It was an exciting Thursday night for the Notre Dame football team as they beat Penn State in the Orange Bowl, 27-24, as they are now in the national championship awaiting the victor of either Ohio State or Texas. After Notre Dame football running back Jeremiyah Love's impressive game, he has made his preference in who he wants to face.

Love led the team in rushing with 45 yards on 11 carries to go along with a key touchdown and he was blunt in who he wants to face on Jan. 20. He would say after the game that he wants to see the Ohio State Buckeyes since the Fighting Irish lost to them last year and even said that he feels they are “better than Texas” according to On3 Sports.

“We want to play Ohio State,” Love said on Thursday during his post-game press conference. “We lost to them last year in a game we should have won…I want to play them again,” Love said. “They were a great team.”

“I want to play the best team,” Love continued. “I feel like Ohio State is better than Texas, I want to play the best and win.”

Off the game-winning kick from Notre Dame football's Mitch Jeter, they now have a chance to win their first championship since 1988. Love would speak on how the team was doubted before the game, partly because of head coach Marcus Freeman and being 39 years old.

“I’m not gonna speak on their head coach, but we felt like their team didn’t really respect us,” Love said via The Athletic. “We wanted to come into this game and make a statement. Be the aggressors. Dominate them physically. That’s the message. Be physical and play violent. The whole game.”

Notre Dame football awaits their opponent in the national title game 

Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) celebrates a touch down in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium.
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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Love came into the game with a knee injury that he suffered in the win over the University of Georgia, but felt healthy enough to come in Thursday and have a solid game.

“I kind of just kind of came out here and said f— it and went out there and played,” Love said. “Whatever happens happens, I trust in God. I trust in his plan for me.”

This season, Love has rushed for 1,121 yards to go along with 17 touchdowns in his sophomore season and while he wants to see Ohio State in the championship game, college football analyst Paul Finebaum might have another opinion. Not only does he say that the Longhorns are a better matchup, but the Fighting Irish are the “underdog” either way.

“I think they would have a better chance against Texas, but… throughout the course of history, Notre Dame has been the most hated team in America. They’re not anymore,” Finebaum said. “Marcus Freeman has made them likable. I mean I was with them last week in New Orleans, and fans are cheering, they’re the underdog. I didn’t think I would live long enough to watch Notre Dame in this llikable underdog role.”

“And they will be the underdog either against Texas or Ohio State,” Finebaum continued. “It’s a little hard to calculate, but right now it doesn’t seem like a great matchup for Notre Dame against either team.”

The national championship game is on Jan. 20 as Notre Dame awaits its opponent.