There are three more playoff games left before the national champion for the 2024 college football season is decided – the first champion of the 12-team playoff era. Kicking off the semifinals is sixth seed/No. 4 Penn State vs. seventh seed/No. 5 Notre Dame in the Capital One Orange Bowl on Thursday, January 9. The other semifinal game is fifth seed/No. 3 Texas vs. eighth seed/No. 6 Ohio State on Friday, January 10.
With two stellar rush attacks, this game could come down to who can pick up the most yards on the ground. Notre Dame wasn’t able to get much going in that area against Georgia, but between Riley Leonard’s legs and their defense and special teams making plays, the Fighting Irish were able to beat the Bulldogs 23-10. Good news for Notre Dame: their star rusher Jeremiyah Love is “good to go” according to head coach Marcus Freeman after Love tweaked his knee against Georgia last week. Penn State has the better passer in Drew Allar, which will make for an interesting matchup with Notre Dame’s pass defense. Lucky for the Nittany Lions, defensive end Abdul Carter (11 sacks, 2 forced fumbles this season) is expected to play, although he’ll be a game-time decision.
How did these teams get to Miami? Penn State is 13-2, having only lost to two other playoff teams – Ohio State and Oregon – in close matchups. The Nittany Lions beat SMU, 38-10, at home in the first round of the playoff and then topped Boise State, 31-14, at the Fiesta Bowl in the quarterfinals. Notre Dame is 13-1, with the lone blemish on its record being a shocking 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois in the second week of the season. The Nittany Lions have won 12 straight since then, including a first round win over Indiana, 27-17, at home and the quarterfinal win over Georgia at the Sugar Bowl.
This is the 20th meeting between these two programs, with the last matchup being in September 2007 (more on that below). This is the sixth Orange Bowl appearance for both teams, but while Penn State is 4-1, Notre Dame hasn’t been as successful in Miami at 2-3.
READ MORE: Penn State has cruised through the College Football Playoff so far. Here comes the hard part.
How to Watch Penn State vs. Notre Dame Orange Bowl CFP Semifinal Game
- Date: Thursday, January 9
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- TV Network: ESPN
- Location: Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, Florida)
Penn State vs. Notre Dame Odds
*odds courtesy of BetMGM
- Moneyline: Notre Dame (-120), Penn State (+100)
- Spread: Notre Dame -1.5
- Over/Under: 44.5
Penn State vs. Notre Dame Head-to-Head Record
The Nittany Lions and Fighting Irish have faced off 19 times. Making this matchup slight more interesting is that the series is tied 9-9-1 all-time. They last faced off in 2007, when Penn State won 31-10. These teams used to meet every November for a rivalry game from 1981-1992, but they’ve only played twice since then (2006 and 2007). There will be no Snow Bowl, à la 1992, this year though, as the two teams will play in Miami – the southernmost large city in the continental United States.
Full 2024-25 College Football Bowl Schedule, Scores
College Football Playoff Semifinal Schedule
Thursday, January 9
7:30 p.m. - Capital One Orange Bowl (CFP Semifinal) (ESPN)
6 Penn State vs. 7 Notre Dame
Friday, January 10
7:30 p.m. - Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (CFP Semifinal) (ESPN)
5 Texas vs. 8 Ohio State
Penn State vs. Notre Dame Game Preview
Watch NBC Sports college football analysts Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry break down this game. For full analysis and updates throughout the College Football Playoffs, listen and subscribe to Rushing the Field wherever you get your podcasts.
