MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — A diving interception off an ill-advised pass set up Notre Dame’s trip to play for the program’s 12th national title after a thrill-a-minute 27-24 victory over Penn State on Thursday night in the semifinal at the Orange Bowl. Fighting Irish defensive back Christian Gray snared Drew Allar’s pass across the middle at the Nittany Lions 42 with 33 seconds left, then the Irish moved 19 yards to set up Mitch Jeter’s 41-yard winner with 7 seconds left. Notre Dame (14-1), seeded seventh in this, the first 12-team college playoff, will have a chance to bring its first title since 1988 back under the Golden Dome with a game Jan. 20 against the winner of Friday night’s Texas-Ohio State semifinal.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Ohio State and Texas are both seeking a chance to end national title droughts. The powerhouse programs meet in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl. The winner advances to the national title game to play Notre Dame on January 20. Ohio State is the only team to appear in four of the last six CFPs, but its last national title was 10 years ago. That was the first season of the four-team College Football Playoff, when the Buckeyes won the title at AT&T Stadium. That is where they play the in-state Longhorns on Friday night. Texas’ last national title was 19 years ago.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Drew Allar’s critical interception sealed Penn State’s loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Orange Bowl. Allar entered with just seven interceptions this season but he threw an off-target pass over the middle toward receiver Omari Evans with 33 seconds remaining. It ended up in the hands of Notre Dame cornerback Christian Gray. The Irish, not needing many yards to get in kicker Mitch Jeter’s range, moved inside the 25. Jeter’s 41-yarder sealed a 27-24 win for Notre Dame that sent the Irish to the national title game.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard briefly went out of the game, then returned to find the end zone in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Penn State on Thursday night at the Orange Bowl. Leonard missed much of Notre Dame’s final drive of the first half while being evaluated for a concussion, Irish coach Marcus Freeman told ESPN. Leonard was “asymptomatic,” ESPN quoted Leonard as saying, and he started the second half. He led an eight-play, 75-yard drive and capped it with a 3-yard touchdown run that pulled Notre Dame into a 10-10 tie. Leonard went into the medical tent with about two minutes left in the half after a play where he was hit by Penn State’s Zane Durant and Dvon J-Thomas.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Penn State All-America defensive end Abdul Carter has taken the field as a starter for Thursday night’s College Football Playoff semifinal against Notre Dame at the Orange Bowl, after days of speculation about whether he would be available. Carter — the Big Ten defensive player of the year — was expected to be a game-time decision for the sixth-seeded Nittany Lions.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 16 points apiece to lead No. 20 Purdue to a 68-50 win over Rutgers. Smith, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week, had 14 assists on Thursday night. Fletcher Loyer added 13 points, giving him 1,009 for his career. He joined Smith in the 1,000-point barrier, which Smith accomplished earlier in the week. Freshman sensation Ace Bailey led Rutgers with 17 points. This was the second consecutive game in which the Scarlet Knights trailed throughout. They have dropped four of their last five games.
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Jaden Akins scored 20 points and No. 16 Michigan State extended its winning streak to eight games by rolling past Washington, 88-54, on Thursday. Jeremy Fears Jr. recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 assists for Michigan State (14-2 overall, 4-0 Big Ten), which pulled even with archrival Michigan for the conference lead. Jase Richardson had 12 points and Tre Holloman added 11 with six assists. The Spartans, who trailed for only nine seconds, led 42-13 at halftime.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Columbus, Ohio, attorney and former state Sen. Ben Espy will be remembered at a service for his decades of service to the state and city. Espy died Jan. 4 at age 81 after a brief illness and the service is scheduled for Monday. He played football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and broke racial barriers as the first Black president pro tem of Columbus City Council and first Black minority leader of the Ohio Senate. He was a Democrat, but garnered respect from members of both parties. Espy was tapped to lead an investigation into sexual harassment allegations at the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and was the keynote speaker at Republican Maureen O’Connor’s swearing-in as chief justice.
