"Never been so happy to have a Notre Dame football game on TV": Fans fired up as Orange Bowl showdown lives up to the hype

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish versus Penn State Nittany Lions showdown in the Orange Bowl turned into a fight to the finish. Both teams battled it out in the CFP semifinal game to book a spot in this season's national championship game.

Notre Dame walked away from Hard Rock Stadium with the win and a ticket to the national championship game after beating Penn State 27-24.

Fans took to social media to talk about the hype surrounding the Orange Bowl and the high-octane action that took place on the field.

One fan praised the Fighting Irish for their resilience despite being a Penn State supporter, stating that it was fun watching them compete on the field.

"Not gonna lie...I've never been so happy to have a Notre Dame football game on television. I mean, I've never been happy to watch ND, but at least it's a channel that isn't just about the fires. That said....Go Penn St."

Another fan said that the 2025 Orange Bowl showdown will be remembered for a long time:

"Instant classic at the Orange Bowl. Notre Dame was all dead and buried after the NIU loss. And man, it's going to be a long season for Penn State. Particularly Drew Allar. He has a lot of upside, but that was not good."

This fan felt that the fourth quarter of the CFP semifinal between Notre Dame and Penn State was exhilarating:

"4th quarter of the Orange Bowl was peak college football."

Another fan hoped that the Cotton Bowl Classic showdown between the Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes has the same hype as the Orange Bowl:

"Excellent Orange Bowl, here's to hoping we get another great game tomorrow."

One fan added that this CFP semifinal game will be remembered as a classic college football showdown:

"All time classic Orange Bowl tonight."

One fan commented that the Orange Bowl game was unpredictable to the end:

"What a treat to watch the Orange Bowl tonight. Full of twists and turns. That was full value."

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Notre Dame advances to natty final after dramatic victory in Orange Bowl

After an even display of skills on the field, Marcus Freeman's team took the lead early in the fourth quarter thanks to a two-yard TD run by Jeremiyah Love.

However, their happiness was short-lived as Penn State RB Nicholas Singleton scored two back-to-back touchdowns to give his team a 24-17 lead. It looked like James Franklin's team had the victory in the bag.

However, with just over four minutes remaining in the game, Notre Dame bounced back thanks to a 54-yard TD pass from Riley Leonard which leveled the playing field once again.

Marcus Freeman and his team then left college football fans in shock. In what looked like an OT finale, Notre Dame secured the victory with just a few seconds left thanks to a 41-yard field goal by Mitch Jeter. They will now face either Texas or Ohio State in the national championship game on Jan. 20.