What does it feel to be an independent college football team? For one, you won’t be getting the support of the conferences. Recruiting challenges can also emerge as players seek the stability of conference play. And yes, it makes it harder for an independent team to reach the playoffs over conference teams. But this season, Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame beat all odds and highlighted the benefit of being an independent team. The Fighting Irish’s lucrative situation even had the excitement of the 2024 Heisman winner. 

Every team that reached the CFP semifinals will get $14 million for their conferences. But hey, Notre Dame has no conference so the dough belongs to the program alone. Colorado’s two-way weapon Travis Hunter has advice for Notre Dame’s playoff gains on January 9’s YouTube episode on The Travis Hunter Show. With a wide smile, he stated, “Notre Dame, I think what the players should get, I don’t know how many players they got on there but $14 million. The players got you there, the coaches got you there. I think everybody should get a little piece.”

Travis Hunter added that they could split the $14 million and distribute it like “50K here, 25K here.” He believes this kind of money would be able to transform some people’s lives. The 21-year-old boldly declared, “That can definitely take a lot of people some ways, you know, help them start businesses and start stuff you know help family members out.” A selfless and noble idea right there!

After its establishment in 1842, Notre Dame went independent in 1887 by locking in an exclusive television deal with NBC. This means less pressure but more limitations. The top four seeds in the playoffs are reserved for the conference champions so the best Marcus Freeman can push his team to is at the No. 5 seed. And that’s what the Fighting Irish did this season. Also, less pressure means a more flexible schedule as they don’t have conference games and championships to worry about. This gave them ample time to prepare for their Sugar Bowl clash with Georgia whom they crushed 23-10 to advance to the Orange Bowl. Can they survive this crucial faceoff against No 6. Penn State?

Notre Dame vs Penn State – Situational similarities 

With just one loss, Notre Dame is set to meet 13-2 Penn State who will try to give them the same record and threaten their path to the National Championship. James Franklin’s Nittany Lions have been a force all season. They’re entering the game after knocking out Boise State 31-14 out of the playoffs in the Fiesta Bowl. But the excitement of the Orange Bowl is that both teams have similar situations.

Both Notre Dame and Penn State are defensive powerhouses ranking second and seventh in scoring defense, respectively. They’ve both allowed 16 points or fewer per game. This year’s Orange Bowl will mark the 6th time both teams have appeared on it separately. The last time Penn State won the bowl game was in 2006 as they boast a 4-1 record. Notre Dame has a 2-3 record with their last appearance coming in 1996. 

Last, but not the least, this game is going to give either James Franklin or Marcus Freeman a chance of the honor of being the first Black coach to win a big championship. So, Hard Rock Stadium is going to be packed with action on January 10.