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Would Penn State be an underdog against Texas or Ohio State if it makes the CFP title game?

Greg Pickelby: Greg Pickel01/09/25GregPickel
College Football Playoff Trophy
Adam Cairns | USA TODAY Sports

MIAMI — The semifinal round of the College Football Playoff starts tonight here at Hard Rock Stadium. No. 6 Penn State battles No. 7 Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Whoever wins the game faces the winner of a semifinal between No. 8 Ohio State and No. 5 Texas at the Cotton Bowl on Friday in the CFP title game on Jan. 20 in Atlanta. The Longhorns-Buckeyes matchup is at 7:30 p.m. ET and also on ESPN Jan. 10.

Penn State is a 1.5-point underdog opposite of the Fighting Irish. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, are a 5.5-point favorite over the Longhorns. FanDuel gives Ohio State commanding odds of -130 (a bettor would have to put up $130 to win $100) to win the title. It then lists Texas at 4.2-to-1, Notre Dame at 5-to-1, and Penn State last at 5.5-to-1. It is probably not a surprise to read, then, that head coach James Franklin’s team would be an underdog against either the Longhorns or Buckeyes if it beats the Fighting Irish.

In its hypothetical CFP title game matchups, FanDuel says Penn State would be a 9.5-point underdog against Ohio State, which it lost to 20-13 as a 3.5-point underdog at home back in November. The oddsmakers say the Lions would be just a 3.5-point underdog against the Longhorns. The two sides have not met since 1997.

Here are the full hypothetical betting board odds at FanDuel:

Notre Dame (+2.5) vs. Texas

Notre Dame (+8.5) vs. Ohio State

Penn State (+3.5) vs. Texas

Penn State (+9.5) vs. Ohio State

How to watch, stream Lions-Fighting Irish

ESPN is airing the game. Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (color commentary), Molly McGrath (sideline) and Katie Georgia (sideline) will be on the call.

ESPN+ is the streaming home of ESPN.

The Penn State Sports Network will also be on the radio airwaves with Steve Jones, Jack Ham, and Brian Tripp. It airs on 99.5 & 103.7 FM/1450 AM locally and at GoPSUSports.com online.

Penn State-Notre Dame CFP semifinal time and details

The Penn State-Notre Dame all-time series is deadlocked at 9-9-1. The two sides last met in 2007. Then, the Lions beat the Fighting Irish 31-10 at Beaver Stadium. ND took the first and only postseason matchup between the pair. It won the 1976 Gator Bowl 20-9 in Jacksonville, Fla.

Here are the details for tomorrow’s matchup:

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Date: Thur., Jan. 9
Location: Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Fla.
Weather: Hard Rock is an open-air venue, unlike State Farm Stadium where Penn State played in the quarterfinal. There is no rain in the forecast. The high on game day is 68 degrees and the low 53. Ten to 20 miles per hour wind should calm down closer to kickoff and not impact the contest.
The line: Notre Dame is a 1.5-point favorite.
Over/under: 45.5 points

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