Notre Dame last won a national championship in 1988. Penn State hasn't been crowned champion of college football since 1986. These blue blood programs are two wins away from a title and meet tonight in the Orange Bowl for the first semifinal of the College Football Playoff.

Penn State was unable to corral Oregon’s offense in the Big Ten Championship though, allowing 496 total yards while dropping a 45-37 decision to the then undefeated Ducks. The Nittany Lions eviscerated SMU in the first round of the CFP Playoff,

The semifinals for the 12-team College Football Playoff for the 2024-25 season starts on Thursday night with Penn State and Notre Dame meeting in the Orange Bowl. On Friday night, a big-time clash is slated for the Cotton Bowl with Ohio State taking on Texas.