Joel Klatt picks winner of Notre Dame vs. Penn State in College Football Playoff

Joel Klatt broke down the Notre Dame–Penn State matchup in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Orange Bowl.

To sum up, it’s going to be a tight game. But Klatt trusts Notre Dame just a little bit more going into this one.

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That starts with head coach Marcus Freeman over James Franklin.

“I think both of these guys are very good coaches,” Klatt said on his podcast. “And I would just say this like I think that ultimately it comes down to, from a picks perspective, who do you trust? And after the Northern Illinois loss, I trust Marcus Freeman. Situationally, Notre Dame is very sound. Look at the way they executed that punt to offense, getting the offside, like situationally, this team understands how to perform and execute. 

“They also know who they are and lean into that blueprint defensively and offensively. They know what they are offensively, and they don’t generally veer outside of that.”

Klatt argued Notre Dame doesn’t get in its own way, but Penn State has a tendency to do so.

“That’s the one question I have about Penn State,” Klatt said. “And this is why I trust Notre Dame just a little bit more. From Penn State’s perspective, I love this team. This is a really, really good team that, at times, can get in their own way in these games. Think about it. Now, they had first and goal inside the 10 yard line against Ohio State in the fourth quarter in order to go in and tie that game. And all of a sudden, the guy who got them down there didn’t touch the football, in Tyler Warren, did they learn their lesson?”

Joel Klatt opting for Notre Dame over Penn State

“Didn’t seem like they did when all of a sudden, against Boise State, Kaytron Allen is the one going off,” Klatt added. “They’re going to run the football for 300 yards, if Kaytron Allen is just going to continue to get that outside zone carry. And they went away from it and became a pass first team against Boise State that has more sacks than anybody in the country.”

Again, it comes down to the trust factor and Klatt opted for Notre Dame over Penn State. Would it stun the Fox Sports analyst for the game to go the other way? No.

But he’s putting his money on the Fighting Irish.

“I don’t know if Penn State has learned a lesson,” Klatt said. “Why have they not had the tipping point victory? Because of things like this. Because you can’t overcome yourself and the opponents all the time in these games. You’ve got to play it correctly. So I’m going to trust Notre Dame in this game. I think it’s going to be tight. I think that Notre Dame wins 24-20, I think they cover the 1.5, it’s somewhat low scoring, I think it’s going to be a great game, and I can’t wait for it.”