The playoff semifinal Thursday night against the Nittany Lions (13-2) will mark the deepest into January that Notre Dame has ever played; one more win would extend the Irish's longest season to 16 games. Coach Marcus Freeman responded by reducing the amount of contact at practice to keep players fresh, good training for the NFL's 17-game schedule.

In an era that is now long gone, a trip to the Orange Bowl meant a break from the rough weather up north and the capper to a successful season that might even end with a championship trophy in the cas