support, but he’ll also need WRs Beaux Collins or Jordan Faison to stretch the field. The Nittany Lions may be without top pass rusher Abdul Carter, who suffered an apparent arm injury last week, but there are other playmakers like DB Jaylen Reed and LB Kobe King on that side of the ball for Leonard to worry about.

WHO WILL WIN?: Will Notre Dame or Penn State win in the Orange Bowl?

ORANGE BAN: Breakdown of the game between Notre Dame and Penn State

Why it might disappoint: Due to circumstances beyond its control, Notre Dame received one less day of rest than expected between the Sugar Bowl and this contest. That may or may not be a factor, but either way this looks to be a matchup where points will be hard to come by and a multiple score deficit either way will be hard to overcome.