The Nittany Lions arrived in south Florida on Tuesday ready to take on the Fighting Irish for a spot in the College Football Playoff championship game.

No. 7 seed Notre Dame and No. 6 seed Penn State will face off in the Orange Bowl on Thursday night in the first of two College Football Playoff semifinal matchups. On the line is a spot in the College Football Playoff National Championship as both programs are hunting for their first national title in almost 40 years.

In an era that is now long gone, a trip to the Orange Bowl meant a break from the rough weather up north and the capper to a successful season that, if things had gone great, ended with a championship trophy in the case.