On Thursday night, Penn State will play arguably its biggest football game since the 1987 Fiesta Bowl when it battles the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Orange Bowl. The winner of the College Football Playoff semi-final at the Orange Bowl will advance to the National Championship Game.
It will be a battle between two of college football's true blue bloods and two of the best uniforms in the sport on Thursday night. Most importantly, it is shaping up to be a hell of a football game between two of the best teams in the country.
The last thing to do in preparation for the game is to go behind enemy lines. Today, we will do that by catching up with Tyler James of Inside ND Sports. Let's dive into what Tyler had to say about how people in Irish circles are feeling ahead of this clash.
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HVI: Following the week two loss against Northern Illinois, from the outside looking in, it not only appeared the Irish season was over, but that Marcus Freeman's tenure may not be far behind. Not that the Irish have won 12 in a row and are a win away from the National Championship Game, what is the overall feeling among the fan base about Freeman?
TJ: Marcus Freeman has been easy to like since the day he was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach. He's genuine and really bought into Notre Dame's football program and the university. So to see the success Freeman has had this season, Notre Dame fans are pretty excited about Freeman and where this program as headed. There's been questions about him as an inexperienced in-game coach, but he pushed all the right buttons and made Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, a two-time national champion, look like the lesser coach in the Sugar Bowl.
HVI: Both Penn State and Notre Dame are battling some pretty major injuries coming into this game. What is the status of Jeremiyah Love and Howard Cross? Will either be close to 100% for Thursday?
TJ: Almost certainly not 100%. Cross should be the closer to healthy of the two. Cross is dealing with an ankle issue that forced him to miss games late in the season, but he's played in both of the playoff games. He apparently reaggravated it a bit against Georgia, but he returned to the game after that.
Love didn't return after his right knee issue came up again. It's something he's been dealing with since the USC game. He looked pretty limited when we got a look at him in practice early in the week. But ND expects him to play and try to tough it out. But I think Notre Dame will have to rely on its other running backs more.
HVI: Assuming Love is limited, how does that change Notre Dame's offensive approach? Do you believe they'll lean heavily on the legs of Riley Leonard once again?
TJ: I don't think it will change the offense too much. Notre Dame has a lot of faith in Jadarian Price, who's a talented running back in his own right. He's not quite as physical and not quite as fast as Love, but he's proven to be capable of making big plays. He isn't as good of pass catcher as Love though. Notre Dame can also use freshman running back Aneyas Williams, who carved out a third-down role this season. The trust in him has only grown.
Leonard is always going to be a part of Notre Dame's rushing attack. ND likes to use him in short-yardage situations and pick up some easier yards with some quarterback draws. Where he can be the most frustrating for defenses is scrambling for gains on passing plays.
HVI: What are some ways you believe Penn State can find success against Notre Dame's defense?
TJ: I do think Tyler Warren is going to be a tough weapon for Notre Dame to completely shut down. The Irish haven't played a lot of good tight ends this season, and certainly no one even close to Warren's ability. I also think Drew Allar will be able to move the ball a bit in the passing game. Notre Dame's been giving up more passing yardage as of late, but it makes up for it with turnovers and in the red zone. Notre Dame has to do a lot to generate pressure, which can put its secondary in tough coverage situations.
HVI: What is your prediction for the game and why?
TJ: I've picked Notre Dame to win 24-17. I think both defenses will play well and it will come down to a handful of big plays that push the game in one direction. I just like Notre Dame's track record on defense and special teams to push the game in favor of the Irish.
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