15 schools that can throw a wrench in the College Football Playoff

The College Football Playoff has felt like an exclusive club that is extremely difficult to get into. Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Georgia have earned 26 of the 40 berths in the first ten years of the format, and those schools have won 8 of the 10 national championships.

That all changes this season with the expansion of the playoff to 12 teams. So, while all of those schools look to get back into the dance, there are now seats for others to be able to have a chance to make a championship run. That includes the Group of 5, who only earned one playoff spot in those first ten seasons (Cincinnati, 2021).

So, as we look forward to watching teams crash the typical playoff party, it is more wide open than ever for these schools to actually be a factor come the postseason. Here are 15 schools that could throw a wrench in the College Football Playoff.

Appalachian State Mountaineers (1 of 15)

Appalachian State looked like they were having another down year in 2023 before the 'Neers went on a five-game winning streak to end the season and reached the Sun Belt title game. They would go on to beat Miami-OH in the Cure Bowl, which launches App State into 2024. The offense that woke up last year is mostly back. Quarterback Joey Aguilar set school records for passing yards and passing touchdowns, and he will be throwing to senior Christian Horn and Kaedin Robinson once again. The Mountaineers are stacked at running backs and their offensive line is typically one of their strengths. The defense is young and talented (they led the Sun Belt in interceptions in '23) and still have room to improve. With fellow SBC powers James Madison and Troy going through coaching changes, App State is the more consistent program this season. They also get to host Liberty which could turn into a sort of G5 playoff game. A game at Clemson on September 7th gives the Mountaineers an opportunity for a big upset ... or at least an opportunity to show the nation this is a playoff-worthy team.

Boise State Broncos (2 of 15)

Remember that one of the Group of 5 champions will get into the College Football Playoff, so it isn't a matter of needing a team to go undefeated and beat a power conference team to get there anymore possibly. Someone will get it. Boise State is the defending Mountain West champs and actually have some advantages in its favor to bet the best of the G5. Schedule-wise, they get to face Oregon ... a legit title favorite ... plus host Oregon State and Washington State -- two kinda power programs that does help Boise's resume in a battle of G5 conference champions. New head coach Spencer Danielson got the interim tag removed after a four-game winning streak at the end of the season (they lost the LA Bowl to UCLA) and a conference crown. Mountain West Player of the Year Ashton Jeanty is back after leading the nation in yards per scrimmage per game in 2023.

Florida Gators (3 of 15)

No, I don't think the Florida Gators have any chance of playing in the College Football Playoff, but "throwing a wrench" doesn't always mean a team crashing the postseason. In Florida's case, it could be providing that bad loss to a team that is trying to earn an at-large bid. The Gators have a hellish schedule, with games against Georgia, Texas, Florida State, Ole Miss, LSU, Miami, Texas A&M, UCF, Tennessee and Kentucky on their slate. Seriously, that is unfair. But if the Gators can pop one of those teams, it could have a massive impact on the playoff race, whether it is who plays for the SEC championship or who gets a bad loss on their resume. This isn't a bad team, but it's also not a great team. Florida is capable of an upset or two ... and Billy Napier may need a couple of those to keep his job.

Kansas Jayhawks (4 of 15)

The Big 12 is wide open and it is there for the taking. Kansas certainly has a good shot at finding its way, just as anyone else. For one thing, they have quarterback Jalon Daniels who could be the conference's top player. For another, head coach Lance Leipold had built this program up from scratch and has done a masterful job making the program matter once again. He restructured his contract for a bigger raise and more money to hire assistants, and hopefully the administration can keep him in Lawrence for the long haul. Their schedule is very manageable, but they need to end their 15-game losing streak to rival Kansas State if they want to get into the playoff.

Kansas State Wildcats (5 of 15)

Did I mention Kansas State? Well they also have a chance to storm the playoff. Remember that this team won the Big 12 title in 2022 (which would've put them in the CFP under the new rules) and they've beaten the rival Jayhawks 15 straight times. The blessing and their curse may be their schedule: it's pretty easy. Again, the Big 12 lacks a power program right now that the schedule for everyone isn't brutal. They do travel to Tulane, West Virginia, Iowa State and Colorado ... and that's their toughest tests outside of the Sunflower Showdown. New QB Avery Johnson has the swagger and the game to make a Big 12 title run.

Liberty Flames (6 of 15)

Liberty was the G5 school that reached a New Year's Six bowl game which would mean they would've qualified for the College Football Playoff spot under the new format. Liberty could go undefeated and win the Conference USA title again, but they could be an interesting case study for that new format. Liberty has one of the easiest schedules in FBS and play zero Power 5 programs. Their most significant game in September 28th at Appalachian State which could go a long way to determine where CUSA and the Sun Belt will rate against each other when it comes playoff selection time. The Flames are an overwhelming favorite to win the league again behind head coach Jamey Chadwell and returning QB Kaidon Salter and running back Quinton Cooley. If the defense can come together, Liberty could end up in the playoff.

Louisville Cardinals (7 of 15)

The Cardinals nearly beat Florida State to win the ACC championship last season. Jeff Brohm is building something special at his alma mater and are doing it quickly. Texas Tech transfer Tyler Shough leads the way and has the chops to run Brohm's offense. The Cards do have a demanding road schedule this time around, with trips to Notre Dame, Clemson and Kentucky while Miami comes to visit. They also head over to new ACC member Stanford, and I'm one to believe that these weird West Coast trips could result in an upset or two this season. This schedule also provides the Cardinals with resume-building opportunities that could go a long way if they can't win the conference title.

Memphis Tigers (8 of 15)

The Tigers have a high-octane offense that can overwhelm AAC opponents, but they'll need their rebuilt offensive line and their defense to hold up if they want to win the league and get into the College Football Playoff. Seth Henigan is one of the most experienced and consistent quarterbacks in the nation, and he steadily improves each season. His three top receivers, who combined for 155 receptions and 13 TDs, are also returning. The Tigers travel to Florida State to face their old coach, Mike Norvell, and two of the biggest threats in the AAC -- UTSA and Tulane. Winning those games puts Memphis in a prime spot to earn that G5 playoff spot.

Miami Hurricanes (9 of 15)

There may be a case for the Hurricanes having the ACC's most talented roster. Transfer quarterback Cam Ward (Washington State) and running back Damien Martinez (Oregon State) bring a new energy to an offense that has stalled at times during Mario Cristobal's time in South Florida. The U has a fairly favorable schedule this season: they do travel to Florida and Louisville but get Florida State, Virginia Tech and Duke at home. If Cristobal and his staff can tighten up some of their costly errors over the last two years then maybe Miami can finally reach its potential.

Missouri Tigers (10 of 15)

In case you missed it, Missouri went 11-2 last year and finished in the top 10 of the final AP rankings. Much of the offense that surged to one of the best in the country returns. Brady Cook threw for over 3,300 yards last season and brings back much of his receiving corps (Theo Wease, Mookie Cooper and Luther Burden III). The Tigers also have a favorable schedule (well, as much as an SEC can have one) with their main obstacles being trips to Alabama and Texas A&M and a home date with Oklahoma. With no divisions in the SEC now, this presents a unique opportunity for the Tigers to find their way into the conference title game and snagging a playoff spot.

Ole Miss Rebels (11 of 15)

Is this the year Lane Kiffin finally makes that leap and gets his team into a playoff race? Jaxson Dart is back at quarterback and leads a transfer-heavy roster (especially on defense) that, if successful, could be the model that other programs could take to rebuild their programs. Walter Nolen (Texas A&M), Princely Umanmielen (Florida), Trey Amos (Alabama), and Chris Paul, Jr. (Arkansas) restock a defense that had its challenges last season. The Rebels also did a good job bring guys back, but did lose star running back Quinshon Judkins to Ohio State. Ole Miss gets Kentucky, Oklahoma and Georgia at home and their toughest travel date is in the middle of the season to LSU.

Tennessee Volunteers (12 of 15)

Tennessee looked like a team that was getting back to elite status in 2022, but took a step back last season. There is a lot of optimism in Knoxville that head coach Josh Heupel will turn it back around with quarterback Nico Iamaleava set to take over the offense. Iamaleava took advantage of getting a start in the Citrus Bowl by winning the game's MVP and showing off his lethal dual-threat abilities. He was more runnier than passer in that game, but that will change with a full offseason and Heupel's trust. Iamaleava will have a great receiving corps to toss it to -- Bru McCoy, Squirrel White and Tulane transfer Chris Brazzell II. The Vols defense should be much improved as well, with end James Pearce Jr. leading the way. This is a scary team if the offense can reach their potential again, and they have every opportunity to play their way into the playoff. Tennessee will play NC State in Charlotte, Alabama, Kentucky and Florida at home and traveling to Oklahoma, Arkansas and Georgia. Most programs would cringe at that kind of slate, but this is standard operating procedure for the Vols.

Texas A&M Aggies (13 of 15)

Jimbo Fisher was able to recruit top talent to College Station, but he just couldn't get them to reach their potential. Mike Elko was hired away from Duke to take his place and try to replicate their turnaround. Now, I'm not sold that A&M can win the SEC this season or reach the playoff, but they certainly have a road to make that happen. They also have a road to ruin other team's attempts to reach the 12-team bracket. The Aggies open up with Notre Dame at home ... which is where most of their big games happen. A&M also host playoff hopefuls Missouri, LSU and Texas, which will rekindle their rivalry. If the Aggies can finally keep a quarterback healthy (hello, Conner Weigman) then that's a huge start to getting this program back on track. They could surprise and make a run to an SEC title game appearance; however they most likely will play spoiler in Elko's first year.

USC Trojans (14 of 15)

The narrative from those on the outside looking in is "can Lincoln Riley be able to do his thing in the Big Ten?". That's a reasonable question since this will be the Trojans first season in the league and Riley won't have former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams as his quarterback. Those aren't the only changes at USC: D'Anton Lynn replaces Alex Grinch as the defensive coordinator and, it seems, as if Riley has finally put an emphasis on the defensive side of the ball. The talent may not be there yet on that side of the ball, but they will be coached up and the future is bright in LA. As for this year, the hope is quarterback Miller Moss will be the next guy up in a long line of successful Riley QBs. He looked fantastic in the Holiday Bowl, and he will share the backfield with transfer running back Woody Marks. USC starts off in the fire: LSU in Las Vegas, at Michigan and hosting Wisconsin all in September. Again, the skepticism over USC's move to the Big Ten is warranted, but Riley has done a good job preparing for it. Either they can make a run at the top of the standings or knock off a few of the favorites along the way. This is a big year for the Men of Troy.

Utah Utes (15 of 15)

Let me repeat myself -- the Big 12 is totally up in the air. With the two signature programs leaving and the conference adding four more teams (in addition to the four they added last season) and there is a sense of an open competition to win this league. Utah comes in as a strong candidate to do just that -- they've been one of the top Pac-12 teams over the last few years, they have an identity as a tough-minded, yet skilled program, and they have one of the top returning quarterbacks in the Big 12. Cameron Rising is back to full health this season and he gets one of his top targets back in tight end Brant Kuithe and has added USC transfer receiver Dorian Singer. The defense is experienced and can be brutally dominant. Aside from a September road game at Oklahoma State, pretty much all of the Utes' toughest games happen in Salt Lake City. If Utah gets to the playoff, watch out.