This is not normal.
Historically, by mid-November, at least one Power 5 conference has played itself out of the College Football Playoff race. At this point last season, only the Big Ten (Ohio State and Michigan) and the SEC (Georgia and Tennessee) had teams with at least a 33% chance to reach the playoff, according to the Allstate Playoff Predictor.
This year, all five major conferences are still jockeying for the four coveted playoff spots, and there are twice as many teams in contention.
In the Pac-12, Washington is undefeated and one-loss Oregon still has a legitimate path. Ohio State and Michigan remain undefeated in the Big Ten. SEC king Georgia is still undefeated. Undefeated Florida State is carrying the banner for the ACC. And while the Big 12 doesn't have any undefeated teams remaining, one-loss Texas still holds a head-to-head trump card over one-loss Alabama.
How unusual is this crowded November field?
According to ESPN Stats & Information, the seven 10-0 teams are the most the sport has seen at this point in the season since the Bowl Championship Series began in 1998. According to the Allstate Playoff Predictor, there are still eight teams with at least a 33% chance to reach the CFP with just three weeks remaining until Selection Day.
Which is the perfect recipe for chaos.
And It goes beyond Tuesday night's latest rankings. Here are six scenarios that could still play out and give the committee headaches.