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.

Two more blue blood programs are on the same field today as a historic college football postseason schedule kicks off the first of two semifinal games. Notre Da

O n Thursday, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish play the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl, which doubles as one of the college football playoff semifinals. The game marks t

Notre Dame last won a national championship in 1988. Penn State hasn't been crowned champion of college football since 1986. These blue blood programs are two wins away from a title and meet tonight in the Orange Bowl for the first semifinal of the College Football Playoff.

The Fighting Irish opened as favorites against the Nittany Lions for the semifinal set to take place in the Orange Bowl. Notre Dame opened as a 2.5-point favorite, but the spread is -1 on the day of the game.

The Nittany Lions enter the semifinal with two extra days of rest — following the postponement of the Sugar Bowl — that Notre Dame needed even more.

Notre Dame starting quarterback Riley Leonard has proven to be a difficult quarterback to prepare for as the Irish sit one game away from a national championship appearance. While Leonard doesn't always jump off the page with his arm talent,

Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard, 22, majored in public policy at Duke with a minor in markets and management studies.

Notre Dame football offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock on the value of 1-on-1 meetings with Riley Leonard this season.