The transfer window is open across Europe as clubs look to do some midseason business. But what are ESPN's reporters hearing about some of the deals that could be done, and which clubs are hoping to make moves?

Every Friday during January we'll bring you the latest updates and insights on the biggest transfer news around.

Manchester United have to raise funds before they can do anything, so who could go?

Manchester United need to improve the club's finances before they do any recruitment in January. The club posted annual losses of 113.2 million for the last financial year in their accounts in September 2024, putting them in the red zone in terms of breaching the Premier League's Profit & Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Marcus Rashford, Casemiro and Antony are all available for transfer this month, and the club will also listen to offers for Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelöf due to both players being out of contract at the end of the season. The most likely departures are Rashford, Casemiro and Antony; collectively, the three players earn around 700,000 a week, so removing some or all of that figure off the wage bill will enable United to sign players, permanently or on loan, with the money saved.

But the reality is that United will have to subsidise the salaries of Rashford (325,000-a-week) and Casemiro (300,000) to persuade interested clubs into doing a deal. Antony earns a relatively low basic salary of 70,000-a-week, so the Brazil forward will be easier to shift, even though United face a huge loss on the 82m transfer fee paid to Ajax in August 2022.

Interest in Rashford from AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund will only develop if United take a huge hit on his wages -- the prospect of a permanent transfer and getting the 27-year-old off the books completely this month is a dream scenario, but an unlikely one. -- Mark Ogden

One player that has admirers far and wide, with Chelsea among them, is 19-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo. His low wage -- just 20,000-a-week -- makes him even more attractive given Chelsea's model is predicated on signing players on an initial low salary but on a long-term deal with performance-related increases built in.

Chelsea's average wage is around 60,000-a-week so they could make Mainoo a tempting offer with the promise of a lot more to come. However, he is under contract with United until 2027, and there has yet to be any indication that Mainoo wants to leave. Chelsea continue to insist they are compliant with PSR rules, but their headroom is limited and they have more immediate priorities elsewhere, specifically searching for a centre-back. That said, you can never entirely rule anything out where the Blues are concerned. -- James Olley

They really need a left-back...

One of Ruben Amorim's priorities is to find a left wing-back to help him implement his 3-4-3 system, but United sources are playing down the possibility of signing PSG's Nuno Mendes in January. Amorim has problems on the left because Luke Shaw is injured and Tyrell Malacia is still getting up to speed after a long injury. United are assessing options for that position, but it's unlikely to be Mendes. -- Rob Dawson

Mendes and Amorim go back a long way ... the new United manager gave the then-18-year-old his debut for Sporting CP back in 2020. Mendes was a revelation and became a full Portugal international before moving to Paris in 2021 for 60m. However, he is is out of contract in June 2026 and has stopped negotiations over an extension as he likes the idea of being reunited with his former mentor. Nothing will happen in January, according to sources close to PSG, but a summer move could be on the cards.

Another player United like is Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez. The Hungary international, 21, has been excellent so far this season and Bournemouth value his transfer at around 40m. Kerkez has recently changed agents to join Fali Ramadani, one of the best in European football, and United consider him a better option than Mendes, especially because he knows the league already. -- Julian Laurens

Fulham's USMNT star Antonee Robinson has also been linked ... any interest there?

Robinson is not short of admirers, and he has been frequently linked with Liverpool and Manchester United as they look to bolster their options at left-back. But sources have told ESPN that Fulham will rebuff any approaches for their star defender in January. Robinson was recently crowned U.S. Soccer's Male Player of the Year and is seen as integral to Fulham's plans as they look to move up the table into the European spots.

One source told ESPN that Fulham have no desire or intention to let Robinson go, while another said it's extremely unlikely that he will be tempted away in this window. -- Tom Hamilton

Could Manchester City make three transfers this month?

It's possible, although Man City are privately urging caution because it's hard to get deals over the line in January. There's concrete interest in Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush, Lens' defender Abdukodir Khusanov and 18-year-old Palmeiras centre-back Vitor Reis.

Marmoush, 25, is the most high-profile of those targets but there's an acceptance at the Etihad that Eintracht Frankfurt are going to be resistant to bids for one of their best players while they're third in the Bundesliga table and well-placed in the Europa League.

Khusanov and Reis are both young defenders. City are keen to get deals done in January but -- if agreements are reached -- decisions would have to be made about whether to immediately include them in the first-team squad, as both players are top prospects but with minimal senior experience.

Guardiola needs help now because of injuries to Rúben Dias and John Stones. City are also still chasing a central midfielder, but again it's tough. They retain an interest in Éderson at Atalanta, but it's a difficult deal midseason. -- Dawson

Any update on Liverpool's out-of-contract trio? And could the club make a shock move for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite in the summer?

Liverpool's contract crisis continues to loom large, with Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and -- perhaps most crucially -- Trent Alexander-Arnold yet to put pen to paper on new deals at Anfield. The repercussions of this ongoing saga were evident in Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Manchester United, after which Alexander-Arnold received criticism from fans and pundits alike for his lacklustre display.

While reports in Spain have suggested Real Madrid have not totally abandoned hope of signing the right-back this month, a source has told ESPN that Liverpool are unlikely to sanction an exit in the January transfer window. -- Beth Lindop

Liverpool are planning ahead for their summer recruitment and sources have told ESPN that Branthwaite is high on their list of targets, despite the obvious challenges in persuading him to move to a rival. The 22-year-old was the subject of interest from Manchester United last summer, but Everton's 75m valuation was deemed too high by United, who were only prepared to spend 50m.

Everton are unlikely to drop their valuation of a player who is under contract until June 2027, especially in a deal with their local rivals. No player has left Everton for Liverpool since Portugal international Abel Xavier in January 2002. EFL League Two side Carlisle United are also due to receive 15% of any transfer fee Everton get for Branthwaite's transfer, due to a clause in the deal that saw him move to Goodison Park for 1m in 2020. -- Ogden

Could Ronald Araújo leave Barcelona this month? And are they looking to move anyone else on to raise funds?

The short answer is yes, he could. The long answer is more complicated. Araújo's preference is to stay at Barça and the club would like to renew his contract but, as is often the case at the club, it is not that simple.

Araujo has just returned from a long-term injury and has seen Pau Cubarsí and Iñigo Martínez strike up a partnership at centre-back in his absence. He is also aware of Barça's interest in adding Bayer Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah to the squad in the summer. Meanwhile, his contract expires in 2026 and, if there is no agreement to renew, the club will look to move him on, if not this month, then in the summer.

In that situation, Araújo would be willing to listen to offers, but would want control over his next move. He won't be forced to the highest bidder by Barça, who need to raise money to invest in strengthening elsewhere. Sources insist there are no firm offers at this stage, despite reports of interest from Juventus and Arsenal, but say there will be meetings to discuss various issues in the coming days.

Frenkie de Jong is in a similar situation to Araujo, with his deal also expiring in 2026, but his future is expected to be decided in the summer as he fights to return to full fitness. Eric García and Ansu Fati are other players who could leave this month, although neither would bring in a massive fee. Barça are also monitoring the futures of Celta Vigo's Óscar Mingueza and Sporting CP's Francisco Trincão as they are due a large percentage of any future transfer the duo are involved in. -- Sam Marsden

Will Real Madrid loan out young star Endrick?

Endrick's first season at Real Madrid since making a 72m move from Palmeiras over the summer has not been what he imagined. A starter in the 5-0 win over Deportivo Minera in the Copa del Rey, the Brazil striker has only played 248 minutes and his limited action has raised doubts about his future.

However, both Real Madrid and Endrick's management team are not considering a loan deal at this stage of the season. The only possibility of a move this month is if the 18-year-old himself asks to leave, which is unlikely.

There is no shortage of interest in signing him, though. Several European teams have inquired with the club about Endrick's situation with a view to a possible loan, but Madrid are holding firm. If he were to depart, Endrick would most likely remain in Europe as a return to Brazil has been ruled out. -- Daniel Bocatto, ESPN Brasil

Will the exit of sporting director Andrea Berta change anything for Atletico Madrid?

The confirmation of Andrea Berta's departure from Atletico after almost 12 years at the club came as no surprise when it was made official this week. An agreement was put in place several months ago, sources told ESPN, after the now former sporting director had seen his powers squeezed following the arrival of Carlos Bucero as director general for football in a restructuring in January 2024.

Berta's time at Atletico, first in the scouting department and then as sporting director, is widely viewed as a success, coinciding with two league titles, two lost Champions League finals and the club's consolidation in the LaLiga top four. He had previously turned down approaches from top European clubs, as he was happy in Madrid. However, more recently there had been some internal disagreement over transfers, and Berta's remit on the footballing side had been reduced to a point that an exit was the inevitable next step.

The impact on Atletico's transfer business will be minimal. The club are expected to be limited in their January movements, with a strong squad already in place. There's more work to do looking ahead to next summer, with a number of senior players, including club captain Koke, out of contract. -- Alex Kirkland

Where will PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani be playing next month?

Kolo Muani has hardly played this season and is ready for a new challenge. He wanted to be successful in his hometown after an 80m move from Frankfurt only 18 months ago, but Luis Enrique is not a fan and for the good of his career, the forward needs to leave. The good news for him is that he has plenty of offers on the table.

A number of Premier League and Spanish clubs are keen on him. Tottenham, Aston Villa, West Ham, Everton, and to a lesser degree Manchester United, have all contacted his entourage and PSG. The 26-year-old France international is keen to play in England and his game would suit the Premier League. Ideally, PSG would like a fee of around 60m, but a loan with an obligation or option to sign permanently could also do the trick. -- Laurens

With their superstar owners, what's going on at Wrexham and Birmingham?

Wrexham's Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney will be looking to add some attacking power, and though manager Phil Parkinson isn't usually a fan of using this specific window, they will act if the right player becomes available. Reports of interest in Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford are wide of the mark as things stand, but Wrexham are in the market for a striker or two.

Meanwhile Birmingham, who boast minority owner NFL legend Tom Brady, are closing in on the signing of Hannover 96 right-back Phil Neumann. The club are in the market for cover at left-back after Lee Buchanan picked up a serious injury, while they are looking for cover on the wings and have also been linked with a move for USMNT international midfielder Lennard Maloney, who plays for Heidenheim. -- Hamilton

Any other interesting deals in the works?

- The big one is Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Napoli are no further forward on contracts talks (he's on his original deal, which is puny) so the club are biting the bullet and listening to offers. PSG, who had been linked before, are likely to be in the mix, but other clubs should come forward in the coming days. Napoli want to avoid a situation like they had with Victor Osimhen and are willing to move him on now. -- Gab Marcotti

- Keep an eye on Yoane Wissa at Brentford. He's having a fantastic season, with 10 goals from 17 games so far, and the Bees wouldn't want to let him go, but there's tentative interest from Saudi Arabia. The Saudi market is set to be relatively quiet in January because almost all the spots for foreign players over the age of 21 are filled. But if players can be moved on, there might be one or two slots available, and Wissa is one of the names being talked about. -- Dawson

- Now that West Ham have hired Graham Potter, the club could move for Chelsea's out-of-favour left-back Ben Chilwell. Wages would be a potential issue, with Chilwell earning around 200,000-a-week, and whether he would take a pay cut to revive his career remains to be seen. -- Olley

- Liverpool winger Ben Doak could leave on a permanent transfer this month after the club already rejected offers from Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace. Liverpool value his transfer around the 30m mark and would accept a bid in this region. -- Lindop

- Chelsea's women are hoping to agree new contracts with defender Millie Bright and midfielder Erin Cuthbert, but are still on the hunt for another midfielder to bolster the side in January. -- Emily Keogh

- River Plate have been the star club in the Argentine transfer market so far. In one week, the club have signed Martínez Quarta from Fiorentina, Matías Rojas from Inter Miami, Giuliano Galoppo from Sao Paulo, Enzo Pérez from Estudiantes, and Gonzalo Tapia from Colo Colo. Sevilla full-back Gonzalo Montiel is their next target and they are also looking to sign one or two forwards, with Austin FC's Sebastián Driussi on the shortlist. -- ESPN Argentina

- Botafogo's Luiz Henrique has three offers to leave the club and return to Europe. The 24-year-old played for Real Betis in Spain (2022-2024) but returned to Brazil last January. French giants Lyon, who are owned by American businessman John Textor alongside Botafogo, are interested. Serie A side Fiorentina had an offer turned down in December last year and are still keen, while two unnamed Premier League clubs are also keeping tabs on the situation. Textor has a stake in Crystal Palace, but the London team are not in the running to sign Luiz Henrique. -- Roberta Barroso, ESPN Brasil

- Liga MX side Chivas are looking to add another striker after signing Alan Pulido from MLS and have sounded out AC Milan's Luka Romero, who is on loan at Deportivo Alaves. The Argentina U20 international forward has only played six games in LaLiga so far. -- Jesús Bernal, ESPN Deportes

- Mexico international winger César Huerta flew to Belgium on Wednesday ahead of signing with Anderlecht. Huerta spoke with reporters ahead of his flight and stated the move that could open more doors for Mexican players is a "great responsibility." -- Cesar Hernandez

- The agents of former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder James Rodriguez have been in contact with the board of León de México to discuss a possible move. León are looking to convince the Colombia international to sign with the chance to play in the Club World Cup next summer. Several clubs in South America and MLS have approached the 33-year-old to ask about his salary expectations, but so far they have not been able to seal an agreement. -- ESPN Deportes

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Tears welled in Drew Allar's eyes and began to fall down the Penn State quarterback's face as he spoke about a game that was in his grasp, until it wasn't.

Allar, who showed clear improvement during his second year as Penn State's starting quarterback, struggled for much of Thursday's 27-24 loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl. But after helping Penn State take the lead midway through the fourth quarter, he had a chance to lead a game-winning drive as the offense took possession with 47 seconds to play and the score tied at 24-24.

Then, on first down from the Penn State 28-yard line, Allar looked downfield for wide receiver Omari Evans but badly misfired, and Notre Dame's Christian Gray dove to intercept the ball. The Irish then picked up a key first down, setting up Mitch Jeter's 41-yard field goal attempt, which he converted with seven seconds left.

"I was going through my progression, got to the backside, and honestly, I was just trying to dirt it at his feet," Allar said. "I should have just thrown it away when I felt the first two progressions not open, because of the situation we were in."

Allar, who completed 71.6% of his passes during the regular season and helped Penn State reach the Big Ten title game, connected on only 12 of 23 attempts Thursday for 135 yards. Penn State converted only 3 of 11 third-down chances and didn't complete any passes to its wide receivers. Thursday marked the only game in the past 20 seasons that Penn State failed to complete a pass to a wide receiver.

Notre Dame entered the game fifth nationally in third-down conversion defense at a shade under 30%, while Penn State was 15th nationally in third-down conversions at 47%. On third-and-goal late in the first quarter, Allar's pass to running back Nicholas Singleton went a bit behind him, bouncing off his hands to prevent a likely touchdown.

"I thought we had a really good plan," Allar said. "I thought [offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki] and the offensive staff had a really good plan for normal downs, third down and red zone, but I missed a couple throws on it, so it comes down to just execution. Credit to Notre Dame for making it tough, for sure, but I think if we just execute those moments that we would have put ourselves in a better position. It starts with me hitting some of those throws."

Despite winning a team-record 13 games, including the first two CFP victories in school history, Penn State squandered two leads to fall just short of advancing to the national title game. Coach James Franklin, who dropped to 1-15 against AP top-five opponents, pointed to Penn State's third-down struggles on both sides of the ball -- Notre Dame converted 11 of 17 opportunities -- and the final minutes of the first half and start of the second half as the biggest factors in the outcome.

"He's hurting right now, should be hurting, we're all hurting, this ain't easy," Franklin said of Allar. "He'll handle it great. He'll be hurting tonight and he'll be hurting tomorrow and he'll hurt a little bit less than the next day and so on and so forth. But he's a committed guy that's going to do it the right way."

Kotelnicki said the team embraced a "playing to win" mindset and wanted to remain aggressive in the final minute. After Singleton rushed for 13 yards on the first play, Penn State tried to use tempo on the ill-fated pass.

"He's going to put that on himself, and he doesn't have to," Kotelnicki said. "I've got to be better for him and our offense to make sure that whatever we're doing, whatever play we're calling, that our people have a chance to separate and put him in a position where he can feel more comfortable. So I simply say to him, 'That ain't you. That's not on you. You don't need to take that on your shoulders and feel the blame for that.'"

Allar's interception marked his first of the CFP and just his eighth all season. He struggled with accuracy during four postseason games -- the Big Ten championship and three CFP contests -- hitting on only 58 of 109 (53.2%) of his attempts, while throwing six touchdown passes and three interceptions.

The 6-foot-5, 238-pound junior announced last month that he intended to return to Penn State for the 2025 season rather than enter the NFL draft.

"We didn't win the game, so it wasn't good enough, I think it's plain and simple," Allar said. "So I'll learn from it, just do everything in my power to get better from it and just grow from it."

Franklin called Allar's growth "significant" from 2023, his first year as Penn State's starter.

"He said it, and it may not feel like it right now, but he'll learn from this, and he'll be better for it, and so will we," Franklin said.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- There were moments this season when Mitch Jeter simply could not make a kick, as injuries to his hip and groin ruined his form and threatened to sink his confidence.

But over the past month, as he got healthy, he turned into "Mr. January." As a result, Notre Dame is headed to its first national championship game since 2013, with an opportunity to win its first title since 1988.

The Irish say they have built their season on resilience -- and it is possible nobody on the team embodies that more than Jeter. As he lined up for a 41-yard field goal attempt with the score tied at 24 and 12 seconds left on the clock against Penn State on Thursday night, all he could think was: "Let's go make it."

Jeter pushed the football through the uprights to give Notre Dame a 27-24 win over Penn State in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl. In doing so, he became the first kicker to make a go-ahead field goal in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.

"Coach [Marcus] Freeman talks a lot about delayed gratification," Jeter said. "He's been talking like that all the way back to Week 2, when the [loss to Northern Illinois] happened. So it's kind of been my mindset, going through an injury, having delayed gratification now to be able to come out and give our team a chance to go win a national championship."

In addition, Freeman is the first Black head coach to have a chance to win a college football national championship.

Jeter was not the only player who stepped up big Thursday night. Many of those clutch performances came from unexpected players. Cornerback Christian Gray came up with a huge play to set up the game-winning field goal, when he intercepted Penn State quarterback Drew Allar with 30 seconds left.

Defensive coordinator Al Golden called the play by the sophomore "amazing" because he recognized what Allar was doing and beat his receiver to the ball.

"Christian got a great break on it," Golden said. "And generally speaking, that kid works really hard on his hands, so if he has an opportunity to catch it, he usually does."

Added Freeman: "In that moment, Christian had to make a play and he did, and was a huge reason why we won that game."

A game that was an offensive slog for the first three quarters turned into a back-and-forth contest in the fourth, as the teams combined to score four touchdowns in less than 10 minutes.

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, playing with a knee brace and at less than 100%, got the scoring going in the final quarter with a remarkable second effort from the 2-yard line, when he jumped through one tackle, stayed on his feet, then dragged a defender with him into the end zone as his legs refused to stop moving to give the Irish a 17-10 lead.

Love usually celebrates his touchdowns by making a heart shape with his hands. But he forgot in the heat of the moment.

"I don't know what I was on that play, but I felt like some extra strength," Love said. "I just wanted to scream and rage. I just felt like the Hulk or something. I wasn't even thinking about throwing up the heart. It was just expressing the dominance I just asserted over them."

Penn State answered with two touchdown drives to take a 24-17 lead with 7:55 remaining. That is when Irish sophomore receiver Jaden Greathouse took his turn in the spotlight. On second-and-8 from the 46-yard line with 4:38 to go, Riley Leonard stepped back to throw. Greathouse made a move on Cam Miller, who fell down -- leaving Greathouse wide open in the middle of the field.

Leonard lofted the ball and Greathouse caught it. He had a safety to beat, and one juke move later, Greathouse was in the end zone for a 54-yard touchdown pass to tie the score at 24.

"While I was out there, I really got a flashback to my 7-on-7 days in high school, and it was a similar play," Greathouse said. "And I was like, 'I just need to cut inside and I'll be in the end zone celebrating.'"

Greathouse finished with seven catches for 105 yards and a score -- the first 100-yard game of his career. Greathouse missed two days of practice earlier in the week because he was sick, but he said he woke up Thursday and believed, "Tonight is going to be my first 100-yard game."

That brought things back to Jeter and his opportunity to break a tie at 24. His injury saga goes back to Week 4, when he took a hit to a hip on an errant field goal snap against Miami (Ohio). He played through it, but a few weeks later against Stanford, he injured his groin. As time went on, his bones were not in completely perfect alignment -- and that affected his form.

Jeter missed four of his five field goal attempts in the final four games of the regular season. His dad, Andrew, works as a chiropractor and offered to help get his body back into alignment. He would come up on Thursdays and then stay for several days to help Jeter get his body aligned so everything could heal properly.

"Bones were in places that they shouldn't have been," Jeter said. "That was my femur, my back, my hips. He was able to move those bones back into position where they're supposed to be, which allowed the healing process to almost accelerate."

Once the playoffs started, Jeter felt 100%. It has shown in his performance, as Jeter has gone 7-of-8 in three playoff games -- including several clutch kicks in the quarterfinal win against Georgia, too.

Quarterback Steve Angeli -- another player who stepped up big, leading a field goal drive late in the first half with Leonard out of the game -- said the team has nicknamed Jeter "Mr. January."

"He is a confident guy, man," Freeman said. "There is no moment too big for Mitch Jeter. I had a lot of confidence in him in that moment that he was going to do exactly what he did, and he did a great job at doing that."

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- On Sept. 7, Notre Dame fell to Northern Illinois, a 28-point underdog, in one of the most stunning defeats in the program's storied history.

The then-No. 5 Fighting Irish not only lost to the Huskies at home, but they were manhandled by a Mid-American Conference program that had never beaten an AP top-10 opponent. Northern Illinois outgained the Irish 388-286 in total yardage, converted twice as many first downs, allowed just two plays longer than 19 yards and blocked two field goals.

For the Fighting Irish, who had won 23-13 at Texas A&M in their opener a week before, their season could have been over as it barely started.

"It could have gone sideways fast," Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden said.

Four months later, the Fighting Irish are somehow one victory away from capturing their first national championship in 36 years.

Notre Dame defeated Penn State 27-24 on Mitch Jeter's 41-yard field goal with seven seconds left in a College Football Playoff semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl on Thursday night.

The No. 7 Fighting Irish will play the winner of Friday's other semifinal between No. 5 Texas and No. 8 Ohio State at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic in the Jan. 20 CFP National Championship presented by AT&T.

The team that couldn't beat a four-touchdown underdog at home has now won 13 consecutive games -- with a chance for one more, the biggest of them all.

"I often tell them, in your lowest moments you find out the most about yourself," Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. "We've had low moments, but we had a really low moment Week 2, and these guys battled. We've got great leaders. We've got great players that chose to put this university and this football program in front of themselves."

Notre Dame's coaches and players credit Freeman, who turned 39 at midnight after the game, with keeping the Irish on track after their stunning loss to Northern Illinois. It was an arduous task for a former defensive coordinator who had never been a head coach until he was promoted on Dec. 3, 2021, to replace Brian Kelly, who left for LSU.

"He handled it magnificently," Golden said. "Just being in that situation, being in that chair like that, that's tough. There's no escape from it, but it never got to the locker room. It never got to the team meeting room. He handled all the stress and all the pressure internally, and was the leader that we all needed at that moment."

Freeman didn't want the Fighting Irish to wipe the pain of losing to Northern Illinois from their memory. He wanted them to embrace the adversity to remember that they can never take anything for granted.

Freeman's message to his team was simple: Keep the pain. Don't let it go.

"I think it really caused us to lock the locker room door and say, 'Hey, it's just us. The people in this room are the only things that matter,'" linebacker Jack Kiser said. "I think Coach Freeman's message and mentality through the rest of the year kind of echoed that."

The day after the loss to Northern Illinois, defensive tackle Howard Cross III huddled with Freeman and quarterback Riley Leonard.

"It's the second game of the season," Cross told them. "I'm not going to go belly up in the second game of the season. We need to keep pushing."

The Irish won their next 12 games by an average of 27.5 points. Only one of them, a 31-24 victory over Louisville, was decided by fewer than 10.

After reaching the CFP, Notre Dame defeated Indiana 27-17 in a first-round game on Dec. 20, then Georgia 23-10 in a quarterfinal game at the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2.

"I think you learn the most about your team and the guys around you at the lowest points, and we showed who we were after that game," said receiver Jordan Faison. "After that loss, it was devastating. Everyone felt bad about it, but being able to bounce back kind of shows the team and the grit we've got."

The scar tissue from 124 days ago is what helped the Irish overcome season-ending injuries to several of their best players, including All-American cornerback Benjamin Morrison and star pass rusher Rylie Mills.

It's what helped them overcome injuries in their victory over Penn State. With the Irish trailing 10-0 late in the first half, Leonard had to leave the game after he was hit by defensive tackle Dvon J-Thomas on an incomplete pass. They lost two starting offensive linemen, left tackle Anthonie Knapp and right guard Rocco Spindler, to injuries as well.

While Leonard was being examined for a potential concussion, backup quarterback Steve Angeli came off the bench and led the Irish on a 13-play scoring drive. Jeter kicked a 41-yard field goal on the final play of the half to make it 10-3.

Angeli had attempted only 28 passes this season before Thursday. He completed 6 of 7 attempts for 44 yards on his lone possession.

"We had a lot of confidence in Steve and what he can do, and we weren't just going to put him in there to hand the ball off," Freeman said. "We were going to go to try to score, and we ended up scoring three points."

Leonard cleared concussion protocol at halftime and returned in the second half. He scored on a 3-yard run on the opening drive to tie the score at 10.

The Irish went ahead 17-10 on Jeremiyah Love's 2-yard run on the third play of the fourth quarter. But then Penn State tied the score on Nicholas Singleton's 7-yard run with 10:20 to play.

After Leonard threw his second interception on the next play, Singleton scored again to give the Nittany Lions a 24-17 lead with 7:55 to play.

With less than five minutes remaining, Leonard threw a 54-yard touchdown to Jaden Greathouse, who was wide open after cornerback Cam Miller fell down. Greathouse juked safety Jaylen Reed and ran into the end zone to tie the score at 24.

Leonard completed 15 of 23 passes for 223 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He led the Irish on four scoring drives in the second half.

"He's a competitor, and competitors find a way to win, and that's what Riley does," Freeman said. "That's what this team does."

It seemed like the game was headed to overtime after both teams punted in the final minutes.

But with 35 seconds left, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar tried to throw a pass away. Safety Jaylen Sneed hit Allar as he threw, and cornerback Christian Gray intercepted the ball at the Penn State 42 to set up Jeter's winning field goal.

"That's what Christian Gray does," Freeman said. "He makes plays when it matters the most."

The Fighting Irish will have to make a few more big plays against Ohio State or Texas if they're going to win their first national championship since 1988. They'll likely be underdogs in Atlanta, especially if they're playing the high-powered Buckeyes, but they wouldn't have it any other way.

"To see how far we've come after the hiccup early on, just to know that we have one more guaranteed, one last one guaranteed, it's just so exciting," Kiser said.

The Fighting Irish believe they wouldn't be playing for a national title if they hadn't been tested like few other teams.

The team that wouldn't quit somehow keeps winning.

"The time you're tested the most is when you're at your lowest point," Freeman said. "We lose to Northern Illinois and you've got a decision: Do I want to be selfless, or am I going to put individual glory ahead of myself? I hope the nation sees no matter what the situation was, this team continues to put Notre Dame in front of [itself]."

The NFL has moved Monday's wild-card playoff game between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams to Arizona, it announced Thursday night, saying the decision was made in the "interest of public safety" as wildfires continue to ravage Southern California.

The game was originally scheduled to take place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, at 8 p.m. Monday. It now will be played at Glendale's State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, at the same time Monday.

The league had said earlier this week that Arizona would be the contingency plan if Monday's game had to be moved. In a statement Thursday, it said it came to the decision to go ahead with that move after "consultation with public officials, the participating clubs and the NFLPA."

A few hours earlier, another fire broke out in an area several miles from the Rams' training complex in the Woodland Hills neighborhood, leading the team to cancel its scheduled player media availability.

The league's other Los Angeles-based team, the Chargers, also are readying for a playoff game this weekend, although they play on the road against the Houston Texans on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Both the Rams and Chargers practiced outdoors Thursday.

Smoke was visible from the field at the Rams' team facility, and coach Sean McVay said while players, coaches and staff have been affected by the fires, "fortunately to my knowledge, nobody has been injured. And for that we're grateful."

The Chargers held their final practice ahead of Saturday's game. The scene was dystopian at their facility in El Segundo: The skies were burnt orange, ashes flew around the field and many players, including outside linebacker Khalil Mack, tackle Joe Alt and quarterback Taylor Heinicke, wore masks.

The Chargers do not have an indoor practice facility. Coach Jim Harbaugh said he followed the suggestions of "experts" in altering practice, so players were outside for roughly 45 minutes, which is half the typical time they practice outside. Harbaugh said they didn't consider flying to Houston early and practicing there.

"Our guys did a great job with improvising and adjusting," he said. "And really, we were able to get as close as we possibly could to what a normal practice would look like."

Harbaugh also said that his daughter Grace evacuated from her home in the Hollywood area Wednesday night and is staying with him.

Outside linebacker Joey Bosa said he lives close to an evacuation zone and his fiancée and dog went to Houston early. Bosa said he slept with his phone notifications on loud Wednesday night in case he would have to evacuate.

"Hoping when I get back to L.A., I have a house to go to," Bosa said.

Speaking before the NFL announced the location change for Monday's game, Vikings defensive lineman Harrison Phillips, the team's player representative to the NFLPA, said the league should be conscious of the optics of playing the game in Los Angeles, juxtaposing it with the NBA postponing the Lakers' game against the Charlotte Hornets scheduled for Thursday night in downtown Los Angeles. Phillips noted that the Lakers play in an indoor facility, and SoFi is an open-air stadium.

"When a hurricane hits a certain location, or if a tornado came through and devastated a community, you want to be very cautious of the optics," he said. "And again, I strictly say this from a human standpoint, not as a Minnesota Viking who wants a better competitive advantage. That's not where it's coming from."

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell, who is from the San Diego area, said he reached out to McVay to show support.

"There's really no words you can say other than you're thinking about them, praying for them and just hoping that things start to turn here," O'Connell said.

The Vikings moved from consensus 1-point favorites to 2.5-point favorites Thursday after the announcement that the game was being relocated.

Game relocations are rare in the NFL but not unprecedented. In 2003, the league moved a Monday night regular-season game between the Chargers and Dolphins from San Diego to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, because of wildfires in Southern California.

The Rams had a Monday night game against Kansas City relocated from Mexico City to Los Angeles in 2018 because of concerns about the playing surface at Azteca Stadium, and McVay cited that experience as part of his preparation for the uncertainty created this week.

"You acknowledge these things, but you also want to make sure that how you can control making sure that you're doing the right things is preparing accordingly, while also being mindful that this is bigger than football," McVay said. "If people you're directly involved with are affected, you're making sure you're tending to that first."

Information from The Associated Press and ESPN's Sarah Barshop, Kris Rhim and Kevin Seifert was used in this report.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard started the second half of Thursday's College Football Playoff semifinal against Penn State after clearing concussion protocol at halftime, coach Marcus Freeman told ESPN's Molly McGrath coming out of the locker room.

After getting medical clearance to return to the game, Leonard led the No. 7 Fighting Irish on an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on the opening possession of the second half. He scored on a 3-yard run to pull the Irish into a 10-10 tie with 10:46 left in the third quarter.

Leonard, a senior transfer from Duke, was injured after throwing an incomplete pass to Jordan Faison with 1:35 to go in the second quarter. He was hit by Nittany Lions defensive tackle Dvon J-Thomas. The back of Leonard's helmet appeared to bounce off the turf at Hard Rock Stadium.

Backup quarterback Steve Angeli, a sophomore from Westfield, New Jersey, finished the half for the Irish. He completed 6 of 7 passes for 44 yards on the drive.

Mitch Jeter kicked a 41-yard field goal on the final play of the half to cut Penn State's lead to 10-3.

PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jared McCain will miss the rest of the season after left knee surgery last month on a torn meniscus, the team announced Thursday.

McCain, 20, spent one season at Duke before the Sixers made him their 2024 first-round draft pick. McCain was off to a fantastic start and had averaged 15.3 points in 23 games. He started eight games and was an instant fan favorite in large part due to amassing nearly 5 million followers as a TikTok sensation.

McCain earned Eastern Conference rookie of the month honors for November but complained of knee soreness after a Dec. 13 game against Indiana.

McCain was one of the few highlights for the Sixers, scoring a career-high 34 points in a loss to Cleveland in mid-November. He scored 20 or more points in eight games this season.

Injuries to Philadelphia stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George -- billed as the team's "Big Three" after George's offseason arrival -- have limited the trio to playing parts of only three games together. As a result, the Sixers have stumbled to a 15-20 start.

Embiid (left foot sprain), Andre Drummond (left toe sprain), Kyle Lowry (right hip strain) and KJ Martin (left foot) have all been ruled out for Friday's game against New Orleans. George is probable due to groin tightness.