Jimmie Kaylor revealed his College Football Playoff semifinal picks for Penn State vs. Notre Dame in the 2025 Orange Bowl on Thursday

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,

The Buckeyes’ defense will be tested by the high-flying Longhorns, who are 13-2 and rank 21st in scoring. Texas lost to Georgia twice this year but bounced back to beat Clemson in the first round and Arizona State in the Peach Bowl, approaching 40 points in both victories.

Since Notre Dame's season finale win in Los Angeles against USC on November 30, star running back Jeremiyah Love hasn't been quite right. He still dazzled with a 98-yard touchdown run in the first round of the College Football Playoff game against Indiana, while also battling a cold, but it was clear to see he was still not feeling quite right.

While Notre Dame’s win against Georgia was the first win in a big bowl game in more than 30 years, Penn State is still searching for that level of win under James Franklin. The Nittany Lions had the so-called easy path to the semifinals and took advantage with a dominant win against SMU and a comfortable win against Boise State.

Either Marcus Freeman or James Franklin will become the first Black head coach to make an FBS national championship game, and other story lines to watch.

Instead, Ohio State has rushed for 337 yards and six touchdowns in two CFP games. Putting up points against Oregon wasn’t surprising because the Ducks’ defense had poor performances in past matchups with CFP teams.