Only four teams remain in the college football playoffs, bringing us closer to the end of the first-ever 12-team playoff bracket. This week’s semifinals include the 91st annual Orange Bowl game (officially the Capital One Orange Bowl) which will take place on Thursday night between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Penn State Nittany Lions. The two teams have met 19 times since 1913, with a 9-9-1 record. This week’s game will break that tie, at least for now, and send the winner to the NCAA championship final on January 20 where they will play the winner of the upcoming Cotton Bowl between Ohio State and Texas.
Here’s how to watch the Orange Bowl game between Notre Dame and Penn State, and you can check out the college football playoff schedule for the rest of the post-season, too.
How to watch Notre Dame vs. Penn State in the Orange Bowl:
Date: Thursday, January 9, 2025
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
TV Channel: ESPN
Streaming: DirecTV, Hulu with Live TV, Fubo, YouTube TV and more
Where to watch the Orange Bowl game on TV:
You can watch coverage of this week’s Penn State vs. Notre Dame Orange Bowl game starting at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Where to watch the Orange Bowl game without cable:
You can tune into the Penn State vs Notre Dame game on ESPN which is carried by several platforms including Fubo TV, DirecTV, and YouTube TV.
Fubo TV gives you access to ESPN, Fox, ABC, CBS, NFL Network, and 100+ more live channels. At $80/month, the live TV streaming service is definitely a big investment for football fans but it’s one of the most comprehensive ways to catch tons of NCAA games this season, and still leaves you with major savings compared to a traditional cable package. Fubo subscribers also get 1000 hours of cloud DVR storage.
Right now the platform is offering a free 7-day trial so you can check out everything the platform has to offer, risk-free.
Try it free at Fubo
(DirecTV)
DirecTV Stream’s Choice tier (currently $105.98/month with fees) gets you access to all the usual football suspects: NFL Network, ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox. Plus the Choice tier will get you CBSSN, FS1, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, SEC Network and plenty of local RSNs. The best part is, currently you can try all this out for free. So if you’re interested in trying out a live TV streaming service for football season, but aren’t ready to commit, we recommend starting with DirecTV Stream.
You’ll also get unlimited Cloud DVR storage included in whatever DirecTV package you choose.
Try free at DirecTV
2025 College Football Playoff Schedule:
All times Eastern
Thursday, Jan. 9
Orange Bowl: Penn State vs. Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Friday, Jan 10
Cotton Bowl: Ohio State vs. Texas, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Monday, Jan. 20
CFP National Championship: Teams TBD, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
How to watch NCAAF playoff games in 2025:
The remaining NCAA football playoff games will air on ESPN. If your cable provider doesn’t carry ESPN or you’re looking for a way to stream it, the channel is available on several services including Hulu with Live TV, Fubo, DirecTV, and Sling.
Here’s a breakdown of the platforms we recommend so that come game time, tuning into your favorite team’s games will be as easy as simply turning on the TV….
(DirecTV)
DirecTV Stream’s Choice tier (currently $105.98/month with fees) gets you access to all the usual football suspects: NFL Network, ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox. Plus the Choice tier will get you CBSSN, FS1, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, SEC Network and plenty of local RSNs. The best part is, currently you can try all this out for free. So if you’re interested in trying out a live TV streaming service for football season, but aren’t ready to commit, we recommend starting with DirecTV Stream.
You’ll also get unlimited Cloud DVR storage included in whatever DirecTV package you choose.
- Full package free trial available
- Many local RSNs included
- Unlimited Cloud DVR
- Cost
- ABC and ESPN currently not included
Try free at DirecTV
(Fubo)
Fubo TV gives you access to ESPN, Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC and 100+ more live channels. Starting at $80/month, the live TV streaming service is definitely pricey (but certainly not the most expensive option on this list), but offers nearly every channel you’ll need to watch both the NCAA football season and the 2024 NFL season.
Fubo subscribers also get unlimited cloud DVR storage and right now, new subscribers can get $30 off their first month of any tier.
- 1000 hours of cloud DVR storage
$50 for your first month at Fubo
Other ways to watch NCAAF playoff games:
