Last night’s Orange Bowl showdown between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Penn State Nittany Lions more than lived up to the hype.
We all knew it was going to be a four quarter war with nothing coming easy. Every single inch of the field needed to be earned.
At the end of the day, it was Marcus Freeman’s gritty Irish coming out on top thanks to a game-winning 41-yard field goal by clutch kicker Mitch Jeter.
The game was an instant classic – especially for those who appreciate old-school, hard-nosed football.
FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd took it a step further and called the clash a “top 5 college football game ever.”
The first half offered a stark contrast to the electrifying final minutes.
Both offenses struggled, with Irish quarterback Riley Leonard throwing an early interception and later leaving the game in concussion protocol.
Backup quarterback Steve Angeli deserves a ton of credit for leading Notre Dame on a clutch drive resulting in a much-needed field goal at the end of the first half.
On the other side, Penn State’s talented 20-year-old quarterback Drew Allar struggled through the first three quarters of the game. (He came alive in the fourth and showed why he will one day be a top NFL draft pick.)
Despite the shaky start, Notre Dame found a way to persevere.
After trailing 10-0 early, they mounted a major comeback. But Penn State reclaimed momentum in the fourth quarter, tying the score, and ultimately taking a 24-17 lead with 7:55 remaining.
However, Leonard and Notre Dame proved why they are arguably the toughest team in the nation and came through when it mattered most.
The end result was a euphoric victory, the program’s biggest since their last national title back in 1988.
For Penn State, the loss ends a season filled with unanswered questions.
Despite reaching the College Football Playoff semifinals, critics point to the Nittany Lions’ lack of a signature win.
It’s no secret that James Franklin’s team had an easy path in the playoffs. Not that it was their fault, but the soft draw they received raised plenty of eyebrows in the college football world.
Franklin and company had a chance to silence all of the doubters with a win last night – and they almost pulled it off.
However, in the end, Penn State failed in a big spot against an elite team.
For many, it’s a result that has become way too predictable in the Franklin-era – and many Penn State fans have seen enough.
To no one’s surprise, social media was a very unfriendly place for Franklin last night as fans have begun calling for his firing.
Notre Dame awaits the winner of tonight’s Texas-Ohio State matchup in the Cotton Bowl. They will likely be underdogs no matter who they face in the title game. But if we’ve learned anything, it’s to never doubt the 2024 Fighting Irish.
What are your thoughts on Franklin as a coach? … Are the calls for his firing warranted?
Getting back to Cowherd’s statement, do you agree that last night’s classic was a “top 5” game of all time???
