Six teams that could cause CFP chaos

LSU, North Carolina, Kansas State and North Carolina walk into the College Football Playoff...

No, that isn't the start of a joke. As funny as it seems, those four teams have a shot of making the playoff with undefeated runs to end the season.

There's already been plenty of chaos. Tennessee and TCU are the sport's biggest surprises, but there's potential for this season to get even wilder.

No. 14 Illinois (7-1, 4-1 in Big Ten) is in the midst of its best season since 2001. The season could be even more magical if the team wins all of its remaining games. That is unlikely, as ESPN's Football Power Index ranks Illinois as the seventh-best team in the Big Ten and gives them just a 0.5 percent chance of winning out. But if they finish the regular season as a one-loss Big Ten champion, Five Thirty Eight gives Illinois a 96 percent chance of making the playoff. 

No. 15 LSU (6-2, 4-1 in SEC) has a 1.7 percent chance of winning out, but if it does, the Tigers have an 85 percent chance of finishing in the top four. They aren't the only unlikely interloper from the SEC West, as No. 11 Ole Miss (8-1, 4-1 in SEC) has a 66 percent chance of making the playoff by winning its remaining games. 

With LSU holding the tiebreaker over the Rebels, Ole Miss needs No. 6 Alabama (7-1, 4-1 in SEC) to win in Baton Rouge on Saturday. That would mean the meeting between Ole Miss and Alabama on Nov. 12 could determine the SEC West champ.

LSU's inclusion in the College Football Playoff would be historic. No team in the CFP era has made the playoff with two losses. The Tigers were the last team to win a championship with two losses when they did so in 2007.

This season, they aren't the only cats with nine lives.

No. 13 Kansas State (6-2, 4-1 in Big 12) also has two losses, but after its 48-0 win over No. 18 Oklahoma State (6-2, 3-2 in Big 12), they have a 66 percent chance of making the playoff by winning out. FPI isn't confident in that happening, though, as it only gives Kansas State a 3.6 percent chance of doing so. ESPN projects the Wildcats to lose their next two games, against Texas and at Baylor.

Another potential surprise for the playoff is No. 17 North Carolina (7-1, 4-0 in ACC). The Tar Heels are led by one of the best quarterbacks in the country, Drake Maye, and have a 63 percent chance of making the playoff if they finish with one loss. 

There's a 4.3 percent chance of that occurring, per FPI, as they would have to defeat No. 5 Clemson (8-0, 6-0 in ACC) for the ACC Championship. ESPN also gives North Carolina a 53.9 percent chance of losing its game to No. 20 Wake Forest (6-2, 2-2 in ACC) on Nov. 12.

There are two teams from the Pac-12 with a greater than 50 percent chance of making the playoff by winning out, No. 8 Oregon (7-1, 5-0 in Pac-12) and No. 10 UCLA (7-1, 4-1 in Pac-12). They also have the best odds of these second-tier teams of not losing any more games this season. 

FPI gives the Ducks a 13.4 percent chance of going undefeated the rest of the way and the Bruins a 6.9 percent chance. Oregon has a 69 percent chance of making the playoff in this scenario, while UCLA has a 55 percent chance of playing in the semifinals.

With a month left in the regular season, there is still enough time for the usual suspects that populate the College Football Playoff to once again demonstrate they are the best in the sport. 

Alabama, No. 1 Georgia (8-0, 5-0 in SEC), No. 2 Ohio State (8-0, 5-0 in Big Ten) and Clemson have multiple CFP appearances, and most (if not all) will qualify again this season. With the same teams always rising to the top, there's a reason why conference commissioners decided to expand the playoff. 

There's still time for teams no one expected to be here to make a run that flips the script.

North Carolina and Illinois have a chance to reach heights they haven't in years. LSU and Kansas State can make history in the CFP era. Will any of them? The odds suggest they won't, but the chance is there. 

It's up to them to take advantage.