Notre Dame 27 - Penn State 24: Reactions

Philly Sports and Culture Writer

Thursday, January 9, 2025

Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Luke Talich (28) tackles Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Kaden Saunders (7) during a kick off return in the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Notre Dame defeated Penn State in the Orange Bowl Thursday night, 27-24.

The game made for an entertaining night on social media, as fan bases of the teams don't break down across the typical Philly / non-Philly fault line. Both Notre Dame and Penn State have significant support in the city and surrounding areas.

There's nothing like seeing two guys with identical Jalen Hurts avatars go at each other's throats over a pass interference call.

Here are some of the best reactions of the night:

Penn State fans: “can we win ?”

Drew Allar : pic.twitter.com/0YrEbIXcQg
— 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯 (@xJahstin) January 10, 2025

It was a rough game for PSU quarterback Drew Allar.

Drew allar had 140 passing yards , should’ve had 3 interceptions
Missed this easy touchdown throw in the first quarter that ended in 3 Penn state points .. I better not see him on Any draft boards pic.twitter.com/0Udxksa8nL
— John (@iam_johnw) January 10, 2025

Penn State had 0 receptions from a WR tonight. pic.twitter.com/k1GE0G3pXY
— WTF Stats (@WTFstats) January 10, 2025

Drew Allar as soon as his defense gets him the ball back

pic.twitter.com/wKXt0LUeea
— Riley (@Ri_S_OB) January 10, 2025

Drew Allar tonight pic.twitter.com/Vdj4ltThpP
— Ballsack Sports (@BallsackSports) January 10, 2025

James Franklin, meanwhile, continues to cement his legacy as a head coach who simply can't beat top-tier teams.

James Franklin is now 1-15 vs. AP top-5 opponents as the head coach at Penn State pic.twitter.com/uvTUztVJ2q
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) January 10, 2025

Marcus Freeman has more wins against top 5 teams in the last 8 days than James Franklin has in his entire time at Penn State.
— FrankieV UHND ☘️ (@FrankieV_UHND) January 10, 2025

Notre Dame supporters took a well-deserved victory lap.

GOOD FROM 4️⃣1️⃣

MITCH JETER IS CLUTCH.

MR. JANUARY. #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/W3HO408OHQ
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) January 10, 2025

Imagine being an LSU fan realizing Brian Kelly was what was holding Notre Dame back the whole time pic.twitter.com/551TQBinRd
— . (@J0nesToChina) January 10, 2025

Notre Dame tricking LSU into overpaying for an okay coach that was too good to fire but not good enough to win big games and immediately upgrading is an all-time finesse move.
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) January 10, 2025

TEAM GLORY ☘️

ORANGE BOWL CHAMPIONS #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/CbqnL8fYTG
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) January 10, 2025

The Fighting Irish will face the winner of Friday's Ohio State / Texas matchup in the College Football Playoff National Championship.

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John Foley

Before joining OnPattison.com, John Foley was a Phillies beat writer for PHLY Sports and the founder of a popular independent Phillies newsletter. He has provided nontraditional local sports coverage since 2013. Foley grew up in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. He's a proud product of the Philadelphia public school system, a Penn State grad, and a Georgetown Law alum. A licensed attorney, he sits on the board of the Papermill Food Hub, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to helping families in need throughout the city. Find him on your favorite social media: @2008philz.