The first national title game participant will be decided Thursday night in Miami when Notre Dame and Penn State square off in the College Football Playoff semifinal. The second semifinal featuring Ohio State vs. Texas will follow on Friday night in Arlington, Texas.
Date: Jan. 9 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET | TV: ESPN | Line: Penn State -1 | Total: 45.5
This is a matchup of two proud football programs that have gone a long time before experiencing the ultimate glory. Both teams have multiple national titles to their name but neither has won one since the 1980s. One of these teams is two wins away from ending that drought, and that starts on Thursday night.
Both teams have won two playoff games convincingly to get here, and both have leaned on strong defensive play and the running game along the way. The Fighting Irish have been particularly dependent on the run game, led by the legs of QB Riley Leonard. His counterpart, Penn State QB Drew Allar, has better passing numbers in the playoffs after throwing for three touchdowns against Boise State in the quarterfinals.
Will the passing game carry the Nittany Lions, especially with all-around weapon TE Tyler Warren, or will Notre Dame’s defense shut it down just like it did in the first two rounds of the playoffs? And how will Penn State contain Leonard and the Notre Dame ground game? Those are the questions that may decide who advances to the championship game.
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