Bowl season gets back underway on Thursday, January 9, with the Penn State Nittany Lions against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Orange Bowl. This year, among the many changes to the format, the Orange Bowl will double up as the first semi-final of the 2024-25 College Football Playoff tournament.

Ohio State ’s Ryan Day, Texas’ Steve Sarkisian, Notre Dame ’s Marcus Freeman and Penn State ’s James Franklin are the final four. None has won a national championship as a head coach, making this season the third out of the last four in which the title will go to a head coach who has never won one.

The first College Football Playoff semifinal will feature Penn State and Notre Dame. A breakdown of the keys to victory in the Orange Bowl.