Can Penn State power past Notre Dame in their national semifinal? Inquirer writers offer their predictions

Penn State is one win away from its first appearance in a national championship game since 1986, and its head coach has a chance to become the first coach of color to lead a team to the NCAA Division I title game.

However, to get there, the sixth-seeded Nittany Lions will face their toughest challenge in the College Football Playoff semifinal against No. 7 seed Notre Dame on Thursday (7:30 p.m., ESPN), reigniting a classic rivalry between the two schools that has spanned decades.

Both teams are dealing with injuries, but Penn State has had two more days of rest in preparation after beating Boise State, 31-14, in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve. Following a delay from its New Year’s Day game in the Sugar Bowl because of a terrorist attack, Notre Dame celebrated a 23-10 win over No. 2 Georgia to book its trip to the college playoff semifinal.

The Fighting Irish enter with a potent rushing attack, one that averaged 217 ½ yards per game this season spearheaded by sophomore running back Jeremiyah Love. Love, who is nursing a knee injury, is expected to play, according to Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman, after he aggravated the injury he sustained against Southern Cal on Nov. 30.

» READ MORE: Penn State anticipates the return of defensive end Abdul Carter ahead of Thursday’s Orange Bowl

Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard is a shifty dual threat who amassed 831 yards on the ground this season and was second on the team in rushing touchdowns with 15.

The Nittany Lions have shown they can stop the run, which was the game plan that afforded them a trip to the semifinal. A main facet of beating Boise State was stopping Ashton Jeanty, the best running back in the nation, who entered the game leading college football with 2,497 rushing yards.

Penn State held him to 104 yards on 30 carries.

Ahead of Thursday’s clash, Inquirer writers Devin Jackson, Kerith Gabriel, and Avery Hill offer their predictions on which team will advance to play the Ohio State-Texas winner for the championship on Jan. 20 (7:30 p.m., ESPN).

» READ MORE: Classic Penn State-Notre Dame games in the 1980s and ’90s: Two-point tries, frigid cold, and a tug at a kilt

Devin Jackson: Sizing up this Notre Dame-Penn State Orange Bowl is a tough task. These two teams are run-dominant and can overwhelm their opponents in the third and fourth quarters with multiple threats in the backfield. The stars of the game, Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, are both banged up, but I expect both to play Thursday night and have some sort of impact.

But the X factors of the game will be Penn State wideout Omari Evans, who can stretch the field with his game-changing speed, and Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts and his potential to keep Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren in check. This game will come down to which offense can come away with touchdowns in the red zone. Notre Dame has had the tougher path in the College Football Playoff, but Penn State is battle-tested and has the experience at nearly every position to handle the moment. I’m picking the Nittany Lions to squeak by and close out the game with fourth-quarter drives similar to the ones they produced to beat Boise State and SMU.

I think James Franklin finally earns that signature win he’s been champing at the bit to get.

Prediction: Penn State 24, Notre Dame 23

Kerith Gabriel: Notre Dame’s defense has to contain far too many Penn State weapons. While the Fighting Irish have been primarily effective at pass rushing and locking down opposing wideouts this season, and Penn State boasts arguably two of the best receivers in the country and the best tight end in the nation in Tyler Warren, these past few Nittany Lions games might have proved that’s not necessarily the strong suit anymore.

Penn State running backs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton have been dominant during this CFP run and with both entering healthy and determined, say what you want about the passing game and Penn State’s top-10 defense on the other side, but I’ll have my eyes peeled on what Allen and Singleton do as a major key.

Prediction: Penn State 27, Notre Dame 21

Avery Hill: With both defenses playing extremely well and many similarities on each side, expect a low-scoring game with Franklin looking to prove the doubters wrong with tons of aggressive decisions. Both running games will come to play, although their drives tend to stall out past midfield. The game’s big matchup becomes Penn State’s Warren against Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts. Warren comes to play, but Watts gets the best of the tight end when it matters most, stopping a potential game-winning drive by Penn State to send Notre Dame to the national championship game.

Prediction: Notre Dame 21, Penn State 16

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