Notre Dame vs. Penn State Game Day Guide: How to Watch, Stream and What's at Stake

Everything you need to know ahead of the Orange Bowl between the Fighting Irish and Nittany Lions.

Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts, defensive lineman Howard Cross III, linebacker Jack Kiser and quarterback Riley Leonard celebrate with the Sugar Bowl trophy. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

And then there were four.

The inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff is down to the semifinals, as No. 5-seeded Texas, No. 6 Penn State, No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 8 Ohio State all survived the first two rounds and now are just two wins away from winning a national championship.

The College Football Playoff semifinals will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday night with a matchup between No. 6 Penn State and No. 7 Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the 2025 Orange Bowl:

What's at stake in Notre Dame vs. Penn State?

Notre Dame and Penn State will battle Thursday night for a chance to play for a national championship on Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Fighting Irish have won 11 national championships in program history, but they haven't claimed college football's ultimate prize since coach Lou Holtz led the team to a perfect 12–0 record in 1988. Notre Dame has come close in the last few decades, losing in the national championship in 2013 and falling short in the 2018 and '20 CFP.

Notre Dame, which enters the Orange Bowl with a 13–1 record this season, has won 12 straight games since getting upset by Northern Illinois in September. The Fighting Irish cruised through the first two rounds of the College Football Playoff, taking down No. 8 Indiana 27–17 and No. 2 Georgia 23–10.

Penn State, meanwhile, has two national championships on its résumé in 1982 and '86. The Nittany Lions have double-digit wins in each of the last three years under coach James Franklin, but this year's College Football Playoff appearance marks the first in program history.

Penn State (13–2) earned a spot in the Orange Bowl by crushing No. 10 SMU 38–10 in the first round and No. 9 Boise State 31–14 in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31.

These two programs haven't met since Penn State's 31–10 win in 2007, a victory that tied the all-time series at 9-9-1.

Notable injuries

Notre Dame appears to be pretty healthy entering the College Football Playoff semifinals, as tight end Cooper Flanagan is the only player who played a key role against Georgia expected to miss the Orange Bowl. Flanagan caught just four passes this season but was a big part of the Fighting Irish's running scheme as a blocker.

The Fighting Irish will also be without star defensive lineman Rylie Mills, who was ruled out for the year after suffering a knee injury against Indiana on Dec. 23. Mills led Notre Dame in both sacks (7.5) and tackles for loss (8.5) this season before his injury.

Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter, the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, did not play in the second half of the Fiesta Bowl. Franklin said Saturday that he doesn't think there is anything preventing Carter from suiting up on Thursday night.

How to watch Notre Dame vs. Penn State live

The Orange Bowl will broadcast live from Hard Rock Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 9 on ESPN, with Sean McDonough handling the play-by-play duties, Greg McElroy sitting in as the analyst, and Molly Mcgrath on the field as the reporter.

Streaming options without cable

STREAMER	COST	FREE TRIAL?
YouTube TV	$82.99/month	Yes, 7 days, and a discount for new users
Hulu + Live TV	$82.99/month (with ads)	Yes, 3 days
Sling TV	$45.99/month	No, but discounts for new users
Fubo TV	$79.99/month	Yes, 7 days and discounts for some new users

What time does Notre Dame vs. Penn State kick off?

The Nittany Lions and Fighting Irish are are set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. Thursday night on the East Coast. Here are the full kickoff times by time zone:

TIME ZONE	START TIME
Eastern	7:30 p.m.
Central	6:30 p.m.
Mountain	5:30 p.m.
Pacific	4:30 p.m.

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