Predicting every College Football Playoff game - Semifinals: Notre Dame vs. Penn State
Somehow, this is the first real test that Penn State will have in this bracket— no matter who it is that they face off against in the semis. Sadly for Nittany Lions fans, I'm not sure it is one that they will pass.
I think this is a matchup that will see PSU moving the ball up and down the field better than ND does, but some opportunistic plays by the Irish defense will give enough short fields to Freeman's crew that they eke out a win. In other words, the yardage totals could favor the Nittany Lions, but I've got the Irish winning in a close one.
That said, as with several other games, I've got this one quite close— so it's eminently possible that one or two plays going another way could flip this matchup on its head. Though I think the Irish would win this one, I would be by no means surprised to see PSU advance.
PREDICTION: Notre Dame, 20-17