Livescore
A trip to the College Football Playoff National Championship will be on the line when (7) Notre Dame faces (6) Penn State in the Orange Bowl semifinal game on Thursday. It also will mark the 19th meeting between the programs with the all-time series deadlocked at 9-9-1.
Penn State and Notre Dame have plenty of star power on both sides of the ball. Nittany Lions standout edge rusher Abdul Carter is expected by many to be one of the top players off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft this spring, while Notre Dame has a star of its own in running back Jeremiyah Love.
Penn State’s path to the Orange Bowl has been smooth sailing. The Nittany Lions recorded a 38-10 win over (11) SMU at home and knocked off (3) Boise State on New Year’s Eve in the Fiesta Bowl to advance to the semifinals.
Notre Dame reached the CFP semifinals for the third time in program history after defeating (10) Indiana in the first-ever 12-team CFP first-round game and ending Georgia’s season with a 23-10 win in the Sugar Bowl last week. Notre Dame hasn’t won a national title since 1988, and the Irish are 0-2 all time in the CFP semifinals.
Here is who has the edge at key positions in this 2025 Orange Bowl matchup.
Quarterback
Notre Dame: Riley Leonard
Penn State: Drew Allar
Both quarterbacks can make (and extend plays) with their legs. Leonard has the edge as a runner because of his powerful 6-foot-4 frame. Notre Dame tends to use him in third-and-short situations and around the goalline. Allar has improved significantly as a passer since taking over the starting role last season. Allar completed 67.4% of his attempts this season and is coming off a three-touchdown performance against Boise State. Notre Dame’s passing attack wasn’t much of a factor in the Irish reaching the CFP semifinals; Leonard completed just 15 of 24 attempts for 90 yards against Georgia. Allar already announced his intentions to return to school, but he might be rethinking that decision pending the outcome of this CFP run. Edge: Penn State
Skill talent
Notre Dame: Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price, Beaux Collins, Mitchell Evans
Penn State: Nicholas Singleton, Kaytron Allen, Harrison Wallace lll, Tyler Warren
The skill talent in this game is ridiculously good. Singleton and Allen give Penn State one of the best 1-2 punches at running back in the country, and if you add Mackey Award-winning tight end Tyler Warren to the mix, there is a clear gap. Love, Price and Leonard helped Notre Dame rack up 217.5 rushing yards per game, which ranked 11th in the FBS. Penn State wasn’t far behind, averaging just over 202 yards on the ground. Warren will likely be the first tight end taken in the NFL Draft this spring, and that advantage alone gives Penn State the edge in this department. Edge: Penn State
Offensive line
Notre Dame: Anthonie Knapp, Billy Schrauth, Pat Coogan, Rocco Spindler, Aamil Wagner
Penn State: Drew Shelton, Olaivavega Ioane, Nick Dawkins, Sal Wormley, Nolan Rucci
Notre Dame had to do some reshuffling to maintain one of the top offensive lines in the country. Just weeks before Notre Dame’s season-opener against Texas A&M, projected starting left tackle Charles Jagusah suffered a torn right pectoralis muscle during preseason camp. With Jagusah out, true freshman Anthonie Knapp got the start at left tackle and earned freshman All-American honors by 247Sports. In terms of this matchup, it’s about as even as you can get. Penn State (15 sacks allowed) and Notre Dame (14) ranked 23rd and 24th in the FBS in that category. Penn State ranked 14th in tackles for loss allowed (38), while Notre Dame wasn’t too far behind at No. 21 (45). Penn State’s offensive line is anchored by guard Olaivavega Ioane, who earned second-team All-Big Ten honors. Notre Dame’s gameplan should be to run the football, but they will face a Penn State run defense that ranked No. 8 in rushing defense. Edge: Even
Front seven
Notre Dame: Howard Cross lll, Joshua Burnham, Gabriel Rubio, Jack Kiser, Drayk Bowen
Penn State: Abdul Carter, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Kobe King, Tony Rojas, Domincic DeLuca
The best player in this game — regardless of position — is Carter. While his game status is up in the after leaving the game against Boise State due to an injury, he’s a true game-wrecker when he plays. With Carter missing most of the game against Boise State, Dennis-Sutton stepped up and recorded 2.5 sacks. Notre Dame’s team leader in sacks (Mills) will miss the remainder of the season after suffering an injury against Indiana last month. Penn State has more depth and the best player in this group, giving them the advantage. Edge: Penn State
Secondary
Notre Dame: Xavier Watts, Christian Gray, Leonard Moore, Adon Shuler
Penn State: Jaylen Reed, Zakee Wheatley, A.J. Harris, Jalen Kimber
Having someone of Watts’ caliber anchoring your backline is a luxury and part of the reason Notre Dame has an advantage in the secondary. Notre Dame ranked No. 1 in opposing quarterback rating (99.9) and completion percentage allowed (50.6). The Fighting Irish did it without standout cornerback Benjamin Morrison, who suffered a season-ending hip injury earlier this season. Both teams thrive on their respective run games on offense, and limiting explosive plays will be the key to victory. Penn State was able to pull away from Boise State because of its ability to exploit the Broncos’ backline. Notre Dame is better equipped to stop those plays from happening. Notre Dame and Penn State each recorded 18 interceptions on defense. Similar to how Carter gives Penn State’s front seven a clear edge, the same can be said here about Watts for Notre Dame’s secondary. Edge: Notre Dame
Coaching
Notre Dame: Marcus Freeman
Penn State: James Franklin
The narrative coming into the CFP was Franklin’s inability to win big games. The Penn State coach was 4-14 all-time against top-15 ranked teams in his coaching career — the worst record of any coach with at least 15 such games — before defeating SMU and Boise State. Freeman just led Notre Dame to its first major bowl game win in 31 years and has the program on the cusp of its second national title appearance since the 2012 season. Franklin has more head coaching experience, but Freeman already has two signature wins under his belt this season against Texas A&M on the road and Georgia last week. Edge: Notre Dame
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