Penn State, Notre Dame arrive at Orange Bowl with bigger game in mind

DANIA BEACH, Fla. — In a bygone era, going to the Orange Bowl meant a break from bad weather up north and captaining a successful season that, if things went well, ended with a championship trophy in the event.

This season, for Penn State (13-2) and Notre Dame (13-1), it’s the latest stop on the “One and Done” tour that college football has become.

The pair of iconic programs arrived in South Florida to prepare for the Orange Bowl, which doubles as the College Football Playoff semifinal this year. At stake: a trip to Atlanta to play for the national title on January 20th. The other semifinal, between Ohio State and Texas, is scheduled for the Cotton Bowl.

“You get to this point in the season, and when you’re out, you’re out,” Penn State tight end Khalil Dinkins said of what could be a 17-game season for the Nittany Lions. “It’s just important to know when it comes to how you approach these games.”

Only in college football is the concept of “lose and you’re out” in the postseason even remotely unique. The sport, which has revolved around bowl games like the Orange, Rose and Sugar for decades, has now incorporated them into a 12-team playoff that debuts this year.

Another unique part of this game is that any team that plays can win a national championship without fulfilling what used to be a literally tough requirement to get that far – winning a conference title.

Back in the day, and even in the last four-team playoff, the biggest games were reserved (mostly) for the conference champions, with a few runners-up and Notre Dame — which as an independent has no conference to win — sprinkled in.

“We understand what the stakes are,” said Xavier Watts of the Irish Security Council.

The Irish come in as 2 1/2-point favorites, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. They traveled to the Miami area with one less day between games than originally built into the schedule. Their Sugar Bowl game was postponed a day after the deadly New Year’s Eve truck attack in New Orleans’ French Quarter.

He made a seven-day turnaround for Notre Dame — nothing out of the ordinary for the regular season, but it’s condensed a bit this week because of the extra day off campus that comes with the bowl game, not to mention the importance of the game itself.

Among the biggest challenges in the game plan for Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden — the former Miami coach who has connections everywhere he looks this week — will be figuring out how to control Tyler Warren, Penn State’s 6-foot-6, 260-pound tight end who can catch , but can also throw and run.

“It’s never, like, me against him,” said Watts, who will see Warren often in this game. “There’s going to be a lot of people with different responsibilities, and whoever’s covering it, just ‘go do the job.'”

On the other hand, Penn State faces a Notre Dame team that has shown a willingness to mix things up.

Irish quarterback Riley Leonard had nearly as many yards rushing (80) as he did passing (90) in last week’s 23-10 win over Georgia, and his header over a Bulldogs defender for a first down late in the game showed what he’s ready to do for the win.

“How is it not common to see a quarterback doing everything he can to win?” Leonard said. “I just think it’s common sense.”

Leonard’s play came shortly after Notre Dame punted on fourth-and-short, only to be quickly replaced by the offense. That drew the Bulldogs offside and continued a late, clock-draining drive.

Receiver Jordan Faison said coaches aren’t shy about introducing new twists and turns during the season.

“It shows you the mental battle that always happens in this game,” Faison said.