The College Football Playoff field has been narrowed to four teams, with (6) Penn State, (7) Notre Dame, (5) Texas, and (8) Ohio State remaining in the national title hunt. The Nittany Lions defeated (3) Boise State in the first quarterfinal game on New Year's Eve to set up a date with the Fighting Irish in the Orange Bowl on Thursday.

Penn State, including two Cincinnati natives, will face Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Orange Bowl Thursday night.

In an era that is now long gone, a trip to the Orange Bowl meant a break from the rough weather up north and the capper to a successful season that might even end with a championship trophy in the cas