The Fighting Irish (13-1) and the Nittany Lions (13-2) will square off Thursday in Miami, proud programs in pursuit of their first national championship since the 1980s.

A trip to the College Football Playoff National Championship will be on the line when (7) Notre Dame faces (6) Penn State in the Orange Bowl semifinal game on Thursday. It also will mark the 19th meeting between the programs with the all-time series deadlocked at 9-9-1.

The Notre Dame football team can do a lot of damage on the ground, but they don't possess a huge threat through the air. The Fighting Irish rank 108 out of 133 teams in passing offense. Quarterback Riley Leonard has 2,383 passing yards on the season, and he has 18 touchdowns and six interceptions.