10 storylines to follow heading down college football's home stretch

Seven weeks down; seven to go.

We've hit the halfway mark of the college football regular season. It's been entertaining thus far — not too many surprises — with enough intrigue to keep us going back each week. There have been some overachievers and plenty of who've failed to live up to their preseason hype — at least to this point.

That said, it's a perfect to time look ahead at 10 storylines to think about during college football's second half. Here we go.

Ex-teammates lead Heisman race

It was not long ago that Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts were helping Alabama win a national championship. Now they are each leading potent offenses and are front-runners in the chase for the Heisman Trophy.

Is it possible Alabama's Tagovailoa can lose the Heisman race to an Oklahoma quarterback for the second consecutive season? While Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor also needs to be in the Heisman conversation, Tau and Hurts going head-to-head down the stretch for the Heisman makes for great theater. And that likely will end up being the way things play out. Stay tuned.

The Clemson situation

The reigning national champions are 6-0, have allowed 74 points and scored at least 41 four times, yet they've dropped twice in The Associated Press Top 25 poll in recent weeks. That close call against North Carolina last month knocked Clemson out of the No. 1 spot and the somewhat pedestrian play of quarterback Trevor Lawrence (11 touchdown passes, six interceptions) have many pundits doubting the team's championship worth.

It will be interesting to see how things play out, as the Tigers are still the class of the ACC and should enter the postseason undefeated. However, we'll know for sure where Clemson stands when the initial College Football Playoff rankings come out on Nov. 5. For the time being, the Tigers don't really look like a top-four team.

Joe Burrow is the best quarterback in the country

Tau Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts might be the best overall players in college football, but LSU's Joe Burrow is looking like the top quarterback in the nation. The senior has thrived in LSU's up-tempo offense, ranking first nationally in completion percentage (79.6) and passer rating (218.1) and is either outright or tied for second in yards (2,157) and touchdowns (25).

The Tigers have moved up to No. 2 in the country, and Burrow is a big reason why. He's elevated the offense to a near-elite level and LSU to a complete and serious national title contender.

Time to take the Big Ten seriously

Even before the season officially started, Ohio State should have been considered as a College Football Playoff contender. The Buckeyes certainly are, but what about Penn State and Wisconsin? Both are 6-0 and playing extremely well defensively.

We're smart enough to know the league won't get two teams in the CFP, but with six squads in the top 25 and three among the top seven, the Big Ten should get some credit for its strong play thus far. A couple of dates to keep in mind: The Badgers visit Ohio State on Oct. 26, and the Buckeyes host the Nittany Lions on Nov. 23.

Big-time disappointments

There are plenty of marquee Power Five schools that have underachieved during the first half of the 2019 season: Georgia, Texas, Iowa State, Michigan, Nebraska, Texas A&M and Miami (FL). Then again, maybe some like the Wolverines, Cornhuskers and Aggies were overvalued from the start.

It's quite possible things get rougher for the likes of Michigan, Nebraska and even Georgia down the stretch as the schedule presents some major challenges for those programs. The Bulldogs, no doubt, might end up being the biggest disappointment of 2019 after inexplicably losing at home to South Carolina.

Group of Five is certainly alive

UCF's time as a Group of Five darling appears to be over. So whom should we keep an eye on to earn one of the New Year's Six bowl spots? Based on the AP Top 25, Boise State (6-0) is the highest-ranked non-Power Five team. It also seems the Broncos have a good chance of finishing the regular season undefeated.

SMU has also yet to lose, and Cincinnati is holding down a Top 25 spot. Then there's Appalachian State. Ranked 24th, the Mountaineers are 5-0 and the current kings of the Sun Belt. This will be a fun race to watch.

That seat is getting hotter

It's always fun to figure out which coaches are in danger of losing their jobs — perhaps even before the season ends. It's easy to start in Los Angeles, where both USC's Clay Helton and UCLA's Chip Kelly are feeling the heat. The Trojans have had their moments this season, but Helton looks to be on borrowed time.

Elsewhere, Virginia Tech's Justin Fuente, Lovie Smith at Illinois and Derek Mason at Vanderbilt should be looking for buckets of cold water to plop down into. Then there is Jim Harbaugh. The Wolverines might have the worst 5-1 team in the country. Come on. They nearly blew a 28-0 lead to Illinois. The Maize and Blue supporters aren't happy — and rightfully so.

Nov. 9. Circle the date

We've touched on how good LSU has played this season, and we'll get to the CFP in a moment. But much will further be told about both come the end of Saturday, Nov. 9. That's when the Tigers visit Alabama in a potential No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup.

The assumption is the winner takes the SEC West; however, before then, LSU hosts Auburn, which will welcome the Crimson Tide for the Iron Bowl. Still, this has the makings of another classic with plenty riding on it when LSU and Alabama meet.

Turn on and tune in

We know LSU-Alabama will be must-see TV next month and so will Wisconsin-Ohio State and the Buckeyes-Penn State. But those are not the only games worthy of appointment viewing over the next seven weekends of the college football season. Knowing what we know now, or what could possibly rise to marquee matchup in status, there are other key games to circle on the calendar.

Like these: Auburn at LSU (Oct. 26); Notre Dame at Michigan (Oct. 26); Georgia vs. Florida (Nov. 2); Oklahoma at Baylor (Nov. 16); Ohio State at Michigan (Nov. 30).

And then there were four

As mentioned, the first College Football Playoff rankings come out in early November. A lot can change from now to then, but the truth is that the top seven teams in the current AP Top 25 are undefeated, and each can make a legitimate case at being among the top four at the moment.

In reality, Alabama, LSU, Clemson, Ohio State and Oklahoma are the best of the batch and each has the potential to win it all. In the meantime, let's keep watching to see how things unfold. And enjoy the ride.