Penn State Football Bold Predictions vs. Notre Dame | College Football Playoff Semifinals
Penn State Football and Notre Dame are set to face off in the Orange Bowl Thursday night with a trip to the National Championship game on the line.
For the third time this season, Penn State is an underdog, hoping to pull off the program’s first upset since week one of the 2021 season.
Here are three bold predictions for the Nittany Lions as they face off against the Fighting Irish in the college football playoff semifinals.
Penn State vs. Notre Dame Bold Predictions in College Football Playoff Semifinal
1. Penn State rushes for 3X as many yards as Georgia did in Sugar Bowl
Notre Dame made it to the College Football Playoff semifinals this season largely on the back of the Fighting Irish’s stellar defense. In the Sugar Bowl against Georgia, Notre Dame held the Georgia Bulldogs to only 62 yards on the ground, and a measly 2.1 yards per carry. Notre Dame ranks 34th nationally this season, giving up only 127.9 rushing yards per game in 2024.
Penn State’s running game, however, has been the Nittany Lions’ bread and butter during the postseason run, with the Nittany Lions averaging 234 rushing yards per game over the past three contests.
My first bold prediction for Penn State’s Orange Bowl matchup with Notre Dame is that Penn State will triple Georgia’s running yards on Notre Dame’s defense.
The Nittany Lions will focus on the ground game with Notre Dame’s tough secondary, and the Nittany Lions will rush for over 186+ yards in the Orange Bowl.
2. There will be 5 combined turnovers in the game.
Both Penn State and Notre Dame have taken advantage of key turnovers during the team’s respective playoff runs.
Penn State returned two interceptions for touchdowns against SMU to put the Nittany Lions ahead 14-0 in round one of the playoffs. Notre Dame used a key strip sack to set up the Fighting Irish’s only offensive touchdown against Georgia late in the first half.
On the season, both teams rank in the top 20 in college football in turnovers gained. The Fighting Irish rank 1st with 31 defensive turnovers gained on the season. The Nittany Lions are tied for 16th with 24 turnovers gained.
While both teams will try to play mistake free football in what everyone expects to be a very tight game, I am projecting that both defenses will continue the season trends of forcing a lot of turnovers and the game will combine for 5 or more turnovers.
3. Tyler Warren scores in two different ways.
Last week against Boise State, I made the bold prediction that tight end Tyler Warren would pass, rush, and catch a touchdown for the Nittany Lions.
While Warren did catch the first touchdown of the day for the Nittany Lions, Warren did not record a rush or pass attempt in the Fiesta Bowl.
Although I was extremely wrong last week, I am sticking with picking Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki getting creative with Penn State’s best and most versatile offensive weapon in the Orange Bowl.
I won’t go as bold as calling Warren to score in all three ways against a very good Fighting Irish defense, but I will boldly project Penn State’s unicorn to find the endzone two different ways in the Orange Bowl.
The Penn State Nittany Lions have an opportunity Thursday night to extend their season for one more game. A win over the Fighting Irish would be one of the most impressive in the James Franklin era and one of the biggest for the program in the past three decades.
With a win, Penn State would play for the program’s first consensus national championship since 1986. With a loss, Penn State finds itself still searching for that program-defining win that proves the Nittany Lions belong with football’s elites.
Either way, Thursday night could be a pivotal game for the Nittany Lions program for the 2024 season and for years to come.
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Penn State Football Reporter at NittanyCentral
Robert Shields covers Penn State Football for Nittany Central. As a Penn State graduate, Robert has covered Penn State football since 2019, but had been a fan of the Nittany Lions for well over a decade. During his undergraduate education, Robert was a manager in the athletic department of a division III school, working in various aspects of athletic management at football, soccer, baseball, basketball, and lacrosse games.
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