College football Week 8: Players to watch

Experts have soured a bit on Clemson of late. With the quarterback situation playing out the way it did, plus some closer-than-expected games mixed with a bye last week, it all mixes into some hesitation to put the Tigers among the top four teams in the nation. Etienne and the Tigers have a great opportunity to get some faith back as they host undefeated NC State. Etienne is the ACC's leading rusher and needs to be a stabilizing force for an offense that is being run by a freshman quarterback who only recently earned the starting gig. 

NC State heads to Clemson in a battle of two undefeated teams that could go a long way in determining the ACC champion. Finley may be the best quarterback in the conference and will get his chance to go up against one of the nation's top defenses. Last week against Boston College, Finley completed 73 percent of his passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns. Finley threw for 338 yards and three TDs in a 38-31 loss to Clemson a year ago.

Fitzgerald isn't known for his passing (just four passing touchdowns this season) as much as he is for his running. Last week in the Bulldogs' upset of Auburn, he ran up 195 yards and two touchdowns. He hasn't thrown a touchdown in three weeks, when he tossed two against Louisiana. This week is at LSU, a much bigger test than the Ragin' Cajuns, and against a tough defense. In SEC play, Fitzgerald struggled to get running downfield until that explosion against Auburn. Can he light up some more Tigers this week?

Henderson and the Tigers nearly pulled off the upset of UCF last week, and this week Memphis heads to Missouri. Henderson leads the nation in rushing by a lot (his 1,133 is nearly 200 more yards than second place, Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor), and his 13 rushing touchdowns trail only FAU's Devin Singletary. He's rushed for at least 174 yards five times this season and could reach that total in a shootout with Mizzou. 

Herbert didn't have the most efficient game against Washington last week, but the Ducks got the huge win. This week, Oregon goes to Washington State in a big game not only for the Pac-12 North but also for the entire conference. Oregon is likely the best (and only) shot for the league to get a College Football Playoff berth. NFL scouts love Herbert, and he could have a huge game in what is expected to be a shootout with the Cougars. 

With Tua Tagovailoa banged up, expect to see Jalen Hurts getting more snaps than usual for Alabama as it takes on Tennessee. The Vols shouldn't pose much of a threat to 'Bama and with the Crimson Tide having a bye next week (then taking on LSU), it would be smart to limit or even rest Tua for this game. When Hurts, who is 26-2 as a starter, is your backup then it isn't too trying of a decision. Hurts has played garbage time this season and has looked good, but it would be interesting to see him in a more expansive role...at least for a game.

Oregon State is having a horrible season (1-5) and with the Beavers playing late games, you probably haven't witnessed Jefferson play. He is third in the nation in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. Last week against a good Washington State team, he ran for 138 yards and four touchdowns and he ran for nearly 400 yards over the last two games. Oregon State hosts California this week with eyes for an upset.

Lamb is following up his solid freshman year with an even better sophomore campaign. He's caught 25 passes for 423 yards and six touchdowns, which is just one off last year's entire total. He's caught at least one touchdown in the Sooners' last five games, including Oklahoma's loss to rival Texas in the Red River Rivalry. The Sooners look to get back on track against reeling TCU.

Last week, Lewerke outdueled Penn State's Trace McSorley in the Spartans big win last week, and his reward is seeing No. 6 Michigan this week. Michigan State has been letting him sling it of late, as his 103 pass attempts the last two weeks will attest. Last year against Michigan, he threw for just 94 yards...but Sparty still won. Look for Lewerke to get a few more than 94 yards this time around.

Minshew had himself a game against Oregon State last week. He threw for 430 yards and five touchdowns against the Beavers, continuing a hot stretch for the senior. In the last four games, he's thrown 13 TDs to just one interception and now has the Cougars back in the rankings. As a freshman, he led Northwest Community College to a national championship before playing two seasons for East Carolina. He's now a graduate transfer at Washington State and leading the nation in passing yards. The Cougars host Oregon in a huge Pac-12 North showdown that is on broadcast television. 

The freshman Moore has proved to be a big-time playmaker already. He's already at 45 receptions for 558 yards and five touchdowns and, aside from the Boilermakers' loss to Eastern Michigan, has been extremely consistent — four 100-yard games already. So has the team, which has dug out of an 0-3 hold to win their last three games. Moore and the upset-minded Boilermakers are set to host Ohio State.

Nagel had a great game last week in the Wildcats' 34-31 win over Nebraska. He caught 12 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns. He's had three games this season in which he caught at least 10 passes, and he leads the Big Ten in receiving yards. The senior has already matched last year's receptions total (48) and touchdown total (two). This week Northwestern heads to Rutgers, which has been known to let offenses have big days against it. 

People just aren't talking about Iowa or their quarterback Nate Stanley. Iowa is 5-1 with their lone loss to Wisconsin, and Stanley has been fantastic of late. He's thrown for 300 yards in three of the Hawkeyes' last four games, and last week against Indiana he tossed six touchdowns. He's one of the Big Ten's hottest quarterbacks. He gets a Maryland team this week and should continue his strong play.

Ta'amu is having a fantastic season. After sitting behind Chad Kelly, he's finally getting a chance to shine. He's thrown for nearly 2,300 yards and 15 TDs already this year. Last week against Arkansas, he threw for 387 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran for 141 yards and another score. This week Ole Miss hosts a wounded Auburn squad that is ready to pounce.

If you haven't been paying attention, the Cincinnati Bearcats are still unbeaten. And if you haven't been paying attention, Michael Warren II is a big reason why. He's rushed for at least 91 yards in all but one game (a blowout of Alabama A&M where he had just six carries) and is coming off a 123-yard effort against Tulane. He has scored a touchdown in each game this season. Cincinnati heads to Temple this weekend.