Notre Dame, Penn State picks, predictions

The first College Football Playoff semifinal will be played in warm Florida as a cold snap hits the rest of the nation during the first full week of the new year.

Notre Dame and Penn State meet in the Orange Bowl, with the winner advancing to the national title game and a chance to end his school’s long championship drought. The Irish last reigned supreme in college football in 1988. The Nittany Lions won their last title two years earlier, in 1986.

Another storyline to watch is that both teams are led by Black coaches – Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame and James Franklin of Penn State. The matchup means it is guaranteed that a Black coach will be in the Bowl Subdivision national championship game for the first time.

Both teams are reflected on the field. They are one of the best defenses in the country, but they lack explosiveness on offense when facing tough opponents. It’s shaping up to be an old-school fistfight where a turnover and a big play could be decisive. So who wins? Our experts make your selection.

Scooby Axson

This is expected to be a defensive player, so the team that runs the ball consistently and gets their quarterback to get the ball to the playmakers wins. This usually means that if two top 10 defenses play, the first team at 17 will emerge victorious. Irish quarterback Riley Leonard doesn’t have to do much through the air like he did in the Georgia win, but plays with his legs extend drives and make the difference in the game. Notre Dame 24, Penn State 9.

ORANGE PREVIEW:Breakdown of the Notre Dame vs. Penn State game

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Jordan Mendoza

Which defense will rule the day? Both Penn State and Notre Dame were able to limit their opponents heading into the semifinals, leaving each team to score every single point on the scoreboard. Penn State’s offense appears to be stronger than Notre Dame’s, but the Fighting Irish make mistakes and force the most turnovers this season. Notre Dame turns heads with Drew Allar and manages to get past the Nittany Lions in a hard-fought contest. Notre Dame 20, Penn State 16.

Paul Myerberg

Two elite defenses will compete for a spot in the title game. The Orange Bowl may come down to turnovers and which quarterback can best handle pressure and extend drives on third down. Penn State has better weapons in the passing game, but Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard’s legs will be a big advantage as the Irish look to expand their third-down offense. A low scoring game ultimately ended with the Irish coming out on top. Notre Dame 23, Penn State 16.

Eric Smith

James Franklin’s history against elite teams is well documented. Penn State has consistently come up short in big games and questionable coaching decisions have been a big part of those losses. So will he and the Nittany Lions get over the crisis? They are the better team on offense, with Tyler Warren providing a unique threat that Notre Dame can’t keep up with and will be difficult to defend. But like most big games that pit two elite defenses against each other, this one should be close, and the teams will be separated by a handful of big plays. The Fighting Irish have shown a greater propensity to find ways to win this way. You have to like their chances of doing it again. Notre Dame 20, Penn State 17.

Eddie Timanus

This is a bad game for Penn State, the type of game where the Nittany Lions need big passing plays that simply won’t be possible due to the lockdown of Notre Dame’s secondary. Granted, the Fighting Irish aren’t getting many of those either, but the added dimension that quarterback Riley Leonard brings to the offense will make all the difference. Notre Dame 26, Penn State 13.

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Notre Dame, Penn State picks, predictions

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