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Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Penn State Nittany Lions Prediction & Picks - NCAA
by Travis Pulver | in NCAA Picks
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will take on the Penn State Nittany Lions Thursday night in the Orange Bowl, the first of two College Football Playoff (CFP) semifinal games. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. Notre Dame opened as a 1.5-point favorite, but that number has since shifted to 2.5 points
Notre Dame will enter the game on a high after shocking the world with a dominant win over Georgia in the quarter-final round. The defense did a stellar job of harassing Gunner Stockton, who was making his first start, and containing the run (29 carries for 66 yards). The Fighting Irish were not too dynamic on offense, though, as they gained just 244 yards. But thanks to solid defense, great special teams, and Georgia miscues, that was more than enough.
However, the Penn State defense is fresh off a game where it held Ashton Jeanty to 3.5 yards per carry and kept him out of the endzone. The Nittany Lions have a pair of running backs that will be more than happy to test the Notre Dame defense over and over again.
This game could end up being smash-mouth football at its finest (and low-scoring).
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Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Penn State Nittany Lions Form
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Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Penn State Nittany Lions Key Points
- Penn State and Notre Dame have played on 19 previous occasions, with each team winning nine (one tie). Penn State won the last meeting in 2009, 31-10.
- They have both been ranked in eight prior matchups, with both winning four.
- James Franklin has an 8-6 bowl record.
- Notre Dame’s record in bowl games is 20-21.
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Our Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Penn State Nittany Lions Prediction
I’m not ready to bite on Penn State after the Nittany Lions handled a Group of Five conference champion. The way they limited Ashton Jeanty was impressive, but Notre Dame has a better offensive line and will not be as easy to overwhelm. At the same time, PSU’s offensive line is not going to lay down, either—especially with the two-headed monster they have running the ball (Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton). This game will end up being a lot like Notre Dame-Georgia, with enough passing to keep defenses honest. But both offenses will focus on establishing the run. That means scoring drives are going to be long. It also means the score is going to be low.
Our Penn State vs. Notre Dame Pick: UNDER 45.5 points
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