Penn State and Notre Dame are vying to end three decade-long national championship droughts and can move a step closer Thursday night when they collide in the Orange Bowl.
One of the two College Football Playoff semifinals, the matchup of seventh-seeded Notre Dame (13-1) and sixth-seeded Penn State (13-2) as part of the debut 12-team bracket, the winner will face either Texas or Ohio State in the CFP national championship on Jan. 20 in Atlanta. The Longhorns and Buckeyes square off Friday night in the other semifinal at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
Penn State is coming off a 31-14 quarterfinal victory over Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve, which followed a 38-10 win at home over SMU in the first round. Penn State is chasing its third national championship and first since 1986.
Notre Dame, in pursuit of its 12th consensus national title and first since 1988, scored a 23-10 quarterfinal victory over No. 2 seed Georgia last Thursday in the Sugar Bowl, snapping a 10-game losing streak in either major bowl games or national championship games.
“I think it’s human nature to enjoy people saying good things about you,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “It’s human nature but we’ve talked all year about being misfits and that’s what we have to continue to be.”
Notre Dame ranks third nationally in turnover margin (plus-18) and was plus-2 against Georgia, a big reason it prevailed despite amassing only 244 total yards. Penn State isn’t far behind as it is ranked 20th with a plus-10 turnover margin.
Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts has accounted for seven of Notre Dame’s takeaways with six interceptions and one fumble recovery.
“I think in a lot of ways, they are built similar to us,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “You look at their turnover ratio numbers, you look at their explosive play defense in terms of defending and limiting explosive plays. … And they do a great job of not beating themselves, which I think is a really important thing in college football. It starts with that, and then you kind of go from there and play to your strengths and things like that.”
Penn State is 4-1 all-time in the Orange Bowl and will make its first appearance since 2006.
Notre Dame’s last postseason game in Miami was the 2013 BCS National Championship Game, but it hasn’t played in the Orange Bowl since 1996. The Fighting Irish are 2-3 in the Orange Bowl.
The teams have not met since Sept. 8, 2007, when Penn State won 31-10 at home. The all-time series is tied 9-9-1 and the two schools have met only once in a bowl game with Notre Dame winning the 1976 Gator Bowl.
Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton have powered Penn State’s formidable running game, combining for 2,041 yards and 17 touchdowns on the season.
Penn State’s leader on defense is Abdul Carter, who has recorded 21.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks, but his status for the Orange Bowl is unclear due to an arm injury that limited his participation in the Fiesta Bowl.
“He’s doing great. His attitude is great. His mentality has been really good,” Franklin said. “I think he’s taken the right approach and mentality, and really, it’s going to come down to how he feels and how much practice he’s able to get during the week.”
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard has thrown for 2,383 yards, 18 touchdowns and six interceptions while also rushing for 831 yards and 15 touchdowns. Leonard only threw for 90 yards, but ran for 80 against Georgia.
“You play this game with confidence. And that’s where I’ve seen him grow the most is the confidence that he’s playing with,” Freeman said.
–Field Level Media
