Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers are enjoying a bye week after going 3-0 in October to head into the final month of the regular season with six straight victories.
Cade Klubnik, Phil Mafah and the Tigers are 6-1 overall and 5-0 in the ACC. Clemson is ranked No. 9 in the US LBM Coaches Poll.
While the Tigers are idle in Week 9, there are several Top 25 games that could impact Clemson going forward — and have season-lasting ramifications on the College Football Playoff race.
Here are a few games to keep an eye on Saturday.
No. 11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. No. 24 Navy Midshipmen
Where: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.)
Kickoff: noon ET (ABC)
To put it simply, Notre Dame is out of the College Football Playoff race if the Irish lose again. They have one loss already, a stunning 16-14 upset to Northern Illinois in Week 2. A second loss could benefit Clemson, if the Tigers get to the ACC Championship Game and suffer a close defeat (presumably against Miami).
Florida State Seminoles vs. No. 5 Miami Hurricanes
Where: Hard Rock Stadium (Miami)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Yes, the Seminoles have been abysmal this year as Mike Norvell’s offseason transfer portal gambit has backfired in a big way. There’s no chance of them beating the rival Hurricanes in Week 9, right? Probably not. But Cam Ward and the ‘Canes have had close calls in each of their last three games, and Mario Cristobal’s defense has not looked right since their Week 4 win at South Florida over a month ago. How much longer can Miami keep winning shootouts?
RELATED: Five reasons FSU can upset Miami on Saturday night
No. 17 Missouri Tigers vs. No. 15 Alabama Crimson Tide
Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
This is a playoff elimination game for both teams, something no one thought possible after the Crimson Tide’s 41-34 win over the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs on Sept. 28 to get to 4-0 and No. 1 in the AP poll. This isn’t Nick Saban Alabama, though. The 2024 Tide are undisciplined, soft on defense, and too turnover-prone on offense.
No. 7 LSU Tigers vs. No. 14 Texas A&M Aggies
Where: Kyle Field (College Station, Texas)
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
LSU’s season-opening loss to the USC Trojans in Las Vegas looks uglier by the week, but Tigers are red hot with Garrett Nussmeier at quarterback. Meanwhile, former Duke coach Mike Elko has led Texas A&M to a surprising 6-1 start in his first season. The SEC is top-heavy, but not every two-loss team should make it to the 12-team playoff.
Washington Huskies vs. No. 13 Indiana Hoosiers
Where: Memorial Stadium (Bloomington, Ind.)
Kickoff: noon ET (Big Ten Network)
ESPN’s College GameDay is making its first-ever house call to Bloomington, where the Hoosiers are 7-0 and have earned their way into the College Football Playoff conversation. Their closest game was a two-touchdown win over Maryland at the end of September. But Indiana will be without sixth-year senior quarterback Kurtis Rourke (1,941 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, 3 interceptions), who suffered a thumb injury in the team’s 56-7 beatdown of the Nebraska Cornhuskers last Saturday.
No. 12 BYU Cougars vs. UCF Knights
Where: FBC Mortgage Stadium (Orlando, Fla.)
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)
BYU is a surprise team at 7-0 in their second year in the Big 12. They needed a 35-yard touchdown pass from Jake Retzlaff with 10 seconds left to get past Oklahoma State last Saturday and are a slight underdog in Week 9 against a UCF team that has dropped four straight after starting the year 3-0.
No. 22 SMU Mustangs vs. Duke Blue Devils
Where: Wallace Wade Stadium (Durham, N.C.)
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET (ACC Network)
SMU is one of four teams that are unbeaten in ACC play, and dual-threat QB Kevin Jennings went wild against Louisville two weeks ago (21-of-27 passing, 281 yards; 10 carries, 113 rushing yards) in a 34-27 upset of the Cardinals.
Four of the Blue Devils’ five wins against FBS competition have been one-score games, including last week’s 23-16 victory over Florida State — a first in Duke football history. First-year coach Manny Diaz has this team playing well and believing in themselves.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Top 25 college football impact games that could effect No. 9 Clemson Tigers in Week 9
