Head-to-head history
There is definitely a rivalry between Notre Dame and Penn State, but they don’t play each other on a regular basis. The all-time record is tied at 9-9-1. In fact, they haven’t met since 2007, with the Nittany Lions winning 31-10 that day. As you can see, the odds are very similar for this matchup. We can expect an entertaining one that could go down to the wire.
ND led by offense
The Fighting Irish have arguably the best offense in the country and they’ve shown it in the College Football Playoff. First, Marcus Freeman’s squad took down the Indiana Hoosiers in the first round before having their way with Georgia last week. Despite being outgained 296-244 by the Bulldogs, Notre Dame capitalized on their chances and their run game shined once again, mustering 154 yards on the ground.
QB Riley Leonard ran for 80 yards on 14 carries while running back Jadarian Price also ran for 3.7 yards per carry. Jeremiyah Love got in on the action as well but he did tweak his knee. That being said, Love, who is the team’s RB1, is expected to be good to go against Penn State, which is massive for the Fighting Irish.
Defensively, ND is very good and their secondary has the ability to take advantage of any mistakes by Drew Allar. The Irish are 9th in the nation in fewest total yards allowed and concede a mere 13.6 PPG. That’s second in the NCAA. They have an aggressive, consistent defense that will be looking to slow down Penn State’s offense, which is also capable as well. ND is a slim 1.5-point favorite for the Orange Bowl at Sports Interaction.
Can Allar produce the goods?
Allar, Penn State’s QB, does a good job of protecting the football. He only threw seven picks all season and had three passing touchdowns against Boise State. However, Notre Dame’s defensive front is a force to be reckoned with and it will be interesting to see how he handles that pressure on the big stage.
For what it’s worth, Allar did show well against Oregon in the Big Ten Championship, throwing for 226 yards and three TDs. The Ducks also had one of the best defenses in the country before collapsing in the quarterfinals against Ohio State. The Nittany Lions score 33.7 points per contest and have allowed just 15.7. They’re sound on both sides of the ball, just like Thursday’s opponent.
One of the keys to victory for Penn State will be slowing down Leonard. He’s a fantastic runner and has torched his opponents all year long on the ground. They need to limit his production with his legs and force the signal-caller to throw the football more. Offensively, PSU running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen will be relied on in the run game as they’ve absolutely killed the competition in the postseason. The Nittany Lions are an underdog at the moment, but not by much.
