. In the Orange Bowl versus the Penn State Nittany Lions, Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard is demonstrating why the best players typically perform at their peak. Leonard ended up being tremendously clutch, guiding the Irish on a game-tying touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter to knot the game up at 24-24 with 4:38 to play. Jaden Greathouse scored the touchdown on a 54-yard pass that left Penn State defenders in the dust, their ankles broken.
No matter who wins this game, it will go down as a highlight play that further highlighted Leonard’s excellent play in the second half. Additionally, it was a play that prompted Colin Cowherd, a Fox Sports analyst, to make a daring social media statement on Leonard.
“You see Riley Leonard. I see Josh Allen,” Cowherd posted on social media following the play. The biggest difference between the two is their size—Levi is 6′ 4 and 215 pounds, while Allen is 6′ 5 and 240 pounds. Despite this, Allen is currently the favourite to win NFL MVP, and Leonard had one touchdown and two interceptions in his biggest game to date.
To be clear, Leonard is not Josh Allen. He has been good all season and has been solid in this game, helping Notre Dame reach the College Football Playoff. His legacy might increase if he wins this game and makes it to the national championship game, but he still has a long way to go before he can be considered comparable to No. 17 in Buffalo.