Coming off a gutsy performance in the semifinal round, Notre Dame is just one game away from what would be its first national championship since the 1988 season

Just four teams remain in pursuit of a college football national championship. It all gets underway later tonight, when Notre Dame takes on Penn State in the Orange Bowl. The winner of that game will face the winner of Friday night’s Cotton Bowl Classic between Texas and Ohio State.

On the back end, Texas has allowed only eight passing scores this year and ranks No. 3 in pass defense success rate. All-American cornerback Jahdae Barron had a standout season with five interceptions and 11 pass breakups and is a key cog in the hopes of slowing down Ohio State receivers Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka.

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Texas will face Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium on Friday as an underdog for the first time since their win over Alabama in 2023. The Buckeyes have NFL talent in spades; some will be drafted this year and others are simply waiting to become eligible to turn pro.

The Athletic has live coverage of Notre Dame vs Penn State in the College Football Playoff Semifinal. We’re down to the Fearsome Four. That’s what I’m branding the national semifinals from now on anyway.

Ohio State is one of the premier college football programs in the country, and it commands the attention of almost every five-star prospect at the high school level. The Buckeyes have been notorious f

The second College Football Playoff semifinal pits 8 seed Ohio State against 5 seed Texas in the Cotton Bowl on Friday night.