Notre Dame is off this week, enjoying a well-deserved break to rest, recharge and prepare for the four-game November stretch that will decide the program’s postseason fate.

The Irish have won six straight games, all but one by more than 17 points, and they are currently playing their best ball. Additionally, they will be favored in each of the remaining four regular season games.

Still, Marcus Freeman and staff must maximize that free time to avoid a hiccup that leaves the PSC’s decision in the hands of a committee.

The Irish do not play any games in week 10. Where will their last four opponents be on Saturday?

The Seminoles lost to Miami last week and were officially eliminated from bowl contention. The collapse of this program has been staggering, considering where it was a year ago.

The Noles have all kinds of problems as they prepare to host North Carolina. Most egregious is an offense that has failed to reach 17 points in seven straight games. Meanwhile, the Heels are developing a powerful offense around quarterback Jacolby Criswell, RB Omarion Hampton and WR JJ Jones.

The Cavaliers, like the Irish, are off this week, and they need a break. UVA looked like one of the feel-good stories in the ACC, but they didn’t win a single game in October to fall to 4-4.

Tony Elliott’s main focus will be fixing a defense that allowed 89 points in back-to-back losses to Clemson and Carolina.

The Black Knights return to action after resting last weekend and, perhaps, taking advantage of Navy’s blowout loss to Notre Dame.

The Army hosts the Air Force in its first leg of the Commander-in-Chief Trophy. The Falcons are 0-6 against FBS opponents, but this is a record-breaking game, so the Knights need to stay focused.

USC faces Washington, a familiar foe from its Pac-12 days. The Huskies have won 18 straight games in Seattle, so this isn’t a typical game between 4-4 teams.

The Trojans look to build on last Friday’s rout of Rutgers in which QB Miller Moss and RB Woody Marks were the stars. This is a big game for both schools’ prospects, especially Washington, which still has Oregon and Penn State on the schedule.

How Notre Dame football can improve during the critical November period