The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Penn State Nittany Lions are getting ready for the Orange Bowl on Thursday night, which will double as a College Football Playoff semifinal. It’s also a game where each team is going to rely on its star players.

SMU found themselves on the playoff bubble. In the end, they secured their spot as the last team to qualify and faced Penn State in an away game. The game was a disaster for the Mustangs, who fell behind by as much as 35 points and ultimately lost 38-10.

The Big Ten and SEC have played five head-to-head games during Bowl Season. The Big Ten is 4-1 in those contests, the only loss being Iowa ‘s 27-24 Music City Bowl loss to Missouri. The conference also boasts two CFP Semifinal participants ( Ohio State, Penn State) to the SEC’s one ( Texas ).

When the College Football Playoff field was announced, many fans began analyzing which teams received the easiest draws. Some believed it was the No. 5 seed Texas Longhorns (13-2), as they were matched up against the two lowest-ranked conference champions: the No.

Paul Finebaum compared current conversations around Georgia to another SEC powerhouse with high expectations. On Monday's McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, Finebaum addressed a perception that the SEC is no longer a dominant entity.