As Penn State's coach, James Franklin owns an abysmal 4-19 record against opponents ranked in the Associated Press top 10 -- and is just 3-10 in such games when his team is also in the top 10. It's a mark that saw a small but significant boost with Penn State's resounding 31-14 College Football Playoff quarterfinal win against No.

Penn State and Notre Dame will square off at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami for a spot in the national title game. If the Nittany Lions win, they’ll face either Ohio State or Texas in the CFP final at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Jan. 20.

Penn State plays Notre Dame Thursday night in the Orange Bowl in one of the two College Football Playoff semifinals.