The Notre Dame Fighting Irish made history in their 23-10 win over the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl. The win that secured Notre Dame football a spot in the College Football Playoff Semifinals was its 13th win of the season, the first time that has been accomplished in program history.

In addition to setting the program record for wins in a season, Sean McDonough and Greg McElroy pointed out another achievement this win secured for Notre Dame football on the ESPN broadcast.

For the first time since 1949, Notre Dame has won nine consecutive games by double digits. The Fighting Irish were led to a National Championship that season by legendary head coach Frank Leahy.

Notre Dame and Georgia were both slow out of the gate offensively. A 17-point run in 0:54 of game time put the Fighting Irish in control, and they never gave it back.

That stretch was highlighted by a 13-yard touchdown pass from Riley Leonard to Beaux Collins with 0:28 seconds left in the first half and a 98-yard kick return for a touchdown by Jayden Harrison to open the second half, giving Notre Dame a 20-3 lead.

Georgia football quarterback Gunner Stockton, making his first career start, connected with Cash Jones for a 32-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. That score, however, did not give the Bulldogs enough momentum to put more points on the board.

How can Notre Dame beat Penn State?

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Notre Dame football's win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl sets it up with a CFP Semifinals matchup against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 9. Penn State earned a 31-14 win over Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl to punch its ticket to the semifinals.

Notre Dame needs to find a way to contain Penn State running back Kaytron Allen. During the Fiesta Bowl, Allen rushed for 134 yards off 17 carries, which played an important role in keeping the Nittany Lions' offense ahead of schedule.

Another focus for the Fighting Irish's defense needs to be breaking up the connection between Penn State quarterback Drew Allar and wide receiver Tyler Warren. The duo connected on six passes for 63 yards and two touchdowns against Boise State.

If Notre Dame football can accomplish those two things, its chances of playing in the National Championship game for the first time since 2013 will increase dramatically.