How can Notre Dame host a playoff game this December? A few things for it to root for in Week 9 of the college football season.

Notre Dame has beaten Navy in 82 of their 96 meetings going back to 1927. It has won the last six games by an average of 23.5 points. It reflects college football Darwinian theory that the strongest survive.

This column will give out four college football picks per week: the game of the week, a favorite, an underdog and a wild card, which can be anything (another favorite or underdog in a game that might be flying under the radar or a total,