It was a game for the ages. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish overcame deficits of 10-0 and 24-17 to defeat Penn State, 27-24, in the Orange Bowl, advancing to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Jan. 20. Here are the nine winners and losers from the contest.
Winner: Notre Dame
For the first time in 36 years, Notre Dame has a chance at calling themselves national champions. In an exceptional back-and-forth matchup, the Fighting Irish defeated Penn State to earn a spot against either Ohio State or Texas in the title game.
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Loser: Penn State
Penn State’s dreams of their first national championship since 1986 are over. The Nittany Lions had their chances, but mistakes and poor execution from quarterback Drew Allar proved costly.
Winner: Marcus Freeman
Marcus Freeman, in just his third season as Notre Dame head coach, will lead the Fighting Irish to the national championship game. He makes history as the first Black head coach to appear in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, securing his legacy regardless of the outcome.
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Loser: James Franklin
James Franklin’s struggles in big games continue, as Penn State squandered leads of 10-0 and 24-17 in the semifinals. The Penn State coach’s record against top-10 teams falls to 4-20 during his tenure at Happy Valley as Franklin will continue to be ostracized.
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Winner: Riley Leonard
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard, despite throwing two interceptions and missing the end of the second quarter for concussion protocols, led the Fighting Irish to 24 second-half points. He threw a 54-yard touchdown to Jaden Greathouse and ran for another, finishing with 223 passing yards and 35 rushing yards.
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Loser: Drew Allar
Drew Allar’s performance was one to forget. The Penn State quarterback made questionable decisions throughout, and though two potential interceptions in the end zone were overturned by officials, his interception with 33 seconds remaining at his own 42-yard line set up Notre Dame’s game-winning field goal. He threw for only 135 passing yards and didn’t complete a pass to a wide receiver all night.
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Winner: Steve Angeli
Notre Dame backup quarterback Steve Angeli rose to the occasion when Leonard entered concussion protocol late in the second quarter. The junior, who had attempted just 28 passes this season, completed 6 of 7 passes for 44 yards, leading the Fighting Irish to their first points via field goal.
Loser: Referee crew
The officiating crew, led by Big 12 referee Michael Vandervelde, made two controversial pass interference calls against Notre Dame, negating two end zone interceptions. The second call, on an Allar throw into double coverage, was particularly questionable. Those calls resulted in 13 points for Penn State.
Winner: Nicholas Singleton
Despite the loss, Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton etched his name in program history with three rushing touchdowns in the Orange Bowl. He finished with 84 yards on 15 carries.
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Loser: Bettors Who Took The Under
The betting experts proved fallible once again. Many predicted a defensive struggle that would fall well under the 45.5-point total. Instead, Notre Dame and Penn State combined to clear the over with 51 points.
Winner: Mitch Jeter
If Derek Jeter is Mr. November, then Mitch Jeter is Mr. January. The Notre Dame kicker booted a game-winning 42-yard field goal despite the Fighting Irish ranking as the nation’s worst field-goal kicking team during the regular season.