Penn State star Abdul Carter is expected to play vs. Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinal, James Franklin said.

Notre Dame and Penn State have traveled shockingly similar paths to reach this year's College Football Playoff semifinal. Both are amongst the sports blue blood class of schools, both have struggled to find any kind of national success in recent decades,

Both teams advanced to penultimate round of the playoff with dominant wins. Notre Dame took care of Georgia in the Sugar Bowl behind a big game from quarterback Riley Leonard. Meanwhile Drew Allar and Tyler Warren showcased a special connection and had two touchdowns to lift Penn State over the Boise State Broncos last Friday.