Five unranked teams that could make College Football Playoff

Florida State, Miami and Clemson are trendy picks to win the ACC, but Virginia Tech could find itself 4-0 and rolling toward a potential conference title going into Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 27 for a season-defining matchup against the Hurricanes. 

If Virginia Tech wins that game, No. 14 Clemson awaits on Nov. 9 in what could be a game to lock up a spot in the ACC Championship Game, probably against Florida State.

A win against either Clemson or Miami would leave Virginia Tech enough breathing room to make the playoff with one or maybe even two losses.

Nebraska | 5-7 last season | Schedule

Believe it or not, Nebraska's schedule actually does it a favor for once. The Huskers might find themselves 7-0 going into Columbus on Oct. 26 against No. 2 Ohio State.

From there, two of its last four games are against teams in the preseason top 25, and that's where the actual test begins. If the Cornhuskers defeat either USC or Iowa, a possibly 10-2 Nebraska, led by true freshman Dylan Raiola, would likely see itself in the playoff for the first time.

Fox Sports' Joel Klatt gave a similar prediction Monday on "The Joel Klatt Show."

West Virginia | 9-4 last season | Schedule

Despite being picked to finish seventh in the Big 12 preseason poll, West Virginia could slip into the 12-team playoff.

The Mountaineers open their season hosting No. 8 Penn State on Aug. 31, providing an early opportunity to make waves across the college football world. Four more preseason top-25 opponents await them later in the year. Wins during that stretch should certainly shoot them into the top 12.

West Virginia's most significant issue is its defense, particularly its pass rush. According to Pro Football Focus, the Mountaineers finished in the bottom 20 in pass-rush win rate last season (29%). If they can improve significantly on that figure, this could be a special season in Morgantown.