3 teams that need to impress the College Football Playoff committee in Week 9

The first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2017 season come out on Tuesday. Which teams are in need of making a good impression on the committee this weekend?

It’s hard to believe, but we’re already in Week 9 of the college football season. And with that, the College Football Playoff looms ever closer, and the first rankings of the season are due out next Tuesday. So, as a result, teams will be feeling the pressure this weekend, maybe more so than usual. The committee’s been watching closely this season, and now with Tuesday around the corner, several teams may need to make a good impression this weekend.

Sure enough, this is a pretty big weekend with four Top 25 matchups occurring, three of which are happening at the same time. That will make for some high intensity and excitement on the field, and also put added pressure on teams to stand out on a busy Saturday. The opportunity is ripe for the taking. The only question is: Who grabs it?

Here are a few teams who are in need of making an impression on the CFP committee.

North Carolina State

After their Week 1 loss to South Carolina, hype for the NC State Wolfpack simmered quite a bit. The Wolfpack looked like a darkhorse to make the CFB Playoff if things fell their way before the season. Well, seven weeks later, things seem to be falling their way. The Wolfpack have won their last six games, which includes wins over Florida State and Louisville, who were both Top 25 teams at the time. The Wolfpack have yet to lose an ACC game, and seem to be in prime position to make a playoff run, especially since Clemson dropped a game and the fact that they get the Tigers next week in Raleigh.

But that’s next week. This week, the Wolfpack have a chance to earn a Top 10 victory. To do so, they have to go up to South Bend and knock off the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Irish have been rolling lately, to say the least. They destroyed the USC Trojans last week, which effectively took them out of the playoff race. Since their loss to Georgia, Notre Dame has won their last five, scoring 33 points or more in those five wins. They’ve certainly seemed to figure things out.

A win over ND would do wonders for NC State’s chances of getting to the CFB Playoff. With the loss to South Carolina on their resume, they are desperately in need of a signature win. The wins over FSU and Louisville were good, however, NC State needs another boost. The Seminoles and Cardinals are not Top 25 teams. Notre Dame, win or lose, is. Getting a win, especially on the road, would do wonders for NC State.