ESPN voice Paul Finebaum is notorious for backing the SEC, but in this Orange Bowl matchup doesn't have a team from that conference to pick between, seeing as Notre Dame knocked out Georgia. So who does Finebaum have winning the showdown and heading to Atlanta?

Finebaum believes two teams have stood out in the first two rounds of the College Football Playoff, praising the Fighting Irish for their run. He thinks Notre Dame will defeat Penn State in the semifinal and advance to the national championship game.

Penn State has a 44 1/2-hour advantage in preparation time between the quarterfinal round and the Orange Bowl on Jan. 9.

Penn State and Notre Dame are teams that are built similarly, at least according to PSU coach James Franklin on Saturday. They’re both big and physical up front, led by confident quarterbacks, tough defense and want to run it down your throat.