Notre Dame is off this weekend but there is plenty of great football slated to be played. With the first College Football Playoff rankings coming out in about a week and a half it's time to start scoreboard watching. Notre Dame has a great shot to make the playoffs yet again, but they could certainly use some help. This is especially true if Notre Dame is going to move up high enough to host a playoff game.

Here is the Irish Breakdown rooting guide for week 9, and the games are broken into Notre Dame resume builders and then teams the Irish are competing against for spots.

RESUME BUILDERS

BOISE STATE (5-2) at NEVADA (1-6)

Location: Mackay Stadium (Reno, Nev.)
Date: Friday - October 24
Time: 10:00 PM ET
Network: CBS Sports
Line: Boise State -20.5, O/U: 50.5

Who To Root For: Boise State

Boise State got votes last week in the AP Top 25 after blowing out previously undefeated UNLV. If they can keep winning they have a great shot to give Notre Dame a Top 25 win when the season is over. They have Fresno State (5-2) and San Diego State (6-1) coming up after this, so the Broncos need to avoid this upset and keep rolling.

NC STATE (4-3)  at PITTSBURGH (5-2)

Location: Acrisure Stadium (Pittsburgh, Pa)
Date: Saturday - October 25
Time: 3:30 PM ET
Network: ACC Network
Line: Pittsburgh -6.5, O/U: 54.5

Who To Root For: Pittsburgh

At the end of the day this game is between a pair of opponents, so a positive could come no matter who wins, but I think it helps Note Dame more if the Panthers win. The reason is simple, if Pittsburgh beats NC State and Stanford before it hosts the Irish it will climb up the rankings both in the polls and in the computer models. There's an outside chance that Pitt can jump into the Top 25, and if that happens it gives the Irish an opportunity for a November win over a ranked opponent. NC State could climb into the Top 25 if it wins out, but that's unlikely.

Overall, it's good for Notre Dame's past and future opponents to win games, so keep an eye on Auburn at Arkansas, Rutgers at Purdue and Florida Atlantic at Navy.

PLAYOFF CONTENDERS

#8 OLE MISS (6-1) at #13 OKLAHOMA (6-1)

Location: Memorial Stadium (Norman, Okla.)
Date: Saturday - October 25
Time: 12:00 PM ET
Network: ABC
Line: Oklahoma -5.5, O/U: 51.5

Who To Root For: Oklahoma

I am not pulling for the upset here and Irish fans should absolutely be pulling for Oklahoma. The reason is simple, there are a lot more potential losses on the schedule for Oklahoma in coming weeks than Ole Miss. The Rebels finish this season with South Carolina, The Citadel and Florida at a home before a road game against Mississippi State to finish the regular season. Oklahoma still has back-to-back road games against Tennessee and Alabama, as well as home games against Missouri and LSU. The odds of Ole Miss running the table is much greater, so a loss this weekend helps Notre Dame in the long term.

SYRACUSE (3-4) at #7 GEORGIA TECH (7-0)

Location: Boddy Dodd Stadium (Atlanta, Ga.)
Date: Saturday - October 25
Time: 12:00 PM ET
Network: ESPN
Line: Georgia Tech -16.5, O/U: 53.5

Who To Root For: Syracuse

One of the few concerns about Notre Dame missing the playoffs - which is unlikely - is that the ACC has a bunch of 1-loss teams when the regular season comes to a close. One of those teams is Georgia Tech, so a Syracuse upset over the Yellow Jackets would go a long way towards permanently dropping the Jackets below Notre Dame. It's unlikely, as Syracuse hasn't been the same team since Steve Angeli went down, but that's what Irish fans should be rooting for. It doesn't hurt that Notre Dame would then have a chance to beat Syracuse later in the season.

#16 VIRGINIA (6-1) at NORTH CAROLINA (2-4)

Location: Kenan Stadium (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Date: Saturday - October 25
Time: 12:00 PM ET
Network: ACC Network
Line: Virginia -10.5, O/U: 51.5

Who To Root For: North Carolina

Virginia is having a great season and it's been a pleasure to watch how well Tony Elliott has turned this program around, but from a Notre Dame standpoint the Cavaliers winning out could be problematic. The Cavaliers getting an at-large over Notre Dame are gone forever if they lose another game. 

You could add Boston College at Louisville into this conversation, and Irish fans should root for the Eagles, but that is highly unlikely at this point.

#11 BYU (7-0) at IOWA STATE (5-2)

Location: Jack Trice Stadium (Ames, Iowa)
Date: Saturday - October 25
Time: 3:30 PM ET
Network: Fox
Line: Iowa State -2.5, O/U: 49.5

Who To Root For: Iowa State

A 2-loss Big 12 team isn't going to be seeded higher than Notre Dame, so Irish fans should want as many Big 12 teams to get to two losses as quickly as possible. BYU is the last undefeated team in the league, and the sooner they catch a loss the better the odds they drop another. Iowa State is capable of making that happen.

#3 TEXAS A&M (7-0) at #20 LSU (5-2)

Location: Tiger Stadium (Baton Rouge, La.)
Date: Saturday - October 25
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Network: ABC
Line: Texas A&M -2.5, O/U: 49.5

Who To Root For: Texas A&M

A win by Texas A&M has a two-fold impact for Notre Dame. One is it continues to keep Texas A&M as a great loss by Notre Dame. The second is it eliminates LSU from ever passing up Notre Dame. For all the complaining from LSU fans about this team - and they are well deserved - the reality is if LSU turns things around and finishes 10-2 they will, and should, be ranked ahead of Notre Dame. LSU would have defeated Texas A&M, Alabama and Oklahoma. A loss this weekend by the Tigers makes it highly unlikely they ever climb ahead of the Irish.

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