Penn State football looks to extends its season Thursday by securing a berth in the College Football Playoff national championship game.
In order to get there though, the Nittany Lions will have to stop Notre Dame, currently riding a 12-game win streak.
No. 6 Penn State (13-2) and No. 7 Notre Dame (13-1) will square off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday in the CFP Orange Bowl semifinal at Hard Rock Stadium. It is the first time the Nittany Lions are appearing in the Orange Bowl since 2006, and their first meeting against the Irish since 2007.
Perhaps the biggest storyline surrounding the Nittany Lions isn’t how Drew Allar handles the high-powered Notre Dame defensive line, but instead the status of star defensive end Abdul Carter. The 6-foot-3 edge defender sustained an apparent upper-body injury in the second quarter of the Fiesta Bowl vs. No. 3 Boise State.
Penn State got to the Orange Bowl by beating No. 3 Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl behind a big day from a Nittany Lions defense that caused four turnovers. Allar was also a force, throwing for three touchdowns, including two to tight end Tyler Warren. Meanwhile, Notre Dame took down No. 2 Georgia 23-10 in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal.
The winner of Thursday’s Orange Bowl will book its ticket to Atlanta to compete in the national championship on Monday, Jan. 20 against the winner of Friday’s CFP Cotton Bowl semifinal between No. 5 Texas and No. 8 Ohio State.
Here’s how to watch Thursday’s CFP semifinal between Penn State and Notre Dame, including time, TV schedule, game odds and more:
REQUIRED READING:The Orange Bowl X-factor: He must own the night for Penn State football to beat Notre Dame
Penn State’s College Football Playoff semifinals game against Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. Streaming options include the ESPN app (with a TV login) and Fubo, the latter of which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Sean McDonough and former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy will have the call from the booth at Hard Rock Stadium, with Molly McGrath and Katie George both reporting from the sidelines.
The Nittany Lions and the Irish are scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on Thursday in the CFP semifinals.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Tuesday, Jan. 7
Frank Bodani, York Daily Record: Notre Dame 21, Penn State 17
Here’s a look at Penn State’s schedule in 2024, including past scores and results:
* Denotes Big Ten game
** Denotes CFP ranking
Here’s a look at Notre Dame’s schedule in 2024, including past scores and results:
* Denotes CFP ranking
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