The Penn State Nittany Lions are gearing up for one of their toughest challenges of the season, aside from their clash with the Ohio State Buckeyes. After an impressive win over the Boise State Broncos in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, Penn State is set to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Orange Bowl. Head coach James Franklin provided an update on star pass rusher Abdul Carter, who exited the game against Boise State with an injury.
“At this point, there’s nothing that should prevent him from playing,” Franklin said over the weekend. “But it’s really about how well he can perform. We’ll see how he progresses. His mentality is great, and he’s excited for this week, but it’s still too early to make a definite call.”
Franklin added that Carter’s attitude has been commendable, saying, “His approach has been spot on. It’s going to depend on how he feels and how much practice he can get in before the game.”
As anticipation builds for Thursday night’s matchup, the Penn State Football account on X (formerly Twitter) posted a succinct message: “Game 16,” accompanied by an orange emoji, signaling their readiness for the Orange Bowl.
Game 16 🍊#WeAre x #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/GgidPiI1b2
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) January 6, 2025
Notre Dame enters the game as a slight favorite, with a 2-point edge, and ESPN’s Football Power Index gives the Fighting Irish a 59.7% chance of victory. The winner of this game will advance to face either Ohio State or Texas, who play on Friday night. Penn State and Notre Dame’s showdown is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, with live coverage on ESPN.
