Penn State was unable to corral Oregon’s offense in the Big Ten Championship though, allowing 496 total yards while dropping a 45-37 decision to the then undefeated Ducks. The Nittany Lions eviscerated SMU in the first round of the CFP Playoff,

ESPN voice Paul Finebaum is notorious for backing the SEC, but in this Orange Bowl matchup doesn't have a team from that conference to pick between, seeing as Notre Dame knocked out Georgia. So who does Finebaum have winning the showdown and heading to Atlanta?

The Athletic beat writers Pete Sampson (Notre Dame) and Audrey Snyder (Penn State) share their thoughts on the CFP semifinal.

Riley Leonard passed for a touchdown, Jayden Harrison returned a kickoff 98 yards for a score, and Notre Dame’s defense made it hold up in a 23-10 victory over No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl that sends the third-ranked Fighting Irish into the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.

Georgia football’s season came to an end. The Bulldogs fell to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, with the final score being 23-10. The late-game magic that propelled Georgia in their last two games was nowhere to be found.