Notre Dame’s loss to BYU put the Fighting Irish in a difficult position, but it didn’t end their College Football Playoff hopes. Marcus Freeman’s team still has a clear path to the postseason, and it starts with a simple requirement: win out, and Notre Dame controls its own destiny.

That starts Saturday against Navy. The Irish cannot afford to overlook a longtime rival, especially with No. 1 Miami coming to South Bend on November 7. A win over the Midshipmen would keep Notre Dame moving in the right direction and allow the team to focus on the biggest game remaining on its schedule.

But Irish fans shouldn’t spend Saturday watching only their own game. Several matchups around the country could influence the playoff picture, particularly with conference contenders jockeying for position and the first College Football Playoff rankings approaching.

Here’s your rooting guide for Week 9, including the games worth watching and which teams Notre Dame fans should be pulling for.

The Notre Dame rooting guide for Saturday, October 31

1. Miami at North Carolina

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET

Who to root for: North Carolina

This is the biggest game of the weekend for Notre Dame fans outside of their own matchup. Miami enters the weekend ranked No. 1, but the Hurricanes have to travel to Chapel Hill before heading to South Bend.

Every Miami loss helps Notre Dame’s potential playoff position. A North Carolina upset would give the Irish an enormous opportunity to make up ground before their November 7 showdown.

Of course, Notre Dame still has the chance to beat Miami head-to-head. That would be the most direct way to strengthen its résumé. But a Hurricanes loss this weekend would make the stakes even more interesting and potentially open the door for Notre Dame to climb the rankings.

2. Arizona State at BYU

Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. ET

Who to root for: BYU

This one might feel strange after BYU handed Notre Dame its first loss, but Irish fans should be pulling for the Cougars.

Notre Dame needs that loss in Provo to hold up as a quality result. BYU has already taken a hit after losing to UCF, so another defeat would make it harder for the selection committee to view the Irish’s loss as one against a legitimate playoff contender.

A BYU win keeps the Cougars in the Big 12 race and preserves the value of Notre Dame’s head-to-head result. Ideally, BYU continues winning while Notre Dame takes care of its own business against Navy and Miami.

3. Ohio State at USC

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET

Who to root for: USC

Ohio State enters the weekend ranked No. 2, giving Notre Dame fans another reason to pay attention to this matchup.

A USC upset could create some movement near the top of the national rankings and give the Irish an opportunity to climb if they keep winning. Ohio State is a major Big Ten contender, though, and USC winning would strengthen another team’s résumé.

Still, when a team ranked ahead of Notre Dame has a difficult road game, Irish fans should generally be hoping for an upset. This one is worth checking on Saturday night.

4. Minnesota at Indiana

Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. ET

Who to root for: Minnesota

Indiana is ranked No. 4, just ahead of Notre Dame in the AP poll. The Hoosiers have put together an impressive season, but a loss would create an opening for the Irish to climb the rankings if they take care of business.

Indiana is also competing for a Big Ten title and an automatic playoff berth. A defeat would complicate that race, although Notre Dame needs to focus on its own results first.

Pull for Minnesota and hope the Irish give the selection committee no reason to keep them behind teams with comparable résumés.

5. Florida at Georgia

Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. ET

Who to root for: Florida

Georgia sits at No. 3 in the AP poll, directly above Notre Dame’s main group of playoff contenders. A Florida upset would give the Irish another chance to move up.

There is a trade-off here. Georgia is a major SEC contender, and a loss could simply make the conference race more crowded. But if you’re choosing between a top-three team winning and losing, Notre Dame fans should prefer the upset.

Don’t expect Florida to have an easy time pulling it off, but this is the kind of result that could shake up the playoff picture.

6. Wisconsin at Iowa

Kickoff: Noon ET

Who to root for: Wisconsin

Notre Dame already beat Wisconsin this season, so every additional Badgers win gives the Irish another opportunity to point to a stronger victory on their résumé.

Wisconsin is ranked No. 25 and heads to Iowa looking to keep building momentum. This isn’t a game that will determine Notre Dame’s playoff fate, but it is a useful result to have go the Irish’s way.

The more wins Notre Dame’s opponents collect, the easier it becomes to defend the overall quality of its schedule.

7. SMU at Syracuse

Kickoff: Noon ET

Who to root for: Syracuse

SMU is ranked No. 19 and remains an important game on Notre Dame’s remaining schedule. The Mustangs visit South Bend on November 21, giving the Irish another opportunity to earn a résumé-building win.

There are two ways to look at this one. A strong SMU season would make a Notre Dame victory more valuable, but the Mustangs are also a potential playoff contender themselves.

I’m leaning toward Syracuse because Notre Dame needs to keep as many teams as possible from building a strong case for the limited at-large spots. If SMU wins, don’t panic. Notre Dame will have the opportunity to settle things on the field later in November.

Other games Notre Dame fans should watch

Matchup	Who to root for	Why it matters
Arizona at Texas Tech	Arizona	A Texas Tech loss could weaken another Big 12 contender’s playoff case.
Virginia at Wake Forest	Virginia	Wake Forest is ranked No. 14 and competing for a strong ACC résumé.
Nevada at UCLA	Nevada	An upset would shake up the rankings and potentially open the door for Notre Dame to climb.
Texas State at Boise State	Texas State	A Boise State loss could affect the race for the highest-ranked Group of Six champion.

These are résumé-based rooting preferences, not guarantees that a particular result will improve Notre Dame’s exact playoff odds. The selection committee evaluates the entire season, including strength of schedule, quality wins and losses.

The most important game is still Notre Dame vs. Navy

It’s easy to get caught up in scoreboard watching, but Notre Dame has to handle its own business first.

The Irish enter Saturday at 6-1 and face a Navy team that can make games uncomfortable with its option offense and ball control. A convincing win would be ideal. Notre Dame needs to show that the BYU loss was a setback rather than a sign of bigger problems, particularly with Miami looming next week.

The remaining schedule gives the Irish opportunities to strengthen their résumé: Navy, Miami, Boston College, SMU and Syracuse. The Miami and SMU games are especially important because they offer Notre Dame chances to beat teams with legitimate playoff aspirations.

The Irish don’t need to rely on a series of upsets to make the playoff. They need to win the games in front of them.

The bottom line

Notre Dame fans should be pulling for North Carolina to upset Miami, BYU to keep winning, and the teams ranked above the Irish to take a few losses. Wisconsin winning would also help reinforce Notre Dame’s résumé.

But none of those results is as important as what happens in the Irish’s own games.

Win out, and Notre Dame finishes 11-1 with potential résumé-building victories over Miami and SMU. That would give the selection committee plenty to consider when evaluating the Irish against other playoff contenders.

The path is there. Notre Dame controls its own destiny, and a strong finish would leave little room for debate about whether Marcus Freeman’s team belongs in the College Football Playoff.