Will Notre Dame and Penn State play in a college football game with national title implications? Which decade is it? In the four-team College Football Playoff era, neither classic power has won a game, but both have embraced the 12-team version.

The Fighting Irish entered the Orange Bowl semifinals as favorites against the Nittany Lions.

Here’s how to watch Notre Dame vs. Penn State

Both programs began this season with the stigma of not having won big games in recent years. Penn State didn’t even make it to the four-team playoffs, while Notre Dame made it twice, but lost those two games by a total of 44 points. While Penn State still has a lot to prove in the first two rounds of the playoffs after beating SMU and Boise State, far from the sport’s elite, Notre Dame’s win over Georgia was a real statement.

Notre Dame’s defense dominated in playoff wins against Indiana and the Bulldogs. IU scored three points until two garbage-time touchdowns in the final two minutes. Georgia tied its season low with 10 points. The Irish have the second-best defense in the country (13.6 points per game, behind only Ohio State). Penn State also has a top-10 defense, which is why BetMGM’s semifinal point total is listed in the 40s.

Notre Dame-Penn State overall @BetMGM

50.5: Open

48.5: 10 minutes ago

46.5: Now 📉

— John Ewing (@johnewing) January 3, 2025

The Irish have played 10 straight games, a far cry from a 16-14 home loss to Northern Illinois in the second week of the season.

While Notre Dame’s win over Georgia was its first win in a Big Bowl game in more than 30 years, Penn State is still looking for a win of that magnitude under James Franklin. The Nittany Lions had the so-called easy path to the semifinals and took advantage with a dominant win over SMU and a comfortable win over Boise State.

These teams are not very different. Both have dominant defenses with nasty passing and strong running games. The passing attacks leave a lot to be desired. This game could end up being the old-school affair that the jerseys represent.

It has been 17 seasons since these teams met. Penn State went 31-10 in 2007. The all-time series is tied at 9-9-1. Notre Dame and Penn State met every November from 1981 to 1992, with Joe Paterno and Lou Holtz playing typically strong teams. Penn State won eight of those 12 meetings.

Penn State has two additional days of rest after the Nittany Lions played in the quarterfinals on New Year’s Eve and the Sugar Bowl was pushed back nearly 20 hours to Jan. 2.

Pick: Notre Dame -1.5

Notre Dame’s offense, especially the lack of a passing game, doesn’t give me much confidence, but I think picking Penn State to win a big game would be foolish, and the Nittany looks end up performing the same way they did in every one other big game game for several years. The range isn’t wide enough to give me much to think about. Additionally, the favorites are 8-0 in the CFP so far.

Notre Dame vs Penn State odds

More CFP coverage

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Boise State was not at risk in the Fiesta Bowl loss, but its place in the College Football Playoff was

A final between Ohio State and Penn State? The Big Ten powers are proving that identity still matters

(Photo by Junior Tuihalamaka: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)