The Penn State Nittany Lions take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for a spot in the College Football Playoff championship game.

Notre Dame is headed to the College Football Playoff semifinals after stunning second-seed Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, being played in New Orleans just a day after an attack on New Year’s revelers left 14 people dead.

A deadly attack in New Orleans has cast a shadow on Wednesday night’s college football playoff matchup between Notre Dame and Georgia.

Since Notre Dame's season finale win in Los Angeles against USC on November 30, star running back Jeremiyah Love hasn't been quite right. He still dazzled with a 98-yard touchdown run in the first round of the College Football Playoff game against Indiana, while also battling a cold, but it was clear to see he was still not feeling quite right.

While Notre Dame football star running back Jeremiyah Love deemed himself healthy enough to play against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the semifinal round of the College Football Playoff, it might not actually be the case.

The Fighting Irish running back had previously deemed himself healthy enough to play against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the CFP semifinals - but that might not quite be the case

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is expected to start Thursday in the Orange Bowl against sixth-seeded Penn State, enabling the seventh-seeded Fighting Irish and their trademark ground game to operate at — or near — full capacity in the first College Football Playoff semifinal.