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

Notre Dame outlasted Penn State in a 27-24 thriller to reach the program's first national championship game since 2012 in the Orange Bowl. Thanks to the 12-team College Football Playoff format, the Fighting Irish officially became the first team to win multiple bowl games in the same season.

Notre Dame scored the final 10 points, including a 41-yard field goal by Mitch Jeter with eight seconds left, to squeeze past Penn State and advance to the national championship game.