A Battle to be relevant again
Tonight, Penn State will face Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl game with the winner advancing to the national title game. While both the Nittany Lions and the Fighting Irish are two of college football’s most storied teams, national titles have been a distant memory.
Actually, the last time Penn State played Notre Dame was at the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day in 2007. On that night the Nittany Lions beat the Fighting Irish 31-10,
When Notre Dame was a real title challenger
*Notre Dame played in 2013 BCS Championship Game against Albama. The Crimson Tide rolled to a 42-14 win over the Irish.
Notre Dame’s most recent football national title was in 1988 with Lou Holtz at the helm. The team finished the season with a perfect 12-0 record and finished first in the final Associated Press Poll of the season.
While the Fighting Irish have consistently been in the hunt to make the BCS Championship Game as well as the CFP Playoffs they have always fallen short.
Tonight, the Irish might just have their best team in decades and on both sides of the ball they can hang with anyone. The X factor could be at Quarterback.
Riley Leonard will be remembered in the Sugar Bowl more for his helicopter dive for a first down, but his biggest play was a 13-yard dart to Beaux Collins in the final moments of the first half to capitalize off a turnover and go up 13-3.
He’s not exactly Patrick Mahomes, or Josh Allen but he is the best Notre Dame quarterback in years and might just be their key to a national title game.
But the biggest reason for a Notre Dame win is they have been tested. Notre Dame has taken the tougher path to get to the semifinals, while you can argue that Penn State has had the easiest. The Irish have beaten a solid Indiana team, then knocked off the SEC champion Georgia Bulldogs. The Nittany Lions have beaten SMU and then Boise State, two of the weakest teams in the field. The in-game experience could really help Notre Dame, as they’ve been in battles and know how to come out with a win.
Penn State hasn’t won the championship since 1980’s
Meanwhile, Penn State defeated Miami 14-7 to win the 1986 Fiesta Bowl. Joe Paterno was the head coach and they beat a very talented Miami team.
Penn State also has one their best quarterbacks in recent memory. Drew Allar has looked extremely confident as of late, making several jaw-dropping passes that he somehow squeezes into the tightest windows. He’s shown that he can make the types of passes that require a rare ability, and why he will have his name called in the first round of the NFL Draft eventually.
Meanwhile, Penn State’s running game has gelled at the exact right time. The offensive line has come together to help create many explosive plays with wide open running lanes. Nicholas Singleton has been back to his explosive self after being hampered with bumps and bruises early in the season. I’m not sure what’s gotten into Kaytron Allen, but he’s looked like one of the most unstoppable backs in the nation during the past three games, exploding through holes and punishing would-be tacklers.
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Conclusion
Both teams come into this game with the same strengths and the same weaknesses. In this Penn State might have slight edge over the Irish tonight’s Orange Bowl. Game time is 7:30 p.m. on ESPN, ESPN+ and on ESPN Radio.
