GLENDALE, Arizona. — Penn State football found itself in a slugfest against No. 3 Boise State and Ashton Jeanty, but the No. 6 Nittany Lions defeated the Broncos 31-14 to win the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. Coach James Franklin’s squad will prepare for a College Football Playoff semifinal game in Miami.
No. 6 Penn State football will face the winner of No. 2 Georgia and No. 7 Notre Dame, who will play each other in the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. The Sugar Bowl starts at 8:45 p.m. ET on New Year’s Day.
Penn State football has played in five Orange Bowls in program history, posting a 4-1 record. The only loss came in 1986, when the Nittany Lions lost to Oklahoma 25-10.
The last time they played in the Orange Bowl, they defeated Florida State 26-23 in the 2005-06 season.
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Should Penn State take the field against Georgia in the Orange Bowl, the Nittany Lion defense will have a favorable matchup against backup QB Gunnar Stockton.
If it’s Notre Dame, a disciplined Fighting Irish squad could seriously threaten Penn State’s national title hopes.
The first CFP semifinal game will be between Penn State and the winner of Georgia and Notre Dame on Jan. 9 in the Orange Bowl.
The second CFP semifinal game will between the winner of Texas and Arizona State, and the winner of Ohio State and Oregon on Jan. 10.
The six biggest, traditional bowls will be the sites of the CFP quarterfinals and semifinals.
The quarterfinals feature the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve (Penn State vs. Boise State, 7:30 p.m.) and the Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day.
The semifinals feature the Orange Bowl on Jan. 9 and the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10.
The other three CFP quarterfinals will be played on New Year’s Day at the Peach Bowl (No. 4 Arizona State vs. Texas/Clemson winner, 1 p.m.), the Rose Bowl (No. 1 Oregon vs. Ohio State/Tennessee winner, 5 p.m.) and the Sugar Bowl (No. 2 Georgia vs. Notre Dame, 8:45 p.m.).
The semifinals will be played on Jan. 9 at the Orange Bowl (Fiesta Bowl winner vs. Sugar Bowl winner, 7:30 p.m.) and on Jan. 10 at the Cotton Bowl (Peach Bowl winner vs. Rose Bowl winner, 7:30 p.m.).
The national championship game will be played at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Jan. 20, 7:30 p.m.
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