The College Football Playoff semifinals are finally upon us, and the excitement is building as four powerhouse programs vie for the national championship.
Tonight, Notre Dame will clash with Penn State in the Orange Bowl, while Texas and Ohio State are set to square off tomorrow evening in the Cotton Bowl.
Despite all four teams being storied programs with devoted fan followings, a recent study by BetOnline reveals that Notre Dame has captured the hearts of most of America heading into the playoffs.
The conclusion was based on an analysis of geotagged X data gathered between last Thursday night, when the semifinal matchups were announced, and now.
The study tracked fan hashtags associated with each team and documented over 180,000 posts on X.
The results? Notre Dame was the overwhelming favorite, winning the support of 40 of the 50 states.
Penn State claimed its home turf of Pennsylvania as well as New Jersey, Michigan, Maryland, and Alaska.
Texas dominated its home state along with Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Meanwhile, Ohio State’s support was largely limited to the state of Ohio.
The accompanying map, shared by BetOnline, illustrates the geographic breakdown of fan support.
Notre Dame’s broad appeal isn’t entirely surprising.
Like the Dallas Cowboys and New York Yankees, the Fighting Irish have long been a nationally recognized brand with a massive following.
However, they also share the Cowboys’ and Yankees’ reputation for being polarizing, often loved or hated with no room for middle ground.
Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish will attempt to punch their ticket to the national championship game with a victory over Penn State tonight.
Kickoff from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami is set for 7:30pm EST.
While it certainly isn’t an exact science, what are your thoughts on the findings that Notre Dame stands tall as America’s Team?
More importantly, who do you think is going to win the national championship???
