The blueprint for Penn State's Orange Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal showdown with Notre Dame might've been drawn up over the combination of its last two CFP wins.
To a certain degree, Penn State has already gone through similar preparation in what could be called an extended dress rehearsal in their matchups with both SMU in the first round at Beaver Stadium and Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl CFP quarterfinal. As James Franklin prepares his Nittany Lions for the Irish, that same formula could be their golden ticket.
Riley Leonard isn't your average quarterback. While the Notre Dame starting QB hasn't shown much prowess in the passing game to date, he's got a sneaky set of wheels that have provided Notre Dame with a spark throughout the entire season. Penn State has already gone through similar preparation for SMU's Kevin Jennings, another athletic dual-threat QB. If you pair Leonard's ground success with the talent in Notre Dame's backfield (one that is not that dissimilar from what Penn State has in the Lawn Boyz) you get a very similar set of weapons for defensive coordinator Tom Allen's game plan to key in on.
Against the Broncos, the Nittany Lions proved they could contain one of the nation's most explosive runners in Ashton Jeanty, holding the Heisman Trophy runner-up to 104 yards on 30 carries (3.5 ypc). While the talented back still found his yards, Penn State's defensive approach - built on aggressive group tackling, consistent gap discipline, and strong edge containment - kept him from breaking the game open.
Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price complement each other well in Notre Dame’s backfield. While Love’s speed and elusiveness provide a spark for big plays, Price has an edge in power, physicality, and the ability to show patience when necessary. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman said that, despite a nagging knee injury, Love is expected to play in the Orange Bowl. However, based on the type of injury and its recurring nature, it stands to reason he will be limited in touches.
In the trenches and at linebacker, where games of this magnitude are often won and lost, Penn State's defensive front will need to bring that same laser-focused approach and ferocious appetite that made them effective over the course of their last 8 quarters. If the Nittany Lions can duplicate or even improve on their previous CFP defensive successes, their path to the National Championship game might just run through the same defensive playbook that allowed them to tame both the Mustangs and the Broncos.