The 2024-25 College Football Playoff Semifinal Round is set for this week, with the first of two games kicking off on Thursday, January 9, in Miami, Florida.
There, at the 2025 Capital One Orange Bowl, No. 6 Penn State (13-2) will take on No. 7 Notre Dame (13-1) for a spot in the CFP National Championship Game.
Here’s how you can catch the game and everything you need to know to get you right up to kickoff.
How To Watch Penn State vs. Notre Dame
No. 6 Penn State (13-2) will take on No. 7 Notre Dame (13-1) in the 2025 Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Maimi, Florida, on Thursday, January 9.
- Date: Thursday, January 9
- Time: 6:30 p.m. CT
- TV Channel: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN+ (Regional restriction may apply)
- City: Miami, FL
- Venue: Hard Rock Stadium (65,326)
Penn State vs. Notre Dame Football Betting Info
- Line: ND(-1.5) | Open: ND(-1.5)
- Over/Under: 44.5 | Open: 44.5
Penn State vs. Notre Dame: Predictions
There are two kinds of football fans in this world: those who can appreciate defensive football and those who can’t. If you’d rather watch a 45-42 kind of game, this one won’t be for you.
Notre Dame and Penn State have gotten to this point in the season because they’ve perfected the fundamental aspects of playing college football. They play sound defense, run the ball effectively, and they take care of the football. Neither one of these teams rank inside the top 50 passing offenses in the country, but they also don’t just hold the football and pound their heads against the wall, ranking outside the top 50 in T.O.P. as well.
When matching the two up against one another, there are a lot of similarities. Both teams possess a stout front seven that can get after the passer but also allow little success to rushing attacks. Offensively, both teams have incredible one-two punches at running back and quarterbacks that can extend plays and have progressed as passers throughout the year.
Games like this tend to come down to bounce-of-ball scenarios and who’s playing cleaner football. Penn State has had the easiest route of any of the semifinal teams, while Notre Dame has been a little more battle-tested as of late. I’ll take the Golden Domers to squeeze out a tight victory and advance to the National Championship Game.
Notre Dame 27, Penn State 24
- ESPN Matchup Predictor: ND (58.5%)
- Odds Shark Predicted Score: ND 36.6, PSU 34.3
- Bleacher Report: PSU 24, ND 17
- FOX: ND 27, PSU 23
