Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) celebrates a touch down in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish punched their ticket to the National Championship on Thursday night, defeating Penn State 27-24 in the Orange Bowl to clinch their first appearance in a title game since the 2012 season.

Jeremiyah Love could not be kept out of the end zone during Notre Dame’s Orange Bowl battle with Penn State on Thursday night, and gave an incredible effort to score a wild touchdown for the Fighting Irish. Love’s Herculean effort to get into the end zone early in the fourth quarter briefly gave Notre Dame their first lead of the game.