The Fighting Irish are favored over the Nittany Lions in the 20th all-time meeting between the two programs. The series between Notre Dame and Penn State is tied, 9-9-1.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will be playing for the national championship after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions 27-24 in the Capital One Orange Bowl. The Irish will advance after winning the College Football Playoff semifinal matchup thanks to the right foot of kicker Mitch Jeter. And the hands of Christian Gray.

Penn State’s longtime mascot is a common mountain lion, the kind that roamed the mountains near the school’s State College campus until the late 19th century. One of the Nittany Lions’ historic rivals, the Pitt Panthers, has a similar taxonomic nickname for a similar reason.