A trip to the College Football Playoff National Championship will be on the line when (7) Notre Dame faces (6) Penn State in the Orange Bowl semifinal game on Thursday. It also will mark the 19th meeting between the programs with the all-time series deadlocked at 9-9-1.

It’s been a long time since either Notre Dame or Penn State reached college football’s mountaintop as national champions.

Orange Bowl coaches James Franklin of Penn State and Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame discuss key injuries to Jeremiyah Love and Abdul Carter ahead of the game.

The semifinals of the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff begin Thursday with a blockbuster Orange Bowl matchup between (6) Penn State and (7) Notre Dame. Both teams have leaned heavily on their defenses and run games to reach the doorstep of the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Penn State coach James Franklin and Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman sat side-by-side Wednesday morning well aware of the significant moment that awaits them. It goes far beyond football.

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

Carter, who accumulated 11 sacks on the year is looking to return after suffering an an upper-body injury in Penn State’s quarterfinal match against Boise State

ESPN will devote multiple channels to coverage of the Orange Bowl between the Nittany Lions and the Fighting Irish.