The final spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals has been claimed.

And it belongs to No. 7 Notre Dame.

The Irish defeated the Bulldogs 23-10 in the 2025 Sugar Bowl at the Caesars Superdome on Thursday, one day after the game was postponed due to the attack early Wednesday morning in New Orleans that resulted in 15 deaths and more than 30 injuries.

REQUIRED READING:Sugar Bowl final score: Notre Dame upsets Georgia, advances to CFP semifinals

Notre Dame won’t have much time to dwell on its win Thursday, as it has a week to prepare for its CFP semifinals matchup against No. 6 Penn State.

The Irish’s defense carried Marcus Freeman’s squad into the next round of the CFP, as Notre Dame’s defensive unit forced three fumbles (one out of bounds) on top of causing key back-to-back turnovers on downs in the fourth quarter by Georgia’s offense.

Here’s what to know about who Notre Dame will play in the CFP semifinals, and a look at the full CFP schedule:

Shop Notre Dame Orange Bowl tickets

Who will Notre Dame play in CFP semifinals?

Notre Dame will advance to play No. 6 Penn State in the CFP Orange Bowl semifinal on Thursday, Jan. 9.

Penn State, who began the CFP with a win over No. 11 SMU, beat No. 3 Boise State on Tuesday in the Fiesta Bowl, 31-14. One matchup to look out for in the Orange Bowl will be how Riley Leonard deals with Penn State’s top-ranked defense. The Nittany Lions defense held Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty to just 104 rushing yards in the Fiesta Bowl, despite not having star linebacker Abdul Carter.

The Orange Bowl will be the first meeting between the Irish and the Nittany Lions since 2007, when Notre Dame saw its two-game win streak against Penn State come to an end.

College Football Playoff schedule

All times Eastern

CFP first round

Friday, Dec. 20

• No. 7 Notre Dame 27, No. 10 Indiana 17

Saturday, Dec. 21

• No. 6 Penn State 38, No. 11 SMU 10
• No. 12 Clemson 38, No. 5 Texas 24
• No. 8 Ohio State 42, No. 9 Tennessee 17

CFP quarterfinals

Tuesday, Dec. 31

• Fiesta Bowl: No. 6 Penn State 31, No. 3 Boise State 14

Wednesday, Jan. 1

• Peach Bowl: No. 5 Texas 39, No. 4 Arizona State 31 (2OT)
• Rose Bowl: No. 8 Ohio State 41, No. 1 Oregon 21

Thursday, Jan. 2

• Sugar Bowl: No. 7 Notre Dame 23, No. 2 Georgia 10

Buy Orange Bowl tickets with SeatGeek

CFP semifinals

Thursday, Jan. 9

• Orange Bowl: No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 7 Notre Dame | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo, free trial)

Friday, Jan. 10

• Cotton Bowl: No. 5 Texas vs. No. 8 Ohio State | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo, free trial)

Buy Cotton Bowl tickets with SeatGeek

CFP championship

Monday, Jan. 20

• CFP championship game: Orange Bowl winner vs. Cotton Bowl winner | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo, free trial)

Updated CFP 12-team bracket

With its loss Thursday, Georgia became the latest team to be knocked out of the first ever 12-team CFP bracket. Here’s a look at what the CFP bracket looks like after Notre Dame’s win:

1. Oregon (13-1)
2. Georgia (11-3)
3. Boise State (12-2)
4. Arizona State (11-3)
5. Texas (13-2)
6. Penn State (13-2)
7. Notre Dame (13-1)
8. Ohio State (12-2)
9. Tennessee (10-3)
10. Indiana (11-2)
11. SMU (11-3)
12. Clemson (10-4)

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.