Penn State and Notre Dame will square off at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami for a spot in the national title game. If the Nittany Lions win, they’ll face either Ohio State or Texas in the CFP final at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Jan. 20.

It's been a long time since either Notre Dame or Penn State reached college football's mountaintop as national champions. It was 1988 for the Fighting Irish, 1986 for the Nittany Lions. There's been good seasons and bad seasons in the three-plus decades that have followed,

Notre Dame and Penn State have quite an extensive history together. Up until 1993, both teams were independents and their record against one another is deadlocked at 9-9-1. The upcoming battle in the CFP semifinals will give one of these proud brands the edge overall and earn the winning side a berth in the national title game.