3 teams that could crash the playoff

In the two years that the College Football Playoff has been in existence, the participants have been the usual suspects competing annually for a national title.

Alabama's made a pair of appearances, while Ohio State, Clemson, Oregon, Florida State, Michigan State, and Oklahoma have also taken part.

For fans of these programs, that's great, but for fans of upsets and parity, not so much. When could a longshot or even non-Power 5 team crash the playoff?

Here are three teams that have a shot to do it in 2016:

Houston

The Cougars finished 8th in the final AP Poll last season, thanks to a 13-1 campaign that culminated with a Peach Bowl victory over Florida State.

Houston may have even had a case to crash the playoff last year, if not for an inexplicable loss to UConn in November. The knock on Tom Herman's crew is strength of schedule, as the Cougars play in the AAC and have a difficult time having theirs stand up against those from Power 5 conferences. This year, though, things may be different.

The Cougars open their season against Oklahoma and also have a non-conference game against Louisville. It won't be easy, but if they can win both of those and the Sooners have another solid season, it would be hard for the voters to deny Houston a spot.

North Carolina

The Tar Heels are known for their play on the hardcourt, but they almost found themselves on college football's biggest stage in 2015. North Carolina could have made the playoff had they beaten then undefeated Clemson in the ACC Championship game.

On the non-conference schedule this year, the Tar Heels will meet Georgia in Week 1, a very winnable game. The Bulldogs have some questions at the quarterback position and it may take some time for Kirby Smart to put his stamp on the defense, but a win over an SEC opponent always looks good.

The rest of the schedule looks very manageable, other than a tough test from the Seminoles and a possible Miami squad with something to prove. North Carolina will be well equipped to deal with those foes, though, as despite the loss of quarterback Marquise Williams to the NFL, several other key contributors on offense will be back.

Elijah Hood, who ran for more than 1,400 yards and 17 touchdowns last year, along with big-play receiver Ryan Switzer, will be good pillars for pivot Mitch Trubisky to lean on.

West Virginia

Couple the turmoil at Baylor with TCU losing Trevone Boykin and Josh Doctson to the NFL, and there's an opportunity for a power shift in the Big 12.

West Virginia could be the team to fill the void, as the Mountaineers will be fielding an experienced roster this season. Senior quarterback Skyler Howard will have his top two receivers back from 2015, which should make the offense formidable enough to keep pace with the high-scoring teams in the conference.

The Mountaineers' non-conference schedule boasts BYU and Missouri, two potential victories that should look decent at the end of the year in the eyes of the voters if they can pull them out.

Let's also keep in mind Oklahoma has a difficult non-conference schedule with Houston and Ohio State, so it's hard to imagine any Big 12 team running away with things this year. That means Dana Holgorsen and company could be in the mix for a conference championship, and with a little luck, maybe a national title.