Solely 4 groups are left standing after an unbelievable 2024 school soccer season. This was the primary 12 months of the expanded 12-team playoffs. That meant extra significant video games late within the season that wouldn’t have mattered up to now. On Thursday evening, the primary of the 2 nationwide semi-finals shall be performed.
The #7 Notre Dame Combating Irish will face the #6 Penn State Nittany Lions within the Orange Bowl. That is going to be a bodily soccer recreation between Notre Dame and Penn State. Each groups have elite defenses and may run the soccer with unbelievable success. Notre Dame is favored (-1) to win the sport by way of odds from BetOnline. They took down Georgia within the quarter-finals and Penn State has performed two lighter opponents to begin the postseason. Therefore the explanation why the Combating Irish are favored barely even when the Nittany Lions are the upper seed total. Tune into the sport tonight at 7:30 p.m. EST on ESPN.
Observe: Odds by way of BetOnline. Correct as of Jan. 9, 2025
Will Notre Dame or Penn State advance to the Nationwide Championship?
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— Capital One Orange Bowl (@OrangeBowl) January 9, 2025
#7 Notre Dame (-1) (-121 ML)
Of their second recreation of the 2024 season, Notre Dame misplaced 16-14 at dwelling to Northern Illinois. Since then, the Combating Irish have received 12 straight and are within the nationwide semi-final on Thursday evening. Marcus Freeman and his workforce have confronted Indiana and Georgia to get up to now. Notre Dame was considered one of 4 groups to host a house playoff recreation for the primary time and so they took full benefit of that chance. Regardless of the rating being 27-17 vs. Indiana, the sport was by no means notably shut. The Hoosiers scored rubbish time factors to make the rating look nearer than it was.
Notre Dame’s quarter-final matchup was vs. Kirby Good and the Georgia Bulldogs. The Irish received that recreation 23-10 and so they took down one of many prime packages within the nation. Georgia’s Gunnar Stockton made his first collegiate begin towards Notre Dame and struggled. On Thursday evening, Notre Dame shall be dealing with off vs. Penn State. Each groups have related strengths. We all know the Irish and Nittany Lions have sturdy defenses. Very like their recreation vs. Georgia, tonight’s matchup shall be about what workforce makes the least quantity of errors. Notre Dame made zero vs. the Bulldogs and that’s why they’re within the Orange Bowl.
#6 Penn State (+1) (+101 ML)
The 12-team school soccer playoff for groups like Penn State and Notre Dame. For years they’d end within the prime 12, however by no means within the prime 4 to make the playoffs. Enlargement has modified that and now Penn State is one recreation away from the Nationa Championship. Within the first spherical of the playoffs in 2024, Penn State hosted SMU. They have been the runner-ups within the ACC championship recreation however didn’t stand an opportunity vs. the Nittany Lions. SMU misplaced 38-10 and Penn State received with ease.
Of their second playoff recreation, Penn State confronted the Mountain West champion Boise State Broncos. They featured Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty who had an unbelievable season as RB. Nonetheless, Penn State’s protection bottled up Jeanty and the Nittany Lions received 31-14. Notre Dame is favored barely forward of Penn State within the Orange Bowl. They’ve confronted harder opponents in comparison with who Penn State has performed. Indiana and Georgia are higher wins than SMU and Boise State. Can the Nittany Lions use that as momentum tonight after they face Notre Dame? Head coach James Franklin will look to recover from the hump and erase the narrative that he can’t win a giant recreation. That is by far probably the most significant recreation in his tenure with Penn State.