ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit with hi dog Peter during the fourth quarter of the Orange Bowl on Jan. 9, 2025. Joe Hermitt | [email protected] Joe Hermitt | [email protected]

As Notre Dame and Penn State look to claim their first national championship since the Reagan administration—the Irish last won the title just 18 days before the Gipper left the White House in 1989, while the Nittany Lions claimed their second natty two years earlier—ESPN will be blessed with what amounts to an open field.

Just before kickoff at the Orange Bowl the ESPN College GameDay crew was on-hand and made their picks for the national semifinal game between Notre Dame and Penn State. Experts from across the sport have weighed in over the last week with picks for the game being very split.