Just four teams remain in pursuit of a college football national championship. It all gets underway later tonight, when Notre Dame takes on Penn State in the Orange Bowl. The winner of that game will face the winner of Friday night’s Cotton Bowl Classic between Texas and Ohio State.

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.

With four historic programs remaining in the College Football playoffs, an argument can be made that any of them winning the Championship would be good for the sport. However, one sports radio and television personality believes that Notre Dame would be the best-case scenario.

Notre Dame will be without a tight end as it sits two wins away from its first national championship in 36 years.

College Football Playoff bracket has been trimmed down to four teams, with none of the top four seeds advancing to the semifinals. The College Football Playoff 2025 continues Thursday when No. 6 seed Penn State faces No.

The Nittany Lions enter the semifinal with two extra days of rest — following the postponement of the Sugar Bowl — that Notre Dame needed even more.

The semifinal round of the NCAA FBS college football semifinals start Thursday with No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 6 Penn State in the Orange Bowl

Jimmie Kaylor revealed his College Football Playoff semifinal picks for Penn State vs. Notre Dame in the 2025 Orange Bowl on Thursday

Notre Dame last won a national championship in 1988. Penn State hasn't been crowned champion of college football since 1986. These blue blood programs are two wins away from a title and meet tonight in the Orange Bowl for the first semifinal of the College Football Playoff.