James Franklin and the Nittany Lions are one win away from their first national title game appearance since 1986. First they'll have to defeat the Fighting Irish.

Both ESPN's matchup analytics and the betting odds are favoring Notre Dame. The Notre Dame vs. Penn State football game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT start on ESPN on Thursday, Jan. 9. Sean McDonough is expected to do the play-by-play. Greg McElroy is expected to join him in the booth.

The No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions face the No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a College Football Playoff national semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl today. This game is available on multiple streaming services for free.