Now that Notre Dame football is ranked No. 9 in the AP polls, there is really only one more chance for the Fighting Irish to stumble on the road to the playoffs. That chance comes this weekend in what is becoming an ever more hyped up matchup with the Pitt Panthers, as the ACC school's campus will now be the site for next weekend's College Gameday.
ESPN announced on Sunday afternoon that Pitt jumped into the Top 25, meaning next weekend's game will be a clash between two ranked teams, which was likely the deciding factor.
Notre Dame football will face off against Pitt after ESPN College GameDay
Pitt, which is 7-2 on the season, is hoping to find a way to sneak into the playoffs. The Irish, meanwhile, are trying to make sure they don't fall out now that they've been included in the first CFP rankings.
COLLEGE GAMEDAY IS HEADED TO PITTSBURGH AND PAT IS HEADED HOME‼️
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) November 9, 2025
We’ll be outside Acrisure Stadium for our first Saturday show in the Steel City in 20 years!@PatMcAfeeShow pic.twitter.com/Fj60IytzCq
Notre Dame has known for a while that this weekend's matchup will be a biggie. Ever since the Panthers made a change at quarterback, their offense has been quite good under Mason
Heintschel. Pitt is also the last game that the Irish will face off against a team with a winning record.
In other words, should they lose to Pitt, there's almost no chance they'll be able to back into the College Football Playoffs. Should they win, they'd have to suffer an epic collapse in order not to finish the regular season with 10 straight wins.
The game is set to kick off at noon on Saturday and will now be preceded by an entire ESPN College Gameday centering around the contest between Pitt and Notre Dame. It might be unofficial, but it's absolutely safe to assume the winner will punch their College Football Playoffs ticket.