5 teams that could upset the 2017 College Football Playoff picture

Stanford’s loss to Washington State put them in a bind when it comes to College Football Playoff aspirations. The Cardinal need some help, but amazingly they still have a shot to win the Pac-12 North race. If everything falls into place, David Shaw could end up a conference champion and throw the national picture into a complete tailspin.

The Cardinal host No. 5 Washington in a Week 11 matchup in Palo Alto. While the oddmakers have positioned the Huskies as a six-point favorite in #Pac12AfterDark action, Stanford will be playing at home on Friday night. If Stanford pulls off the upset of the Huskies, they would then need to root for Washington to win out the rest of the way.

Of course, Stanford also needs to win out themselves. After Washington, the Cardinal follow up with the Big Game against Bay Area rival California. Then College Football Playoff contender Notre Dame comes to Palo Alto on Thanksgiving weekend, and a 9-3 Cardinal team with wins over the Huskies and Fighting Irish would offer an intriguing case.

All they would then need is for Washington to take down Washington State in the Apple Cup. If the Huskies beat the Cougars, Washington would finish 7-2 in conference play. In that case, Stanford would hold the tiebreaker in the divisional race and play the South champ (likely USC) in nearby Santa Clara. Should they manage the late surge to the top of the Pac-12, Stanford would destroy College Football Playoff dreams for the Huskies, Fighting Irish and the Trojans.