Marcus Freeman's fiery speech during halftime of the Orange Bowl was caught on camera, and it had Fighting Irish players locked in for the second half vs. Penn State.

The Fighting Irish’s 27-24 Orange Bowl win over Penn State at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida proved former Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly very wrong about why he left the program.

Notre Dame's Orange Bowl win over Penn State was epic and the highlight video recapping it is just as impressive.

In December, Notre Dame also added Arkansas tight end Ty Washington, Wisconsin wide receiver Will Pauling, Virginia WR Malachi Fields, and Alabama cornerback Devonta Smith. Now, they added a fourth player in the last two days as the Irish are one win away from the national title.

Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Jack Kiser (24) defensive lineman Howard Cross III (56) Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Xavier Watts (0) and quarterback Riley Leonard (13) celebrate deafening the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Notre Dame will face Penn State in the College Football Playoff semifinal in Miami, the sixth time the Fighting Irish have played in the Orange Bowl.

Friday’s Cotton Bowl between the Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes will determine Notre Dame’s opponent. The two winning teams will travel to Atlanta, Georgia, where they’ll meet at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the National Championship game at 8:00 p.m. ET on Monday. Jan. 20, 2025.

It’s been a long time since either Notre Dame or Penn State reached college football’s mountaintop as national champions.