Notre Dame star quarterback Riley Leonard returned in the third quarter of the Orange Bowl on Thursday after entering concussion protocol late the first half following a big hit. Leonard's brief absence injected some uncertainty for the 7-seed Fighting Irish in their College Football Playoff semifinal battle with 6-seed Penn State.

Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard suffered an injury vs. Penn State in College Football Playoff semifinal at the Orange Bowl.

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard was ushered off the field by officials after a possible concussion in the Orange Bowl against Penn State, but returned.

Win and you’re in. No. 6 Penn State and No. 7 Notre Dame battle it out in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium for a spot in the National Championship Game. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 9 on ESPN.

Penn State All-America defensive end Abdul Carter has taken the field as a starter for Thursday night’s College Football Playoff semifinal against Notre Dame at the Orange Bowl, after days of speculation about whether he would be available.

The first 12-team College Football Playoff is back to a familiar spot with four teams remaining in the hunt for a national championship. Only this time, obviously, they had to play to get here. With four teams left,

Both the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Penn State Nittany Lions entered Thursday’s Orange Bowl matchup with injury questions concerning a key player.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates after winning the first round of the College Football Playoff 27-17 against Indiana at Notre Dame Stadium on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images