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.
Notre Dame won its first major bowl game in 31 years with a 23-10 win in the Sugar Bowl over Georgia. The Fighting Irish are making their third CFP semifinal appearance in program history and would advance to the national title game for the first time since the 2012 season with a win over the Nittany Lions.
The most dramatic quarterfinal game saw the Longhorns defeat (4) Arizona State in double overtime. Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers tossed a go-ahead touchdown pass to Gunnar Helm on the first play of the second extra period to give his team a 39-31 win.
The Buckeyes are coming off a 41-21 win over previously undefeated (1) Oregon in the Rose Bowl. They last appeared in the title game during the 2020 season and are seeking the program's first national championship since the inaugural four-team CFP in 2014 season.
As the College Football Playoff continues, here's a viewer's guide to help you navigate all the semifinals games on Thursday and Friday.
All times Eastern
College Football Playoff semifinal TV schedule
Orange Bowl -- (7) Notre Dame vs. (6) Penn State -- Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN, fuboTV (try for free): Injuries to key players on both sides create some major question marks ahead of this matchup. Penn State standout edge rusher Abdul Carter -- a projected top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft -- exited the against Boise State due to an injury. He is expected to play against Notre Dame. Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is in the same situation on the other side, with the team expressing optimism he'll be ready to go. This will mark the 19th meeting between the programs, with the all-time series knotted up at 9-9-1.
Cotton Bowl -- (8) Ohio State vs. (5) Texas -- Friday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN, fuboTV (try for free): If you haven't had the chance to watch Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith play, now is your chance. The star freshman is coming off a monster performance in the Rose Bowl against Oregon and is the x-Factor in the Cotton Bowl. He'll face off against a Texas defense that has been one of teh best in the country all year. Ohio State is trying to become just the fourth team ever with four wins wins against top-five ranked teams in a season.
