Does Penn State's James Franklin NEED to beat Notre Dame in Orange Bowl to exorcise big-game demons?

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On their weekly Penn State football podcast, host Adam Bittner and Post-Gazette/Daily Collegian Nittany Lions insider Joel Haas preview the College Football Playoff semifinal matchup against Notre Dame at the Orange Bowl. Does James Franklin need a win to shed his label of struggling to win big games for good? Or has he done enough with wins against SMU in the first round and Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl? And how important is it for Penn State as a program to beat a Fighting Irish program that's similarly fallen just short of joining the nation's elite programs?

In terms of the matchup itself, does Penn State have the edge in star power with Drew Allar, Kaytron Allen, Nick Singleton, Abdul Carter and Tyler Warren? How many players should O Andy Kotelnicki and DC Tom Allen fear beyond Jeremiyah Love and Xavier Watts, with Rylie Mills out because of injury? What's the injury situation for Carter? Does Allar or Riley Leonard have more to prove in the QB matchup? And which opponent should Penn State prefer to see come out of the Cotton Bowl? A red-hot Ohio State team that they know? Or a talented Texas Longhorns team that they don't?