Marcus Freeman's fiery speech during halftime of the Orange Bowl was caught on camera, and it had Fighting Irish players locked in for the second half vs. Penn State.

For the first time since 2012, Notre Dame will play for a national title. The (7) Fighting Irish advanced to the College Football Playoff National Championship with a 27-24 win against (6) Penn State in Thursday evening's Orange Bowl.

Notre Dame will face Penn State in the College Football Playoff semifinal in Miami, the sixth time the Fighting Irish have played in the Orange Bowl.

It will be the first college football title game played in Miami since the 2021 championship, which was played under restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Notre Dame outlasted Penn State in a 27-24 thriller to reach the program's first national championship game since 2012 in the Orange Bowl. Thanks to the 12-team College Football Playoff format, the Fighting Irish officially became the first team to win multiple bowl games in the same season.

It’s been a long time since either Notre Dame or Penn State reached college football’s mountaintop as national champions.

A look at Penn State football's record and history in the Orange Bowl ahead of Thursday's College Football Playoff semifinal matchup vs. Notre Dame.

The Penn State Nittany Lions could look quite different in 2025, as the program awaits decisions from several key players.

Notre Dame football had me spending most of Thursday night reenacting Fred Sanford’s iconic calls to Elizabeth. And I wouldn’t trade those moments for anything in the world. The Irish punched their ticket to the 2024 College Football National Championship with a Semifinal (Orange Bowl) victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions.