Penn State will play Notre Dame in the CFP semifinal. How the Nittany Lions, Irish compare

Penn State football now knows who it will be playing the Orange Bowl on Jan. 9.

The Nittany Lions will take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the College Football Playoff semifinals, with a berth in the national championship game on the line.

Here are three things to know about the Fighting Irish after their 23-10 win over Georgia on Thursday night in the Sugar Bowl.

Similar identity to Penn State

It would not be much of a surprise if the Nittany Lions’ matchup with Notre Dame looks a lot like the Sugar Bowl — a defensive struggle that is decided by explosive plays and turnovers. Both Penn State and the Fighting Irish have elite defenses, with both teams ranking in the top 10 in ESPN analyst Bill Connelly’s SP+, a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency.

And when they have the ball, both rely on the ground game to lead the way offensively, even if they get to it in different ways. Penn State leans on running backs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton to create on the ground, while the Irish utilize quarterback Riley Leonard as a major threat alongside running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. It is worth noting that Love was banged up in the game against Georgia and his status could be worth monitoring over the next week.

Irish passing game has struggled

While Notre Dame has an explosive rushing attack, it does not have a passing game on the same level as Penn State’s. Leonard has struggled as a passer for long stretches this season — including the Sugar Bowl when he completed 15 of his 24 passes for only 90 yards. He’s only thrown for at least 200 yards in a game five times this season and, while he has talented pass catchers, he’s been unable to capitalize on their ability.

Allar is a far better passer, although he has worse receivers. That being said, he’s been able to maximize tight end Tyler Warren this season, and that connection has been far more productive than any Leonard has made with his weapons. Warren’s 1,158 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 98 receptions are all more than Notre Dame’s top three pass catchers combined.

Takeaways help elevate ND defense

Notre Dame’s defense is among the best in the country, but what separates it from others is its ability to create turnovers. The Irish average 2.2 takeaways per game and will certainly be doing everything in their power to do the same against Penn State. That means punching the ball out at every opportunity and trying to jump passing lanes to pick off Allar.

While the Nittany Lions have utilized their passing game to elevate the offense in games the running game has sputtered, they will likely lean on running the ball to prevent the Irish from taking the ball away. That being said, Allar’s strength is his ability to create explosive plays with his arm. And it wouldn’t be a surprise if offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki schemes up his offense to bait the Irish into jumping routes, leaving other receivers open down the field for Allar.