Notre Dame battles flu-like illness before Orange Bowl matchup with Penn State

Notre Dame is facing a flu-like illness in their locker room just hours before the Orange Bowl against Penn State. The sickness has primarily affected backup and special teams players, raising concerns about their performance in the College Football Playoff semifinal. The illness appears to have lessened in recent days, but issues remain within the team. Notre Dame is coming off a significant quarterfinal win against Georgia, while Penn State also had a strong performance against Boise State. The Orange Bowl will take place at Hard Rock Stadium in Florida, with a near sell-out expected. Both teams have impressive records, with Notre Dame at 13-1 and Penn State at 13-2.