It's been a long time since either Notre Dame or Penn State reached college football's mountaintop as national champions. It was 1988 for the Fighting Irish, 1986 for the Nittany Lions. There's been good seasons and bad seasons in the three-plus decades that have followed,

Notre Dame is fresh off its biggest win in 30 years. Can it record an even bigger one on Thursday night in Miami?

It's been a long time since either Notre Dame or Penn State reached major college football's mountaintop as its national champion.

One team will emerge from the CFP semifinal with a chance to end a 30-plus year national championship drought.

Notre Dame is a slim favorite over the Nittany Lions, but the teams enter the Orange Bowl evenly and uniquely matched.

Notre Dame won't score 20 points in regulation, but neither will Penn State. Yes, Georgia was playing their backup quarterback, but the Fighting Irish were locked in on defense in the Sugar Bowl, and they completely shut down Indiana as well. Penn State is going to have a lot of trouble getting anything going on offense.

This week's trip to South Florida isn't the first homecoming for Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden. He's come back in the years since the end of his tenure as head coach at the University of Miami.

After getting through the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, the Penn State Nittany Lions and Notre Dame Fighting Irish will clash in the Orange Bowl game to determine which team will move onto the national championship.

Notre Dame Al Golden hasn’t made this week about him and his connection with Penn State. The 55-year-old Golden played tight end

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden was a Penn State captain and almost its head coach. Now he leads the Fighting Irish's stout defense vs. the Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl.