We are extremely close to finding out who will play for the College Football Playoff title in the inaugural 12-team tournament. The first semifinal comes Thursday, when the Penn State Nittany Lions take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Orange Bowl. The second semifinal, and easily one of the most anticipated matchups of the entire season, is in the Cotton Bowl between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas Longhorns on Friday.
Before the real excitement begins, though, we have a potential look at what the outcomes could be via two simulations from EA Sports College Football 25.
Penn State vs. Notre Dame
The first game between Penn State and Notre Dame has the Fighting Irish favored by just 1.5 points entering Thursday. The low spread, a signal that the game is a close call, was extremely accurate according to the video game. The simulation needed an extra period, with Notre Dame collecting a 31-24 win in overtime.
The scoring for the game favored the Fighting Irish early. Quarterback Riley Leonard connected with star running back Jeremiyah Love on a 23-yard touchdown pass, giving the historic program a 7-0 lead against the Big Ten foe.
Penn State answered back quickly, though. Quarterback Drew Allar hit wide receiver Julian Fleming for a 10-yard touchdown just under four minutes later.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Penn State Nittany Lions | 2025 Orange Bowl | College Football 25 Sim
The game would end up being a back-and-forth affair, with the two teams tied 14-14 at halftime. Penn State led 24-21 in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter until Notre Dame kicker Mitch Jeter tied it at 24-24, sending the game to overtime.
In overtime, Love powered into the end zone from the 1-yard line to put the Irish up 31-24. They held on for the win after Penn State failed to score on its possession.
Leonard, who had 268 passing yards and two touchdowns, was the Player of the Game. Behind his efforts, the Irish punched their ticket to the title game.
Winner: Notre Dame
Ohio State vs. Texas
In the second game, the Buckeyes have a more significant amount of belief behind them, entering Thursday as 6-point favorites. According to EA Sports College Football 25, Ryan Day and Ohio State are going to cover the spread and play in the title game for the first time since the 2020 season. The video game projects a 24-14 win for the Buckeyes.
The scoring for the game began in the first quarter when quarterback Will Howard found freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith for a 43-yard touchdown pass, putting Ohio State up 7-0. Texas would soon get on the board with a game-tying touchdown in the second quarter. That 7-7 score would prove to be the last time the Longhorns didn’t trail, as the Buckeyes tacked on a field goal before the first half ended for a 10-7 edge.
Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Texas Longhorns | 2025 Cotton Bowl | College Football 25 Simulation
They added two more touchdowns before Texas scored again, giving them a sweat-proof 10-point cover and victory. Howard was dubbed Player of the Game, passing for 258 yards and three touchdowns.
Howard’s performance set them up to face the Fighting Irish for the title on Jan. 20.
Winner: Ohio State
Of course, this is just a video game, so there’s no guarantee that any of this will happen, but it is always fun to see what the simulation cooks up!
Enjoy the (real) games!
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