Top storylines for college football's home stretch

Yes, even though its string of 50-point games ended against Missouri last weekend. Tua Tagovailoa seems likely to play through his knee issue, but these next two games will tell for sure if the Crimson Tide are really this dominant. Road games at Tennessee, which just won at Auburn, and LSU will solidify their worth as either the undisputed kings of college football or just a really good team.

Circle Oct. 30 on the calendar. That's when the first College Football Playoff rankings will be unveiled. It seems pretty simple at the moment. Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson and Notre Dame are the four best teams currently, though the committee could play around with the initial order if it feels the Crimson Tide's schedule is as weak as many believe. 

If his knee continues to give him trouble, it's quite possible. Tagovailoa still hasn't thrown an interception this season. However, if Alabama is to stumble or his injury becomes worse and his play suffers, the likes of Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins and versatile Oklahoma signal-caller Kyler Murray could be ready to surpass him.

A winner of 19 in a row and ranked 10th in the country, UCF is still looking for respect — especially from the College Football Playoff committee. By now, fans of the school and college football in general know the Golden Knights won't land among the top four teams in those rankings. Win out, and UCF is headed to another New Year's Six bowl. However, that's not guaranteed after needing to rally by Memphis, and ranked teams in Cincinnati and South Florida waiting on the schedule.

That's the question a lot of college football fans are asking. The answer: It won't be easy. The Irish struggled with Pittsburgh, which allowed 51 points to Penn State, and still have to visit a surging Northwestern team and USC before it's over. Also, a Nov. 17 date against Syracuse at Yankee Stadium could be quite interesting.

The Oklahoma quarterback is a Heisman candidate and highly touted prospect in the Oakland Athletics' system. The question is which sport will be his future home? Both? Probably not. At least not at the same time. Baseball seems the path for now, but should Murray soar to greater heights the rest of the season, professional football may have a place in his life down the road.

The Cornhuskers came so close to that elusive first victory last weekend at Northwestern. While the frustration lingers — and they no longer share the big-name winless moniker with UCLA — there is still hope. Nebraska hosts highly beatable Bethune-Cookman out of the FCS on Oct. 27, but this weekend's visit from Minnesota could very well be the one to end the slide.  

Entering the season, Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor was considered the top returning running back after his strong freshman season. Taylor hasn't disappointed (158.3 yards per game). But he's not the only sophomore stud. Clemson's Travis Etienne (9.2 yards per carry, 11 touchdowns), Arizona State's Eno Benjamin (178.7 YPG over the last three games) and Cincinnati's Michael Warren II (11 TDs) are also turning heads. Not to mention AJ Dillon (Boston College) and J.J. Taylor (Arizona).  

It's mid-October, and three teams in the American Athletic Conference have yet to lose. Sure, UCF is not a surprise, but Cincinnati and South Florida? Don't think anybody really saw that coming. Even more intriguing is that all three are in the same division of the conference. Things will change come November when they play each other. 

There was hope that the injured Bosa would return to the field this season for the Buckeyes, but this week's news that the star defensive lineman will focus on rehabbing from that core muscle injury and prepare for the NFL draft shouldn't come as a shock. Ohio State has not allowed more than 26 points in each of the last four games minus Bosa. It's obvious the program has prepared for this moment and likely won't skip a beat.

The former Clemson signal-caller won't be playing anywhere the rest of 2018, but speculation about where he will land next year remains a hot topic this season. He visited fellow ACC member North Carolina recently, and there are rumors some SEC schools might have interest in Bryant, who led the Tigers to the College Football Playoff in 2017.

The year was 1981. Marcus Allen won the Heisman Trophy, "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was the top grossing movie at the box office and that was the last year Florida State did not play in a bowl game. The streak is at 36 consecutive appearances thanks to a 6-6 regular-season mark in 2017. However, these Seminoles are 3-3 and still have to play No. 3 Clemson, at No. 16 North Carolina State, at No. 4 Notre Dame, Boston College and No. 11 Florida. Ouch.

The Bulldogs' national championship hopes took a hit with a 36-16 drubbing at then-No. 13 LSU last week. Things won't get any easier over the next three games, beginning Oct. 27 with the rivalry game vs. No. 11 Florida in Jacksonville. Georgia then visits No. 14 Kentucky before facing an Auburn team that just dropped out of the Top 25. All hope is not lost, but this stretch could make or break Georgia's season.

Texas has won six straight, leads the Big 12 and is ranked seventh in the country thanks to the play of quarterback Ehlinger. However, the sophomore is dealing with a sprained shoulder. The Longhorns are off this week, and the hope is he will be ready when they visit Oklahoma State on Oct. 27. If that's not the case, Shane Buechele should be capable of running the show, but Ehlinger would be missed.

Singletary doesn't play for a big-name school, but the Florida Atlantic running back known as "Motor" might be setting the table for a long and successful football career beyond college. The junior enters the weekend atop the nation with 14 touchdowns and has rushed for 417 yards in the last three games for Lane Kiffin's Owls. 

If asked who the leading rusher in the FBS is, Henderson's name likely wouldn't come up among casual fans. However, the Memphis junior is the real deal. He enters Week 8 as the only player to crack the 1,000-yard mark (1,133), averages an FBS-leading 161.9 yards per game and is second with 13 rushing touchdowns. 

There are three teams from the state of Florida that reside in the Top 25, and two are not named Florida State or Miami. UCF leads the trio at No. 10, with the resurgent Florida Gators 11th. Down the list is South Florida at No. 21. UCF took the crown last year, but the smart money might be on the Gators this time around.

It's been almost two years since UTEP last won a football game — the finale of the 2016 season, 52-24 over North Texas on Nov. 26 of that year. The Miners have dropped 18 in a row since then, though they almost rallied to beat the Mean Green in their last contest. Maybe UTEP coaches and players — over 21 years of age — need some incentive.

Starting next week, the Mid-American Conference begins its annual weeknight run of games. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights are all about MACtion. Though the conference's games continue to be showcased on the ESPN family of networks and now CBS Sports Network, is it worth it? The stadiums are usually more than half empty and the late-fall evening weather can be brutal throughout the Midwest. In the end, it still seems money is all that matters.

The Pac-12 has three teams in the Top 25, but none higher than No. 12 Oregon. However, the Ducks already have a loss and played a less-than-stellar non-conference schedule. No. 15 Washington and unranked Stanford each has two defeats, so none of this bodes well for the conference's chances of earning a College Football Playoff berth.

Perhaps the best college football weekend of the season starts on Thanksgiving evening with the Egg Bowl in Mississippi. The next day, UCF visits South Florida, Oklahoma and West Virginia go at it and Washington vs. Washington State for the Apple Cup rounds things out. Then on Saturday, storied rivalry games in Michigan-Ohio State and Notre Dame-USC each could have College Football Playoff implications. Plenty of quality football to go with those turkey sandwiches.

It's still somewhat early, and excluding Nick Saban, there are some big names that should be in the hunt for the Associated Press College Football Coach of the Year Award. There's Notre Dame's Brian Kelly or perhaps Ed Orgeron at LSU. Maybe Texas' Tom Herman or Florida's Dan Mullen? Looking a little deeper, can Josh Heupel make it back-to-back awards for South Florida? 

We've already seen a midseason coaching casualty in Bowling Green's Mike Jinks . It's uncertain how many more firings will come in season, but the likes of North Carolina's Larry Fedora, Rutgers' Chris Ash, Illinois' Lovie Smith and maybe even Gus Malzahn at Auburn may not remain at their respective schools for 2019. Then there is the c urious case of Bobby Petrino that's worth following.

This obviously is something that won't be addressed until after the national championship game, but it's worth keeping in mind the rest of the way. The Buckeyes remain among the nation's elite, but this year's controversy surrounding Meyer might be too much for him to remain past this season. Things would get more complicated if Ohio State won it all, but either way the university has a decision to make. 

At the moment: no, not after Georgia suffered its first defeat at LSU. With Alabama the league's lone unbeaten, the Bulldogs would likely need to beat the Tide in the SEC title game — should each get there — then maybe both would go. However, if LSU beats Alabama during the regular season and loses the SEC championship, then a case for the SEC winner and perhaps Alabama could be made. Now, to find some Tylenol for that headache.