CBS SportsLine.com's College Football Playoff: Semifinals

D.J. Fitzpatrick lines up for a 33-yarder with two seconds remaining…If he hits it, Notre Dame advances to the semifinals to meet Texas in the Orange Bowl, if he misses, we will be headed to overtime.

The kick is up…it’s got plenty of distance…and it’s good! Notre Dame storms the field and will meet the second-seeded Longhorns in the Final Four!

It’s only make-believe, but that’s the type of excitement we would see in a playoff. Actually we did just see it in a playoff -– the CBS SportsLine.com Playoff Bracket.

Because Penn State received only 48 percent of the vote, with Notre Dame getting 46 percent and “simulate it” getting six percent, we turned to EA Sports’ College Football 2006 to see which team would move on to the semifinals.

Remember, the winning team must receive at least 55 percent of the vote or we will simulate the game.

Penn State took control of the game as Alan Zemaitis returned a Brady Quinn interception 70 yards for a touchdown, giving the Nittany Lions a 24-17 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

But Quinn got his revenge, hitting Maurice Stovall for a 26-yard touchdown with less than six minutes to play.

After forcing Penn State to punt, the Irish slowly marched down the field, converting a key fourth-and-5 as Quinn found Jeff Samardzija in the middle of the field for a 13-yard gain. Three plays and seven yards later, Fitzpatrick got a chance to win it -– and win it he did!

That sets up the two semifinals as Notre Dame will take on Texas, an easy 66 percent winner over Georgia, in the Orange Bowl.

No. 1 seed USC, a 60 percent winner over Auburn, faces fourth-seeded Ohio State, which beat Oregon with 71 percent of the vote in the Fiesta Bowl.

Who will win? That is up to you. Check back Monday to see which two teams will meet in the championship game.