Notre Dame vs Penn State Prediction: Fighting Irish Eye First Final in Orange Bowl (Jan 9)

• Notre Dame dominated Georgia in an impressive 23-10 victory in the Sugar Bowl.
• Penn State held off Ashton Jeanty and Boise State, winning the Fiesta Bowl, 31-14.
• These two teams last met on September 8, 2007, in a game that Penn State won 31-10.

In this Orange Bowl CFP matchup, the Fighting Irish take on the Nittany Lions. Both teams have earned key upsets, but one of them has a big advantage in our Notre Dame vs Penn State prediction.

Notre Dame Seeking First CFP Finals

Notre Dame surprised many with their 13-point win over Georgia. In years past, they had failed to make it past top-notch SEC opponents, especially in the CFP. This year, things were different for the Fighting Irish. Their defense ranks 2nd in the nation, allowing them to stifle the Bulldogs both on the ground and through the air. Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s 4th-ranked offense is capable of building a lead and maintaining it against top competition.

The Fighting Irish will aim for a similar result against Penn State in this Orange Bowl semifinal game. They haven’t made the finals since 2013, back in the BCS era, and walked away with a brutal defeat in that game. Hoping that this year’s team can earn the FBS Independent some bragging rights and perhaps a power-conference bid, Notre Dame will once again be relying on their stringent defense to lead the way. CB Benjamin Morrison continues to play at an exceptional level.

Penn State Continues to Fly Under Radar

The Nittany Lions accomplished what no other team could do in the Fiesta Bowl; they slowed down Ashton Jeanty. Doing so allowed Penn State’s capable offense to build a lead that Boise State just couldn’t find a way to shrink. QB Drew Allar played excellently once again, further raising the odds that he opts into this year’s NFL Draft, which would be earlier than originally expected. Allar has a chance to continue proving himself on the biggest stage in college football.

Penn State’s offense isn’t the only thing aiding them to victory this season. Their defense has been equally impressive, especially in their ability to slow down RB Ashton Jeanty. Earlier in the season, the Nittany Lions came up short in their biggest game against Ohio State. They should prepare for Notre Dame to be an equally dangerous opponent. In order to break their losing streak in momentous games against top teams, Penn State will need to be firing on all cylinders on both sides of the ball.

Notre Dame vs Penn State Prediction: Irish Stay on Top

These two teams have certainly earned their spot in the CFP semifinals. Both squads are extremely balanced, with capable offenses and sensational defenses. The biggest advantage for Penn State is their QB play with Drew Allar, who should be able to prove he is a step above Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard. That being said, this is a team game, and the Fighting Irish otherwise have advantages across the board. Their stacked roster finally has the juice to earn them a spot in the CFP title game.

Tags:
• College Football Playoff