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Irish run game standing between Lions and title shot

By Andy Stine astine@altoonamirror.com Who would have thought Penn State would still be playing in January just a couple months ago? The Nittany Lions have the chance to punch their ticket into the College Football Playoff national championship with a win over Notre Dame in tonight’s Orange Bowl. It would be PSU’s first title appearance since the 1987 Fiesta Bowl. The Lions, which are 1.5-point underdogs, would play the winner of Friday night’s Cotton Bowl with Ohio State and Texas. The Fighting Irish are probably the most talented team out of any opponent Penn State has ...

Nittany Lions lose heartbreaker to Notre Dame, 27-24

By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Nittany Lions’ national championship dreams died hard. Penn State jumped out to an early double-digit lead, but Notre Dame got stronger as the Orange Bowl game wore on and defeated the Lions, 27-24, in a College Football Playoff semifinal Thursday night before 66,881 at Hard Rock Stadium. The Irish, now 14-1, now advance to play the winner of the other CFP semifinal between Ohio State and Texas, set for tonight at the Cotton Bowl. Penn State’s season ended after two CFP victories at 13-3. After the Lions jumped ...

Subs for Carter getting ready

By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com FORT LAUDERDALE — With the status of Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter in question for Thursday night’s College Football Playoff semifinal between the Nittany Lions and Notre Dame, PSU defensive coordinator Tom Allen continues to get backups ready to play. “We’ve got a lot of older and younger guys, and if they’re called upon, they’ll be ready,” he said Tuesday. Carter suffered an arm/shoulder injury against Boise State in a CFP quarterfinal game last week and is “doing everything he can do” to play, Allen said. But ...

Sun Belt region could be minus a title again

By Eric Olson The Associated Press If Ohio State beats Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinals, the sport will be assured of having consecutive national champions from outside the Sun Belt region for the first time in three decades. The possibility means the playoff’s expansion from four to 12 teams accomplished one of its major goals, which was to get more schools from across the nation, not just the warm-weather locales, involved in the championship race. Cold-weather schools Penn State, a first-time CFP qualifier, and Notre Dame meet in the first semifinal at the ...

Hoops Du Jour

Men: Penn State at Illinois Tipoff: 9 p.m., State Farm Center, Champaign, Illinois Records: Penn State (Penn State 12-3, Big Ten 2-2), Illinois (11-3, Big Ten 3-1) TV: Big Ten Network (Jeff Levering, Shon Morris and Andy Katz) Radio: Penn State Sports Network Satellite: Sirius XM Notable: Illinois rose nine spots to No. 13 in the Associated Press poll following a 109-77 rout of then-No. 9 Oregon last Thursday, and its win at Washington this past Sunday. … The Illini are 7-1 at home and are on a four-game winning streak. … Their losses are to Alabama, Tennessee (No. 1 in ...

What is your biggest concern vs. Notre Dame?

Carter’s injury, stopping Fighting Irish run game By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com Through 15 games — that’s crazy, right? — I think Penn State’s offense has shown enough versatility to be able to score through the air or on the ground. With the Nittany Lions one win from an unlikely appearance in the national championship game, I’m a little more concerned about the defense, especially with Abdul Carter’s status being questionable. At James Franklin’s most recent weekend availability — he’s scheduled to meet the media again tonight in Fort Lauderdale ...