Throughout the last decade, the road to the College Football Playoff has always been full of unexpected twists.

Sometimes, an upset ruined a top-ranked team's championships hopes. Perhaps a program lost in the early weeks of the campaign but still managed to recover and make the CFP. There are any number of examples that we've watched in the 10-year Playoff era.

Because the CFP has expanded to 12 spots, however, we're already seeing new situations emerge in 2024.

And, more specifically: New teams.

Georgia doesn't fit that mold, of course, winning back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022. Saturday's massive win at Texas is something we've come to expect from Kirby Smart's program.

Army, though? Indiana? They kept on rolling in Week 8 and kick off our latest set of takeaways from around the FBS.

Army, the CFP Contender

I'm not ashamed to admit I thought it would only happen a video game. I've enjoyed making Army a national powerhouse online, too!

But this is real life.

Not only did Army improve to 7-0 with a 45-28 win against East Carolina on Saturday, but the Black Knights also jumped to 6-0 in conference play. They are effectively a single win away—over North Texas on Nov. 9—from locking in a berth to the AAC Championship Game.

The remaining schedule isn't a breeze. Beyond that critical matchup with UNT, Army plays Notre Dame and unbeaten Navy. It's very possible this October hype is quieted in November.

If you haven't yet embraced the idea of Army winning the American and making the College Football Playoff, though, it's time to start.

Indiana, the CFP Threat

I'm out of reasons to not have Indiana in CFP projections.

Sitting at 7-0 after leveling Nebraska 56-7, the Hoosiers have clearly struck gold with new coach Curt Cignetti and transfer quarterback Kurtis Rourke. Add in a defense that has ceded only 13.6 points per game, and IU simply is thriving in 2024.

Look, it might be difficult to believe in the team's upside. I truly get it. The program hasn't surpassed eight wins since 1967.

How many losses do you see on the schedule, though? Indiana alternates home and away matchups the rest of the way, taking on Washington, Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State and Purdue.

As we've watched every Saturday, upsets happen. Maybe the Hoosiers predictably lose at OSU and drop two other games, rendering this conversation pointless in just a few weeks. Could happen!

Until or unless that does, however, IU deserves the label of a Playoff contender—which is absolutely wild to say.

UNLV Rolls into Mountain West Showdown

With every passing week, the AAC and Mountain West are looking like the Group of Five's main Playoff contenders.

Army, as you hopefully just read, is headlining the American. Navy and Tulane are also unbeaten in ACC play, while Memphis and North Texas—the former beat the latter on Saturday—remain in contention.

In the Mountain West, four programs are still unblemished in conference games. However, you won't notice much disagreement in Boise State and UNLV being labeled the MWC front-runners. Boise State is 5-1, and UNLV just moved to 6-1. Hajj-Malik Williams totaled 261 yards and three touchdowns, the defense piled up six sacks and the Rebels toppled Oregon State 33-25 in Week 8.

Next up: A showdown with Boise State on Friday night.

Yes, it's possible this is merely a precursor to a rematch in the Mountain West Championship Game. The result of that contest—no matter if either or both programs make it there—will be most impactful.

Whichever program leaves with a victory, though, will secure a critical win in the chase to represent the G5 in the Playoff.

Iowa State, BYU Formally Lead Big 12

Based on rankings alone, you would've known the Big 12 favorites. Iowa State entered Week 8 ranked ninth in the country, and BYU followed at 13th. Both teams were 6-0, too.

Texas Tech, though, held a 5-1 record with a 3-0 mark—the only other unbeaten team in conference action.

Not so much anymore.

As a home favorite, the Red Raiders fell to Baylor in embarrassing fashion. Baylor, which was 0-3 in Big 12 action, amassed 529 yards in a 59-35 beatdown. Baylor QB Sawyer Robertson, who is from Lubbock, threw for 274 yards and five touchdowns against his hometown team.

BYU and Iowa State, meanwhile, both survived nerve-wracking games with last-minute touchdowns against Oklahoma State and UCF, respectively. It wasn't pretty, but they squeezed out wins.

The road to the Big 12 Championship Game, officially, runs through the conference's last two unbeatens.

ACC Begins to Separate

Looking through a College Football Playoff lens, two losses is not necessarily crippling for a power-conference team. Alabama, for example, hasn't exited the Playoff radar because of Saturday's loss.

It's a different story in conference standings, though.

Heading into Week 8, nine ACC teams had either a zero- or one-loss record in league play. The outlook was messy enough, and both Virginia and Louisville put scares—of varying degrees, of course—into Clemson and Miami, respectively, early in Saturday's action.

Clemson ended up rolling UVA in the second half, and Miami outlasted Louisville down the stretch. The results kept Clemson and Miami unbeaten in the ACC, while UVA and Louisville lost a second conference game.

I'm not suggesting there won't be any chaos in the conference. Really, some madness feels like a safe bet.

Still, barring complete and utter mayhem, the number of legitimate contenders in the ACC has dropped to seven.

Alabama Enters Unfamiliar Territory

Please read this carefully: Not since 2007 has Alabama headed into November with a two-loss record.

You might be tired of the Crimson Tide's success. Hey, dynasty fatigue is a real thing! We've experienced it with, among others, the New England Patriots and Golden State Warriors in recent years. The sentiment seems to be building around the Kansas City Chiefs, too.

Seriously, though, that fact is absurd. Since 2007!

Nick Saban built and sustained a juggernaut in Tuscaloosa, one Kalen DeBoer could not possibly be expected to keep forever.

But it's also fading quicker than Bama anticipated.

In the aftermath of a 24-17 loss at rival Tennessee, the Tide have returned to the distressing state that about 130 other FBS programs feel annually: real, genuine discomfort about the immediate future.

Thanks to an earlier win over Georgia—one that is even stronger after UGA's triumph at Texas on Saturday—Bama remains a CFP threat. I wouldn't bet against the Tide being in the Playoff at 9-3. Reaching that record isn't promised, however; Alabama's next two games are against one-loss teams Missouri and LSU.

We came to expect Saban-led rosters would bounce back immediately, because they always did. DeBoer's first team at Bama hasn't been able to respond similarly, and now the pressure is intensifying.

Georgia's Win Fuels SEC Surprise

Apologies in advance if you're a fan of an SEC program in the race, but these results are making for incredible entertainment.

Georgia went to Texas and blasted the nation's top-ranked team, soaring to a 23-0 halftime lead in a 30-15 victory. The easy takeaway is that UGA reclaimed its place as an SEC front-runner, and that's certainly true.

Don't sleep on a different storyline.

Just as everyone anticipated, LSU and Texas A&M enter the final weekend of October as the only unbeaten teams in conference play. They've both recovered from frustrating season-opening losses—LSU to USC and A&M at home against Notre Dame—and sit at 6-1 overall.

The best part? They're set to play at Texas A&M in Week 9.

Because of Georgia's win, the stakes in College Station can hardly be higher. The winner won't be declared the league favorite, but it's hard to overstate the importance of holding the very last undefeated SEC record heading into November.