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Ryan Clark Has Message For Cam Newton After Notre Dame's Win

Originally posted on The Spun | By Matt Hladik | Last updated Jan 2, 2025 8:25 PM ET

Notre Dame is heading to the College Football Playoff semifinals, and Ryan Clark wants to make sure his ESPN colleague Cam Newton knows about it.

Clark's son Jordan is defensive back for the Fighting Irish, who took down Georgia 23-10 in the Sugar Bowl on Thursday. With the win, Notre Dame moves on to the Orange Bowl next week, where they will face Penn State, which beat Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl on Tuesday night. Neither the Fighting Irish nor the Nittany Lions have ever reached the national championship game in the College Football Playoff era.

If it were up to Newton, Notre Dame wouldn't have even been in the CFP at all this year. Back on Dec. 6, the former NFL MVP got into a debate with Clark on First Take about the Irish's worthiness.

"Nobody wants to see them,” Newton said. “Do they have a legacy organization and program? Absolutely. Rudy! Rudy! Yeah, that’s about the last time — like, we see these types of teams; there’s no such thing as a Cinderella story in college football. Every time you try to root for the underdog, they get smashed. Come on, now.”

Cam Newton at the 2024 BET Awards at Peacock Theater on June 30, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/ Billboard via Getty Images)Gilbert Flores/Getty Images

Like it or not, Notre Dame got in, and after beating Indiana and Georgia, Marcus Freeman's team is on to the semifinals.

Clark taunted Newton on social media as the Irish wrapped up their win Thursday.

"Yo!! @CameronNewton you working tomorrow? Believe we have to have a conversation about the 12 team playoff no one wanted to see @NDFootball in! I’ll see you on @FirstTake!!" Clark tweeted.

You can believe there's going to be some fireworks on set tomorrow. Clark is going to let Newton have it--respectfully, of course--and it should make for great television.

Notre Dame and Penn State will meet in the Orange Bowl one week from tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. The winner will face either Texas or Ohio State for the national championship.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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