Notre Dame vs. Penn State — Everything to Know About the College Football Playoff Semifinal

It’s probably a stretch to call this week’s college football face-off between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Penn State Nittany Lions “improbable.” But each playoff team spent the back half of their respective seasons swatting away doubters and earning their semifinal spots the hard way —  which lends their meeting in the upcoming Orange Bowl playoff semifinal game the satisfying feeling that these two battle-tested programs definitely deserve to be there. 

With the 12-team field in this year’s newly expanded College Football Playoff format finally whittled down to four, the Orange Bowl contest between the Irish and the Nittany Lions is all that’s standing between either program and a spot in the national championship game. Keep scrolling below for more on what to know as Notre Dame and Penn State get set for an epic Orange Bowl kickoff. 

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Drew Allar #15 of the Penn State Nittany Lions attempts a pass during the Penn State Spring Football Game at Beaver Stadium on April 15, 2023 in State College, Pennsylvania. Photo: Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

The winner of the Orange and Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal games will meet for college football’s top trophy on Monday, January 20 in the National Championship Game. The game — which doesn’t have a bowl designation and stands apart from the playoff system’s named bowl games (Orange, Cotton, Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, and Peach) — will be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

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Notre Dame and Penn State’s paths to the College Football Playoff semifinals

Head Coach Marcus Freeman on the sidelines with his team during the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at the 78th annual TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at TIAA Bank Field on January 2, 2021. Photo: Getty Images

Notre Dame entered the college football playoffs as the bracket’s No. 7 seed, with Penn State just a tick ahead at No. 6. 

Like Texas (No. 5) and Ohio State (No. 8), the Irish and Nittany Lions didn’t enjoy the luxury of sitting out the playoffs’ first round — but then again, all four teams who did get a first-round bye have since been beaten and knocked out of playoff contention.

Notre Dame eliminated first-round opponent Indiana University, defeating the Hoosiers 27-17 before advancing into a quarterfinal matchup against Georgia — the SEC team that many forecasters predicted would be the Irish’s season-ending buzz saw. Instead, head coach Marcus Freeman and QB Riley Leonard led the Irish to a dominating performance from start to finish, eclipsing the Bulldogs 23-10 to earn their Orange Bowl semifinal berth. 

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Under head coach James Franklin — and led by QB Drew Allar and a ferocious defense — Penn State sailed past its pair of playoff opponents on the path to their Orange Bowl appearance. The Nittany Lions outmatched the SMU Mustangs in a 38-10 first round win, followed by a solid 31-14 victory over the Boise State Broncos and Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty. 

In a twist that could prove interesting if the Nittany Lions win, Penn State’s only two losses this season have each come against playoff teams. Ohio State — a team favored by oddsmakers in their upcoming Cotton Bowl showdown with Texas — won a tight 20-13 in-conference contest against Penn State on November 2, while the Oregon Ducks (whose playoff run ended in a Rose Bowl rematch against Ohio State) won in a 45-37 offensive shootout on December 7. 

Big Ten and Notre Dame college football action returns next season on NBC and Peacock.