Marcus Freeman is one all-important step away from reaching the point several of his most accomplished predecessors got to — leading Notre Dame football to a national championship in his third year at the helm in South Bend.
On Thursday night, the Fighting Irish will take on Penn State in the Orange Bowl, which is serving as one of the two College Football Playoff semifinals this season. With a victory in that matchup, Notre Dame would face either Ohio State or Texas in the national championship game on Jan. 20.
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The Irish are as hot as any team in the country, with 12 consecutive victories since a stunning loss to Northern Illinois. James Franklin and the Nittany Lions, meanwhile, have advanced to the national semifinals for the first time ever after defeating SMU and Boise State in the playoff’s first round and quarterfinals, respectively.
“College GameDay,” ESPN’s popular pregame show, was broadcasting live from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida ahead of the Notre Dame-Penn State matchup, with its panel making its customary picks at the end of the show.
Here’s who the “GameDay” crew of Kirk Herbstreit, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, Lee Corso and Desmond Howard picked to win between the Irish and Nittany Lions:
Notre Dame-Penn State picks for ‘College GameDay’: Who Nick Saban, Pat McAfee and Lee Corso picked
- Desmond Howard: Penn State
- Nick Saban: Notre Dame
- Pat McAfee: Penn State
- Lee Corso: Notre Dame
- Kirk Herbstreit: Notre Dame
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Every ‘College GameDay’ pick for Notre Dame-Penn State Orange Bowl game
