Even though Penn State head coach James Franklin wants to see every team in college football affiliated with a conference, Notre Dame continues to

THE NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH It's not the luck of the Irish. It's the skill, the grit, the perseverance, the clutch factor. Notre Dame beat Penn State, 27-24, in the Orange Bowl to advance to the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Notre Dame football didn't do much right in the first half against Penn State, but in a second half where it needed to be better, it was.