Other Games to Watch This Weekend
Things really couldn’t have gone much better for the Irish in terms of what else was happening last week. It might have been nice to have NC State pull off a win versus Clemson or see Stanford improve their ranking with a win against Wazzu, but both Ohio State and Penn State were essentially eliminated from the Playoff race while Michigan State moved up to boost Notre Dame’s strength of schedule.
This week more teams will fall out of the race and the Irish can help themselves quite a bit by taking care of their part of the equation against Miami. Before the Irish and Canes kick off tomorrow night, there will be plenty of other games worth paying attention to because they could have an impact on Notre Dame’s standing in the College Football Playoff rankings.
(All times eastern and all games Saturday unless specified)
#9 Washington at Stanford (Friday at 10:30 on FS1)
If Stanford wins this game, they will still have a shot at the Pac-12 North title and probably be ranked in the top-25 again. If Washington wins, they remain a threat for the Playoff with games left against Washington State and potentially USC if they make the Pac-12 Championship game.
#12 Michigan State at #13 Ohio State (Noon on FOX)
Sparty did the Irish a huge favor by winning against Penn State last week. They can really help Notre Dame if they beat the Buckeyes on the road. It would mean MSU is locked in as the winner of their division and would play in the Big Ten Championship game.
#23 NC State at Boston College (Noon on ABC or ESPN2)
Although it would be better for the Irish if NC State remained in the top-25, it wouldn’t be a bad thing for BC to get the win. It’s only going to make the win for Notre Dame against Steve Addazio’s team look better. BC is 5-4 and likely going to be a bowl team regardless of the outcome of this game.
#17 Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech (12:20 on ACCNE)
Why does this game matter? Because Virginia Tech losing would do damage to one of Clemson’s best wins in the eyes of committee. It would be a good thing if Paul Johnson’s team came out with the victory.
Wake Forest at Syracuse (ACCNE)
This is small in the grand scheme of things, but a win for Wake makes them bowl eligible and gives them a great shot at securing a winning record. That would help the Irish.
#1 Georgia at #10 Auburn (3:30 on CBS)
Huuuuuuge game for obvious reasons. If Auburn wins, they still can win the SEC by beating Alabama in the Iron Bowl and then Georgia again in the SEC Championship game. If that happens, there’s a very good chance that a two-loss Auburn is in the Playoff.
They have to win this game first, though. And Georgia winning out might be the best thing for the Irish because a one-loss Georgia is going to have an edge on Notre Dame due to the head to head win. Either that or the Irish hope the Bulldogs lose twice. Both could happen and we’ll get a better idea of that after Saturday.
Florida State at #4 Clemson (3:30 on ESPN)
At one time this was set to be one of the games of the year. Now the Seminoles can only play the role of spoiler.
#20 Iowa at #8 Wisconsin (3:30 on ABC)
Iowa beating Ohio State was great on many levels. Iowa beating Wisconsin would be just as sweet. The Badgers have their tough stretch of games coming up and must run the table to have a shot at the Playoff.
#11 USC at Colorado (4:00 on FOX)
As sick as it might make you feel, you should root for the Trojans to keep winning. They should in Colorado, although the altitude is always an extra threat to anyone who visits Boulder.
#2 Alabama at #16 Mississippi State (7:00 on ESPN)
Alabama could be a lock to make it even with one loss. They should roll in Starkville, but things get a lot more interesting with them facing Auburn to close out the regular season if the Tide stumble.
#6 TCU at #5 Oklahoma (8:00 on FOX)
A loser goes home matchup. It will be a big win for either of them and may be enough to get Oklahoma in the top-four. It’s probably better for Notre Dame fans if TCU wins.