Littlefinger would have loved the 12-team College Football Playoff format.

Up you go, Indiana.

Take a step, Army.

Ole Miss, make your move over Georgia in a frantic attempt to gain ground.

And don’t get too comfy, Oregon; the higher you rise, the harder you hit the ground if you slip.

Just a quick reminder: Spoiler alert, Littlefinger’s story ended badly before “Game of Thrones” wrapped up.

So indeed, chaos can be both a pit and a ladder.

Who is gearing up to climb, and who seems most at risk of tumbling down in the upcoming 12-team CFP? Let’s analyze the landscape for the final month of the season and consider how the lead-up to Selection Sunday might unfold into a whirlwind of unpredictability.

ACC

Leading Teams: Miami, Clemson

Other contenders: Pittsburgh, SMU

What if chaos hits: Imagine Miami, Clemson, and SMU winning their remaining games before the ACC championship. Miami would finish 12-0, while Clemson and SMU stand at 11-1 each with a loss outside the conference. The tiebreakers would decide which teams face off in the title game. If Miami loses that game, you’ll end up with Miami, Clemson, and SMU each carrying one defeat. Will the committee include all three? Two? Or just one?

Prediction: While all three could potentially land in the playoffs, I’ll hedge my bets. I foresee two teams qualifying, with Miami likely taking the lead.

Big Ten

Leading Team: Oregon

Other contenders: Penn State, Ohio State, Indiana

What if chaos hits: Suppose Oregon suffers a single defeat in November. Ohio State manages to beat both Penn State and Indiana that month. All four teams would finish 11-1, each with one conference loss by the end of the regular season. The committee would face a tough decision regarding how to accommodate all four.

Prediction: If Ohio State loses to either Penn State or Indiana, it’s straightforward: The Buckeyes would be left out. If they split wins against those two, the team that loses to Ohio State might be in the hot seat. If Ohio State wins against both Penn State and Indiana, the committee will have a tough choice between the Nittany Lions and Hoosiers, likely focusing on their defeat margins against the Buckeyes.

I predict three teams qualifying, with Oregon having the best chances.

Big 12

Leading Teams: Brigham Young, Iowa State

Other contenders: Kansas State, Colorado

What if chaos hits: Imagine Kansas State defeating Iowa State in November, gaining a spot in the Big 12 championship against BYU, then handing the Cougars their first loss to secure the automatic bid. This leaves ISU and BYU with only one loss each, having not faced each other.

Prediction: Among the Power Four conferences, the Big 12 appears most at risk of securing just one playoff spot. If BYU and Iowa State both enter the Big 12 championship undefeated, that would provide the conference with the best opportunity for multiple playoff bids.

I predict one team qualifying, with BYU in the best position to do so.

SEC

Leading Teams: Georgia, Texas A&M

Other contenders: Texas, Tennessee, LSU, Alabama, Ole Miss

What if chaos hits: Things get complicated here. The SEC has seven playoff hopefuls. In one chaotic scenario, if Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and the Alabama-LSU winner all finish 10-2, it creates a huge dilemma with six teams sharing the same record. Realistically, the playoff cannot host six SEC teams. Sorting that out will be tricky.

In a different scenario, if Texas A&M, LSU, and Georgia all go undefeated through November, Georgia would likely reach the highest CFP ranking, possibly even No. 1 or No. 2. However, A&M would have an undefeated SEC record while both LSU and Georgia would have one conference loss. Tiebreakers could favor LSU, sending them to the conference championship while Georgia stays home, missing out on a first-round playoff bye.

Prediction: This situation is complicated. Let’s revisit after the November 9 matchups between Alabama and LSU and Georgia and Ole Miss. That day could either clarify the playoff picture or further complicate it.

I expect four teams to qualify, with Georgia and Texas A&M having the best prospects.

Group of Five

Leading Team: Boise State

Other contenders: Army, UNLV, Navy, Memphis, Louisiana-Lafayette, Tulane

What if things got wild: Imagine Colorado State, after having lost three non-conference games, manages to win every game in Mountain West play and takes home the conference title. This outcome might favor either the American or the Sun Belt champion for a Group of Five bid.

Most likely outcome: Boise State is expected to perform well. I anticipate one team will qualify as the Mountain West champion.

Independent

Teams in playoff hunt: Notre Dame

What if things got wild: If the Irish suffer another loss, they might seem out of the race. But wait, if Texas A&M clinches the SEC championship, what happens next? Even with a somewhat weak resume, Notre Dame would have a victory against the SEC champion.

Most likely outcome: I believe the Irish will win their remaining games and secure a spot as an at-large selection.

Estimated total for the 12-team playoff field: Four from the SEC, three from the Big Ten, two from the ACC, one from the Big 12, one from a Group of Five conference, and one independent.