Top 3 players Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame will miss against Penn State in Orange Bowl ft. Rylie Mills 

Ahead of an Orange Bowl battle with the Penn State Nittany Lions, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish's ranks have thinned a bit. Fortunately for them, standout running back Jeremiyah Love is going to give playing a go, per coach Marcus Freeman.

But there are other Notre Dame players missing. For the Irish, it's not a portal question, it's an injury question. There is one substantive new injury and a couple of older ones to note.

Top 3 players Notre Dame will miss against Penn State

Freeman will be without outstanding blocking tight end Cooper Flanagan for the rest of the season. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

#3. Cooper Flanagan, TE

Flanagan is one of those players who casual fans might overlook, but he was injured in the Sugar Bowl win over Georgia and will miss the Orange Bowl as well as a potential CFP appearance. Flanagan is listed as a tight end, but he's really a glorified extra blocker in the run game, particularly around the goal line.

Flanagan has caught just four passes on the season for 55 yards and a pair of touchdowns. But his significance lies in his blocking, and it's hard to quantify his importance in that area. Flanagan could be missed significantly by the Irish in what figures to be a very competitive Orange Bowl.

#2. Ashton Craig, C

Craig, on the other hand, has missed most of the season. A junior center, Craig started for Notre Dame until the game with Purdue on Sept. 16 when he suffered a torn ACL in his knee. He's been sidelined for the rest of the season.

While Notre Dame's pass protection and ground game have been sharp even after Craig's early injury, the CFP semifinal figures to be the kind of game where an extra blocker would certainly come in handy.

#1. Rylie Mills, DL

On the other hand, senior defensive lineman Rylie Mills's injury is fairly recent. Mills injured his knee in the first-round College Football Playoff victory over Indiana. Mills thus already missed the win over Georgia, but still figures to be significantly missed.

The fifth-year senior was having a superb year. Mills has 37 tackles, which includes team-highs in tackles for loss (nine) and QB sacks (7.5). Mills had 5.5 TFLs and 4.5 sacks in the last five games he played. The team managed nine TFLs and four sacks in the Georgia game without Mills.

Still, for a game in which rattling the steady and efficient Penn State offense could be huge, the absence of Mills is significant to the Irish. But his knee injury will keep him sidelined for the remainder of the season.

What do you think of Notre Dame's significant absences in the Orange Bowl? Share your take on the Fighting Irish's situation against the Nittany Lions in the comments section below.