Notre Dame Fighting Irish players may have to “channel their inner Michael Jordan” to overcome the flu that’s reportedly sweeping the team ahead of their College Football Playoff semifinal against Penn State.
The illness, which seems to be affecting mostly backup and special teams players, comes just hours before the crucial game. While the situation may be a challenge, the team is riding high after defeating the second-ranked Georgia Bulldogs in the quarterfinal last week.
The Fighting Irish earned the seventh seed in the bracket, which gave them a home game against the 10th-seeded Indiana, which they won easily. However, facing the sixth-seeded Nittany Lions on Thursday may be their toughest test yet.
Penn State held Boise State star running back Ashton Jeanty to just 104 rushing yards last week, a low total for the season. Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s quarterback Riley Leonard had only 90 yards passing against the Bulldogs.
The Fighting Irish’s season seemed to be over after a loss to Northern Illinois in the second week of the season, but they’ve since won 12 consecutive games to reach the semifinals. A win on Thursday would send them to their second national title game in the last 15 years.