Notre Dame and Penn State meet in the Orange Bowl on Thursday night in Miami. The winners of the College Football Playoff semifinal game will be the first to punch their ticket to the National Championship Game.

The two teams enter the game with different problems off the field. Notre Dame is reportedly battling the flu, while Penn State is believed to be suffering from food poisoning. Not ideal for either, but they’ll fight through it.

On paper, the two quarterbacks are under a lot of pressure early in the game. The one who outperforms the other is likely to give his team a better chance of advancing. Will it be Irish quarterback Riley Leonard or Nittany Lions signal-caller Drew Allar?

Before the night is over, we will know the answer to that. But they aren’t the only ones facing the pressure that comes with the bright lights of a semifinal game.

Leonard’s girlfriend Molly Walding and Allar’s partner Emma Bush are probably under more pressure than their friends. Although the two quarterbacks have a lot to gain from a win, they know exactly what awaits them.

It’s a big night for the Penn State and Notre Dame quarterbacks and their girlfriends

At the end of the day, it is a football game like the many other games they have played in their lives. Walding and Bush, on the other hand, set off into the night. This is new territory for both of them.

The cameras may or may not call during the game. If they do and social media goes wild with their performance, it could be an incredible night for either of them.

Remember college football legend Katherine Webb? Or more recently, JJ McCarthy’s then-girlfriend Katya Kuropas, who went viral during Michigan’s title run?

Whether it’s a big game or draft night, you have to be prepared for anything like Gia Duddy. This is an underestimated pressure.

In no time, you can go from relatively unknown to burning social media. Then you transform into a full-fledged influencer whose endorsement deals seem to fall from heaven.

Both kept a low profile on social media beforehand. That’s a good sign; No distractions off the pitch before kick-off.

Walding is a public relations student at Auburn University who recently celebrated his seven-year anniversary at Notre Dame quarterback. Incredibly, Bush is a law student at Ohio State University who also has a long-term relationship with the Nittany Lions quarterback.

Expect them to be prepared for whatever happens.