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Notre Dame bullies Georgia in New Orleans
🍊 Orange Bowl preview
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No. 6 Penn State and No. 7 Notre Dame matchup in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Here is everything you need to know about how to watch the game.
Follow along here for live updates throughout the game
The 91st Orange Bowl features two of the top defenses in the nation, with each team sitting top five in points allowed per game. The Nittany Lions are allowing 15.8 points, while the Irish sit two points ahead at 13.8. Penn State entered the playoffs as the six seed after losing its conference title game to Oregon, and Notre Dame is in the semifinals as the seven seed, not receiving an opportunity for a first-round bye as an independent program.
Both teams have cruised to the semis, with Penn State beating SMU 38-10 and Boise State 31-14. The Irish took down Indiana in the first round 27-17 in a game that was not as close as the score indicates, before controlling two-seed Georgia 23-10 in the Sugar Bowl.
Both teams are powered offensively by their ground games, with each averaging over 200 rushing yards per contest. Penn State is led by the two-headed running back attack of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton who each have posted over 1,000 yards on the ground this season. Notre Dame’s rushing attack is led by workhorse Jeremiyah Love at running back and dual-threat quarterback Riley Leonard who sits second on the team in rushing with over 750 yards.
There are two names to watch out for defensively for each team — Abdul Cater for PSU and Xavier Watts for ND. Carter, likely a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is an explosive edge rusher for the Nittany Lions, tallying 11 sacks on the season. He went out with an apparent arm injury in the first half against Boise State, and his status remains unanswered heading into the weekend. Penn State will certainly hope for his return come next Thursday.
Watts is a two-time All-American safety for the Irish, who leads his team with six interceptions and a forced fumble on the year. He is a quarterback’s worst nightmare in the secondary, and Notre Dame will rely on him again in the Orange Bowl.
Here is how the two teams matchup:
Notre Dame and Penn State have faced off 19 times, with the series tied 9-9-1 all-time. The most recent matchup between the two powerhouses came in 2007, where the Nittany Lions prevailed 31-10. The two teams met every November between 1981 and 1992. They have only played twice (2006 and 2007) since the annual matchup concluded.
Arguably the most memorable game between the two programs came in in the early 90s, in what is remembered as the 1992 Snow Bowl. No. 22 Penn State led No. 8 Notre Dame 16-9 with under 30 seconds to play on a snowy Saturday in South Bend. Irish quarterback Rick Mirer found future Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis for six, and legendary Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz went for two, sealing the win 17-16 on Nov. 14, 1992.
The winner of the Orange Bowl will take the all-time series lead in the renewed rivalry.
The winner of No. 6 Penn State and No. 7 Notre Dame will face the winner of No. 5 Texas and No. 8 Ohio State in the CFP national championship.
