Notre Dame is a slim favorite over the Nittany Lions, but the teams enter the Orange Bowl evenly and uniquely matched.

The semifinals of the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff begin Thursday with a blockbuster Orange Bowl matchup between (6) Penn State and (7) Notre Dame. Both teams have leaned heavily on their defenses and run games to reach the doorstep of the College Football Playoff National Championship.

It’s been a long time since either Notre Dame or Penn State reached college football’s mountaintop as national champions.

Penn State coach James Franklin and Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman sat side-by-side Wednesday morning well aware of the significant moment that awaits them. It goes far beyond football.

For the first time in 17 years, Notre Dame and Penn State are set to face off on a football field. This time, there's a lot on the line, as the 7-seed Fighting Irish will play the 6-seed Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl,

James Franklin finally has an opportunity to change the narrative that surrounds his program. But he's got to win a big game to do it.

Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman or Penn State’s James Franklin will become the first Black coach to lead a team into the national title game at college football’s highest level.

Which team will earn the first spot into the College Football Playoff title game? Here's three things that could decide Notre Dame vs. Penn State.

We share our thoughts and final score predictions below. Charlie: Both teams are so similar yet one just feels more like a national championship caliber team than the other. The Fighting Irish might not have the explosive downfield passing attack,