There are four teams still playing for the College Football Playoff national championship and for the first time since the CFP began, Penn State is one of them. Instead of earning a CFP semifinal bid in any of the previous 10 seasons, the Nittany Lions won their way through the first two rounds of the 12-team playoff format, defeating SMU at Beaver Stadium in the first round and Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal to set up a matchup with Notre Dame.
The winner of the Orange Bowl will face either Ohio State or Texas, who meet in the Cotton Bowl on Friday, January 10, to play for the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, January 20 from Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The Fighting Irish and Nittany Lions will renew a rivalry that hasn’t been contested since 2007 after Notre Dame took down Indiana in South Bend and Georgia in the Sugar Bowl last Thursday. The matchup will take place on Thursday, January 9 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida on ESPN, and the Irish opened as slight betting favorites.
A big question for Penn State heading into this matchup, which will be one for the broadcasting crew to monitor, is the health of Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Abdul Carter. Carter injured his arm in the second quarter of the Fiesta Bowl and was unable to return. Without him, Penn State could struggle to slow down the dominant Notre Dame run game.
Who are the announcers for Penn State vs. Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl CFP semifinal?
Play-by-play announcer Sean McDonough will lead the ESPN crew for the Orange Bowl with color commentator Greg McElroy and sideline reporter Molly McGrath. The Orange Bowl is the first of two College Football Playoff semifinals with the Cotton Bowl semi between Ohio State and Texas taking place on Friday night.