The Fighting Irish opened as favorites against the Nittany Lions for the semifinal set to take place in the Orange Bowl. Notre Dame opened as a 2.5-point favorite, but the spread is -1 on the day of the game.

The first 12-team College Football Playoff is back to a familiar spot with four teams remaining in the hunt for a national championship. Only this time, obviously, they had to play to get here. With four teams left,

On Thursday night, the Fighting Irish will take on Penn State in the Orange Bowl, which is serving as one of the two College Football Playoff semifinals this season. With a victory in that matchup, Notre Dame would face either Ohio State or Texas in the national championship game on Jan.