So, the Orange Bowl. The College Football Playoff semifinal we’ve all been anticipating is finally here! Needless to say, this is going to be a significant moment for both Marcus Freeman and James Franklin, as one of these Black head coaches is on the verge of breaking a 27-year drought in college football —a milestone that hasn’t been achieved since 1998. However, as always with college football, there’s a bit of drama, and unfortunately, Marcus Freeman’s journey to success just hit a snag.

As reported by CBS Sports writer Brandon Marcello on Jan 9, Notre Dame players have been battling a flu bug that has been spreading through the locker room for the past 10 to 14 days! And the source? Notre Dame’s official website itself via CBS Sports and 247Sports.

Furthermore, Tyler Horka from Blue and Gold Illustrated notes that the illness is primarily affecting “backup players and the special team players.” Understandably, this is going to cause a wave of concern among the Fighting Irish fanbase, given it’s the semifinal game, and a win here would give Freeman and Notre Dame a ticket to the National Championship game, but it looks like things are not going as smoothly as hoped!

Not to mention, there are several injured players on Notre Dame’s Orange Bowl depth chart, which is already raising doubts about their availability. However, the good news is that sources indicate that the flu is “not expected to impact the game.” In fact, Notre Dame’s WR Beaux Collins, who dealt with illness during the Sugar Bowl, managed to play through it and was recovering during the game.

Look, the flu is indeed a headache, but Freeman’s bigger concern heading into the Orange Bowl might be something else.

Doubts loom over Jeremiyah Love’s status ahead of the Orange Bowl

It’s none other than his star running back, Jeremiyah Love, who is, hands down, Notre Dame’s go-to playmaker. But unfortunately, he has had his status in question after tweaking his knee in the regular-season finale against USC. And things got worse when the injury flared up again during the Sugar Bowl against Georgia on January 2. That’s a tough pill to swallow, as Love has been the heart of Notre Dame’s offense this season, alongside star QB Riley Leonard; racking up 1,076 rushing yards, 16 touchdowns, with over 100 rushing yards five times. Therefore, going into the Orange Bowl without him would be indeed a massive setback. But it looks like there’s some hope for Irish fans!

On Jan 8, Freeman gave an update that should calm some nerves. Jeremiyah Love will be “good to go” for Thursday’s Orange Bowl against Penn State. That said, Freeman admitted Love isn’t back to 100%. “Nobody feels 100 percent right now because we’re in Week 15,” added Freeman during his joint presser with James Franklin. “But J-Love has had a good week of practice, and he’s confident. We just need to be smart about how much we’re asking him to do.” Still, it’s not all sunshine for Notre Dame.

Tight end Cooper Flanagan is out for the season with a foot injury, and with him, defensive lineman Rylie Mills is also done for the year after a knee injury against Indiana. Hence, things are a bit tricky for Notre Dame overall now that flu reports have arrived.

However, can Freeman & co. overcome these challenges and make a run at the National Championship? Guess we’ll have to wait and see!