Notre Dame steals the Orange Bowl from Penn State in the final moments
The Fighting Irish advanced to the college football championship, where they will play the winner of Ohio State-Texas.
Notre Dame celebrates the Orange Bowl victory
In a stellar second half from quarterback Riley Leonard, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish rebounded in the College Football Playoff (CFP) semifinal against Penn State.
Penn State came into the matchup with a record of 13-2. They did not disappoint in the first half at Hard Rock Stadium, opening the scoring and going into halftime with a 10-3 lead.
With a three-yard touchdown run, Leonard tied the game in the third quarter, only to have Notre Dame take the lead in the final quarter. After an intense back-and-forth, with seconds left, Notre Dame kicker Mitch Jeter sealed the 27-24 victory.
Notre Dame thus earned its first national championship appearance since 2012. It will face the winner of Ohio State-Texas, who will play today at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
When is College Football Playoff Championship Game?
The date is unusually late for the college championship, which traditionally named its champion in the first few days of the year. However, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) expanded the playoff format to include more teams, pushing the championship game back.
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