A WORRYING sickness is sweeping through the Notre Dame locker room, possibly upsetting their chances to advance in the College Football Playoffs.
The illness comes as they prepare to face Penn State in the Orange Bowl on Thursday night.
2
2
It is understood a flu-like symptom has stricken their camp just hours before the 7:30 pm Eastern kick-off.
It is not known who has been affected ahead of the College Football Playoff semifinal.
“Those who have it have it bad,” reports On3 Sports.
However, those worst affected appear to be backup and special teams players.
It is claimed the sickness bug has subdued in recent days.
But there are still issues around the camp in a concerning twist for the Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame plays the CFP after a stunning win in the quarterfinals.
That came in a 23-10 victory over the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs last week.
The showdown took place at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The clash had to be postponed by a day after a horrifying terror attack just hours before kickoff.
The Orange Bowl against Penn State will take place at the Hard Rock Stadium.
It is home to the Miami Dolphins NFL team in Florida.
The stadium is set to be a near sell-out for the rivalry fixture.
The cheapest ticket ahead of kickoff is a staggering $265.
College Football Playoff schedule
First-round games:
- No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame – Friday, Dec. 20, 8 pm ET, ABC/ESPN
- No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State – Saturday, Dec. 21, 12 pm ET, TNT/Max
- No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Texas – Saturday, Dec. 21, 4 pm ET, TNT/Max
- No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State – Saturday, Dec. 21, 8 pm ET, ABC/ESPN
Second-round games:
- No. 3 Boise State vs. No. 6 Penn State – Tuesday, Dec. 31, 7:30 pm ET, ESPN
- No. 4 Arizona State vs No. 5 Texas – Wednesday, Jan. 1, 1 pm ET, ESPN
- No. 1 Oregon vs No. 8 Ohio State – Wednesday, Jan. 1, 5 pm ET, ESPN
- No. 2 Georgia vs No. 7 Notre Dame – *POSTPONED* Thursday, Jan. 2, 4 pm ET, ESPN
Semifinals:
- No. 6 Penn State vs No. 7 Notre Dame – Thursday, Jan. 9, 7:30 pm ET, ESPN
- No. 5 Texas vs No. 8 Ohio State – Friday, Jan. 10, 7:30 pm ET, ESPN
National Championship Game:
- Penn State/Notre Dame vs Texas/Ohio State, Monday, Jan. 20, 7:30 pm ET, ESPN
Notre Dame had a strong regular season record of 13-1.
And Penn State had an equally impressive year at 13-2.
The Nittany Lions are ranked fourth, with the Fighting Irish at five.
Penn State won their quarterfinal 31-14 against Boise State on 31 December.
Quarterback Drew Allar had another impressive game in charge of the offense.
That has led to speculation he could be on for a high pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
