A trip to the CFP title game is on the line when Notre Dame and Penn State meet in the Orange Bowl
Trending News
15 hours, 3 minutes ago

A trip to the CFP title game is on the line when Notre Dame and Penn State meet in the Orange Bowl

Associated Press  

DANIA BEACH, Fla. — It’s been a long time since either Notre Dame or Penn State reached college football’s mountaintop as national champions. The Irish and Nittany Lions face off in the Orange Bowl on Thursday night, the first of two College Football Playoff semifinal games; the other is Friday when Texas takes on Ohio State. “Obviously, you don’t get to this point in the season without being good in all three phases,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. Our guys were good, and we’re going to be ready to roll.” A historic matchup for Black coaches It has been a storyline since the matchup was set: The winning coach in this game will go to the CFP title game on Jan. 20 with a chance of becoming the first Black coach to win a major college football national championship.

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History of this topic

Penn State coach James Franklin calls for college football to have uniformity
16 hours, 25 minutes ago

Penn State coach James Franklin calls for college football to have uniformity

Associated Press  

DANIA BEACH, Fla. — The Big Ten plays nine conference games in football. Franklin — who raised some eyebrows last month when he said that former Alabama coach Nick Saban should become commissioner of college football, a job that doesn’t technically exist and an idea that Saban didn’t seem to like very much — was at it again Wednesday, saying …

Penn State faces Notre Dame with trip to the national title game on the line
17 hours, 19 minutes ago

Penn State faces Notre Dame with trip to the national title game on the line

Associated Press  

3 Notre Dame vs. No. 5 Penn State, Thursday, 7:30 p.m. EST BetMGM College Football Odds: Notre Dame by 1 1/2. The winning coach, either Penn State’s James Franklin or Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, will have the chance to become the first Black coach to win a national title at college football’s highest level. Facts & figures Leonard has 34 …

Notre Dame adapts on the fly to its longest season and changing schedule as CFP semifinal arrives
1 day ago

Notre Dame adapts on the fly to its longest season and changing schedule as CFP semifinal arrives

Associated Press  

Notre Dame receiver Beaux Collins will remember this College Football Playoff run for several reasons and one of them is how he sprinted through the team’s New Orleans hotel hallways like a fun-loving child. The playoff semifinal Thursday night against the Nittany Lions will mark the deepest into January that Notre Dame has ever played; one more win would extend …

Penn State, Notre Dame arrive at Orange Bowl with a bigger game in mind
1 day, 10 hours ago

Penn State, Notre Dame arrive at Orange Bowl with a bigger game in mind

Associated Press  

DANIA BEACH, Fla. — In an era that is now long gone, a trip to the Orange Bowl meant a break from the rough weather up north and the capper to a successful season that, if things had gone great, ended with a championship trophy in the case. This season, for Penn State and Notre Dame, it’s the latest stop …

CFP head tells ESPN that Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl won’t swap kickoff times, dates
5 days, 15 hours ago

CFP head tells ESPN that Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl won’t swap kickoff times, dates

Associated Press  

The College Football Playoff won’t swap kickoff dates and times for the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl to give Notre Dame more time between games. Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey had asked the CFP if it would be possible to switch up the schedule because Notre Dame will have a shorter turnaround than Penn State heading into next Thursday’s Orange …

Notre Dame and Penn State will renew a long-dormant rivalry in a CFP semifinal at the Orange Bowl
5 days, 15 hours ago

Notre Dame and Penn State will renew a long-dormant rivalry in a CFP semifinal at the Orange Bowl

Associated Press  

NEW ORLEANS — No. “Running game and defense travels; that’s going to show up throughout a season,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. That’s going to show up when you’re trying to at the end of the game.” In the Fiesta Bowl, Penn State outgained Boise State on the ground, 216 yards to 108. “Got great leadership, great players, and …

College football turns upside down, but this final four is a collection of the sport’s big programs
5 days, 19 hours ago

College football turns upside down, but this final four is a collection of the sport’s big programs

Associated Press  

In the first round of the College Football Playoff, the teams seeded 5-8 all won. Also, the Penn State-Notre Dame matchup guarantees either James Franklin or Marcus Freeman will have a chance to become the first Black coach to win the title at college football’s highest level. He said it: “We’re not in awe that, ‘Hey, this is where we …

CFP semifinals by the numbers: All four teams are members of the exclusive 900-win club
5 days, 23 hours ago

CFP semifinals by the numbers: All four teams are members of the exclusive 900-win club

Associated Press  

The College Football Playoff expanded to 12 teams to get some new blood. By the NCAA’s count, Ohio State ranks second with 976 wins, Notre Dame and Texas are tied for fourth with 961 and Penn State is seventh with 943. 1, 3, 5, 8 National rankings of the four teams in total defense: Ohio State, Texas, Penn State and …

Penn State takes simple approach during ride into CFP semifinals
1 week ago

Penn State takes simple approach during ride into CFP semifinals

Associated Press  

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Football coaches, perhaps more than in other sports, are huge proponents of structure, routine, consistent messaging. “I wouldn’t say it’s overly unique, but I’m a big believer in being present,” Franklin said Tuesday nigh after Penn State’s Fiesta Bowl victory. “You can see the potential of where we’re at, when we play in all three phases the …

Iconic Rose Bowl should host college football national title game
1 week, 1 day ago

Iconic Rose Bowl should host college football national title game

LA Times  

You want to talk name, image and likeness? There’s nothing more representative of college football than the Rose Bowl game. The Rose Bowl game could be our Super Bowl.” It felt that way Wednesday, with half the bowl bathed in Oregon green and half in Ohio State red. Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka catches a touchdown pass against Oregon during …

No. 8 Boise State and No. 5 Penn State look for next step in College Football Playoff quarterfinals
1 week, 2 days ago

No. 8 Boise State and No. 5 Penn State look for next step in College Football Playoff quarterfinals

Associated Press  

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Boise State has taken that long-awaited next step, earning a spot in the College Football Playoff for the first time, 17 years after a program-shifting win. 5 Penn State also is in its first CFP playoff, shaking its can’t-win-the-big-game reputation with a victory over SMU while climbing from the shadows of a scandal that rocked one of …

Penn State rolls past SMU in CFP opener
Trending News
2 weeks, 5 days ago

Penn State rolls past SMU in CFP opener

LA Times  

Penn State linebacker Dominic DeLuca points to to fans as he celebrates an interception return for a touchdown against SMU on Saturday in a College Football Playoff first-round game. Dominic DeLuca and Tony Rojas returned interceptions for touchdowns and Penn State toyed with mistake-prone SMU in a 38-10 victory on Saturday in the opening round of the College Football Playoff. …

How Penn State dashed SMU’s Cinderella dreams with ease: Takeaways from a Playoff rout
2 weeks, 5 days ago

How Penn State dashed SMU’s Cinderella dreams with ease: Takeaways from a Playoff rout

New York Times  

By Audrey Snyder, Chris Vannini and Justin Williams No. Penn State’s offense struggled early on a windy, frigid day in Happy Valley, but two pick sixes by linebackers Dominic DeLuca and Tony Rojas off of SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings gave the Nittany Lions a 14-0 lead in a game that turned into a blowout soon after in front of an …

Notre Dame and Indiana get 1st taste of playoff football under the Friday night lights
3 weeks ago

Notre Dame and Indiana get 1st taste of playoff football under the Friday night lights

Associated Press  

Marcus Freeman spent his first two seasons as the Notre Dame coach chasing the playoff dream. It’s the first time Notre Dame has hosted a postseason game, the first time Notre Dame Stadium has hosted a Friday night game and the first time since 1990 that a Notre Dame home game has not been telecast by NBC. “The hardest thing …

Expanded College Football Playoff field draws more bets and on more teams
3 weeks, 6 days ago

Expanded College Football Playoff field draws more bets and on more teams

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! “They don’t want to be standing there and not have a ticket on some of these long-shot teams.” Expanding the playoff field from four to 12 teams this year meant more betting in general on college football and more varieties of wagering on the postseason. “We’re …

Ranking all 36 College Football Playoff title game possibilities from most to least likely
1 month ago

Ranking all 36 College Football Playoff title game possibilities from most to least likely

New York Times  

For 10 years, we knew going into the College Football Playoff there were four possible national championship matchups. Notre Dame vs. Ohio State How we get here: We’ve seen Ohio State play Oregon, on the Ducks’ home field no less, and the teams could not have been more evenly matched. Boise State vs. Texas How we get here: I don’t …

Indiana at Notre Dame in CFP will be teams’ 1st meeting since ’91, winner gets Georgia in Sugar Bowl
1 month ago

Indiana at Notre Dame in CFP will be teams’ 1st meeting since ’91, winner gets Georgia in Sugar Bowl

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! The Indiana and Notre Dame campuses are separated by 200 miles in the Hoosier State, but their football teams haven’t met since 1991 and before that 1958. We’ve climbed that mountain.” The last time Notre Dame and Indiana played, Rick Mirer and Jerome Bettis led the …

Penn State earns 6-seed, most favorable path through College Football Playoff
1 month ago

Penn State earns 6-seed, most favorable path through College Football Playoff

New York Times  

Penn State’s path through the College Football Playoff is set. While Penn State didn’t get the fifth seed, which went to Texas, it was still rewarded for an 11-1 regular season and ended up with a more favorable path than the Longhorns. The biggest lesson Penn State should take from the Big Ten Championship Game loss and carry into the …

College football championship week oddly specific predictions: Penn State? Yes, Penn State
1 month ago

College football championship week oddly specific predictions: Penn State? Yes, Penn State

New York Times  

It was a really fun regular season trying to make educated guesses about what would happen week-to-week. But first, here are this week’s conference championship picks with the stat stuffers included in the capsules: Friday Conference USA: Western Kentucky at Jacksonville State Jacksonville State is the first program to reach a bowl game in each of its first two seasons …

No. 5 Notre Dame visits USC with Playoff berth in sight before 95th edition of this famous rivalry
1 month, 1 week ago

No. 5 Notre Dame visits USC with Playoff berth in sight before 95th edition of this famous rivalry

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! But because of how good this team is in relation to its record.” This annual long-distance showdown originally became momentous back when every game wasn’t on television, back when teams didn’t habitually traverse the continent to play college football — and also back when USC didn’t …

No. 4 Nittany Lions hoping to clinch CFP spot in regular-season finale with Maryland
Trending News
1 month, 1 week ago

No. 4 Nittany Lions hoping to clinch CFP spot in regular-season finale with Maryland

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Tyler Warren and the rest of Penn State’s senior class normally would be preparing to take in the sights and sounds in their last game at Beaver Stadium. “That’s kind of what we want to get accomplished this week as a program.” …

Why Penn State edged Tennessee, Indiana in College Football Playoff rankings at No. 6
2 months ago

Why Penn State edged Tennessee, Indiana in College Football Playoff rankings at No. 6

New York Times  

If the season ended today, Penn State would host Notre Dame in a College Football Playoff game in Beaver Stadium. Final thoughts If Penn State wins out to finish 11-1 — and gets some help via Ohio State and Indiana stumbling this month — there’s still a path to Indianapolis. Indiana is one of the best stories in the sport …

Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff rooting guide: Which games matter the most for Irish?
2 months, 1 week ago

Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff rooting guide: Which games matter the most for Irish?

New York Times  

— You may not have heard of Rich Clark. GO DEEPER College Football Playoff 2024 projections: How Week 9 impacted the 12-team bracket As Notre Dame takes its second bye week, here’s a viewer’s guide to the games that matter most for the Irish to make the 12-team field and how high they might rise in those rankings. Please don’t …

Notre Dame domination of Navy shows how Irish have grown since Northern Illinois upset
2 months, 1 week ago

Notre Dame domination of Navy shows how Irish have grown since Northern Illinois upset

New York Times  

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Marcus Freeman used to recoil at the mention of Northern Illinois, seemingly offended no one could let the defining moment of his make-or-break third season go. Notre Dame’s head coach didn’t want everything about this season to be tinted by Northern Illinois, but he couldn’t stop the stain from spreading. “I said we’re going to be …

No. 14 Notre Dame and Pittsburgh renew old rivalry without the bells and whistles
1 year, 2 months ago

No. 14 Notre Dame and Pittsburgh renew old rivalry without the bells and whistles

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! They’re probably as good-looking a team as you are going to walk out on game day and see.” It’s not a good combination for the Panthers, who are facing Notre Dame for the first time since 2020. Irish quarterback Sam Hartman faced the Panthers two years …

No. 3 Ohio State and No. 7 Penn State clash at the Horseshoe in a game that could help shape the CFP
1 year, 2 months ago

No. 3 Ohio State and No. 7 Penn State clash at the Horseshoe in a game that could help shape the CFP

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! FACTS & FIGURES The two teams are meeting for the 22nd time when both are ranked in the AP Top 25.. Ohio State outlasted the Nittany Lions 44-31 last season at Beaver Stadium.. 7.. Penn State has won 11 straight games dating back to last season, …

No. 21 Notre Dame harasses Caleb Williams and hands No. 10 USC first loss in 48-20 drubbing
1 year, 2 months ago

No. 21 Notre Dame harasses Caleb Williams and hands No. 10 USC first loss in 48-20 drubbing

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! “I couldn’t speak more highly of the performance of our defense,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. We know it means it a lot to our fan base, it means a lot to college football.” USC lost for the fifth consecutive time at Notre Dame Stadium. …

No. 21 Notre Dame hopes to rebound from 2nd loss while renewing rivalry with No. 10 USC
1 year, 2 months ago

No. 21 Notre Dame hopes to rebound from 2nd loss while renewing rivalry with No. 10 USC

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! “We expect it to be an electric atmosphere, a great environment and a great opportunity for this program to use the adversity we faced this past week and to use it as energy and motivation.” Saturday’s game closes out a stretch in which Notre Dame has …

No. 11 Notre Dame aims to extend its win streak against ACC teams with visit to No. 17 Duke
1 year, 3 months ago

No. 11 Notre Dame aims to extend its win streak against ACC teams with visit to No. 17 Duke

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! KEY MATCHUP Duke’s ground game against Notre Dame’s run defense. The Blue Devils beat the Fighting Irish 38-35 in 2016 in one of Notre Dame’s few losses in the ACC scheduling partnership.. Duke is 4-0 for the second straight season under Elko and can push to …

No. 11 Notre Dame heads to No. 17 Duke looking to rebound from emotional loss to Ohio State
1 year, 3 months ago

No. 11 Notre Dame heads to No. 17 Duke looking to rebound from emotional loss to Ohio State

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! Last season a blown second-half lead against Ohio State in college football’s game of the week, led to a letdown and another loss — that one at home to Marshall. That’s our focus.” After losing last year’s season-opener at Ohio State, Freeman’s team lost its confidence …

No. 10 Notre Dame beats NC State 45-24 for 29th straight regular-season win against ACC teams
1 year, 3 months ago

No. 10 Notre Dame beats NC State 45-24 for 29th straight regular-season win against ACC teams

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! Audric Estime ran for an 80-yard touchdown on the first play after an extended weather delay and Sam Hartman three of his four scores after halftime to help Notre Dame beat North Carolina State 45-24 on Saturday, earning yet another win against an Atlantic Coast Conference …

No. 14 Penn State looks for another win over Maryland
2 years, 1 month ago

No. 14 Penn State looks for another win over Maryland

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! Penn State wants to continue that trend, especially since it hasn’t yet achieved what coach James Franklin would call a “signature win.” After losing to Michigan and Ohio State, the Nittany Lions also lost out on a chance to compete for a Big Ten title. “It’s …

Notre Dame beats No. 5 Clemson 35-14 with punt block for TD
2 years, 2 months ago

Notre Dame beats No. 5 Clemson 35-14 with punt block for TD

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! “That was a way more drastic field rush than the last one.” Two years ago, only 11,071 fans, mostly students and university employees, were on hand when Notre Dame upset top-ranked Clemson 47-40 in double overtime because of COVID-19 restrictions. “It’s special” Notre Dame coach Marcus …

No. 5 Notre Dame to face No. 9 Oklahoma State in Fiesta Bowl
3 years, 1 month ago

No. 5 Notre Dame to face No. 9 Oklahoma State in Fiesta Bowl

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! And I’m excited about Oklahoma State, the way people recognize us coast to coast.” The Irish shook off an Oct. 2 loss to Cincinnati to win their final seven games, putting themselves in position to earn a CFP playoff spot despite coach Brian Kelly’s decision to …

The Latest: Notre Dame, Oklahoma St to clash in Fiesta Bowl
3 years, 1 month ago

The Latest: Notre Dame, Oklahoma St to clash in Fiesta Bowl

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! ___ 2:35 p.m. Pittsburgh’s reward for its first ACC championship is a date with Michigan State in the Peach Bowl. 3 Georgia will meet in a College Football Playoff semifinal on New Year’s Eve at the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Florida. Its only loss over …

CFP: Alabama-Notre Dame, Clemson-Ohio St as Aggies left out
4 years ago

CFP: Alabama-Notre Dame, Clemson-Ohio St as Aggies left out

Associated Press  

A season filled with uncertainty brought on by the pandemic will end with a perfectly predictable College Football Playoff. Selection committee chairman Gary Barta, the Iowa athletic director, said Notre Dame’s extra victory against a ranked opponent helped give the Irish an edge over Texas A&M. Notre Dame’s reward will be a matchup with Alabama, the Southeastern Conference champion that …

College football picks: Football feast missing some dishes
4 years, 1 month ago

College football picks: Football feast missing some dishes

Associated Press  

The Thanksgiving weekend football feast will be missing a few of the dishes that have become mainstays. Schedules altered and seasons delayed by the pandemic have taken off the table a bunch of rivalry games that have become a staple of the last weekend in November, including Michigan-Ohio State and all those in-state matchups of ACC and SEC schools such …

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