Golic, who played for the Fighting Irish, sees plenty of similarities between the teams, including the narratives surrounding them.

No. 7 seed Notre Dame and No. 6 seed Penn State will face off in the Orange Bowl on Thursday night in the first of two College Football Playoff semifinal matchups. On the line is a spot in the College Football Playoff National Championship as both programs are hunting for their first national title in almost 40 years.

Penn State defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton celebrates a sack during the fourth quarter of the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31, 2024. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com Penn State (13-2) and Notre Dame (13-1) meet Thursday night in the Orange Bowl.