The playoff semifinal Thursday night against the Nittany Lions (13-2) will mark the deepest into January that Notre Dame has ever played; one more win would extend the Irish's longest season to 16 games. Coach Marcus Freeman responded by reducing the amount of contact at practice to keep players fresh, good training for the NFL's 17-game schedule.

Which team will earn the first spot into the College Football Playoff title game? Here's three things that could decide Notre Dame vs. Penn State.

We've got the Notre Dame vs. Georgia. The College Football playoffs enters its second round next week, and the Fighting Irish will face the Bulldogs in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Notre Dame breezed by Indiana to advance to the quarter-finals,