It's Halloween, which means it's basically November, which means it's stretch run time in college football.
The onset of November means it's now fair game to peer forward to the end of the regular season and concoct your favorite College Football Playoff nightmare scenario. My personal favorite:
-- Undefeated Michigan
-- Undefeated Florida State
-- Undefeated Washington
-- 12-1, Big 12 champion Texas with a win at Alabama
-- 12-1, SEC champion Alabama
-- 12-1, undefeated regular season and 2-time defending national champion Georgia
Not only does one have to go, two have to go.
While you toss that one around your noggin, here's a snapshot look at where every conference championship race stands heading into November, with a breakdown of pivotal upcoming games and a prediction.
AMERICAN
No. 21 Tulane -- 4-0
SMU -- 4-0
UTSA -- 4-0
Memphis -- 3-1
Florida Atlantic -- 3-1
Upcoming games: Tulane at FAU (Nov. 18); SMU at Memphis (Nov. 18); UTSA at Tulane (Nov. 25)
Notable previous games: UTSA d. FAU 36-10; Tulane d. Memphis 31-21
Outlook: This could be incredibly messy -- five teams competing for two spots, and only five total games between them. The UTSA-Tulane game (both defending conference champs; UTSA won C-USA last year) will clearly be pivotal. It could either be an elimination game if SMU wins out, or it could just be the prologue to an immediate rematch.
Prediction: Tulane vs. SMU
ACC
No. 4 Florida State -- 6-0
No. 15 Louisville -- 4-1
Virginia Tech -- 3-1
Georgia Tech -- 3-2
North Carolina -- 3-2
Duke -- 2-2
Miami -- 2-2
Boston College -- 2-2
NC State -- 2-2
Upcoming games: Virginia Tech at Louisville (Saturday); Miami at NC State (Saturday); Miami at Florida State (Nov. 11); Virginia Tech at Boston College (Nov. 11); Duke at UNC (Nov. 11); Louisville at Miami (Nov. 18); NC State at Virginia Tech (Nov. 18); Miami at Boston College (Nov. 24); UNC at NC State (Nov. 25)
Outlook: Nine teams in a 14-team league still in the running highlights how incredibly average the ACC is. Florida State can all but clinch its first ACC Championship appearance since 2014 with a win at Pitt on Saturday, and clinch the No. 1 seed with two more wins. The clearest path among the 2-loss teams is probably Georgia Tech, who owns wins over Miami and UNC, and closes ACC play with 1-3 Virginia, 2-4 Clemson and 0-4 Syracuse.
Prediction: Florida State vs. Georgia Tech
BIG 12
Iowa State -- 4-1
No. 25 Kansas State -- 4-1
No. 10 Oklahoma -- 4-1
Oklahoma State -- 4-1
No. 7 Texas -- 4-1
No. 22 Kansas -- 3-2
West Virginia -- 3-2
Upcoming games: K-State at Texas (Saturday); Oklahoma at Oklahoma State (Saturday); Kansas at Iowa State (Saturday); Texas at Iowa State (Nov. 11); West Virginia at Oklahoma (Nov. 11); K-State at Kansas (Nov. 18); Iowa State at K-State (Nov. 25)
Notable previous games: Iowa State d. OK State 34-27; Texas d. Kansas 40-14; Oklahoma d. Texas 34-30; Kansas d. Oklahoma 38-33; OK State d. Kansas 39-32; OK State d. K-State 29-21; OK State d. WVU 48-34
Outlook: After starting the season 2-2 with a 26-point home loss to South Alabama and a loss to Iowa State, Oklahoma State can... cruise into the Big 12 Championship with a home win over a banged-up Oklahoma on Saturday? The Cowboys would still need an Iowa State loss to feel completely safe, but their final three Big 12 opponents are UCF, Houston and BYU (at home). Saturday looms large, obviously. West Virginia also has a great chance to slide in at 7-2 if they manage to beat OU in Norman. (Easier said than done, obviously.)
Prediction: Texas vs. Oklahoma State
BIG TEN
East
No. 2 Michigan -- 5-0
No. 3 Ohio State -- 5-0
No. 9 Penn State -- 4-1
Upcoming games: Michigan at Penn State (Nov. 11); Ohio State at Michigan (Nov. 25)
Notable previous games: Ohio State d. Penn State 20-12
Outlook: I'll believe Penn State can beat an elite team when I see it, so the division will boil down to The Game on the season's final Saturday. And, yes, until the NCAA and/or the Big Ten step in, we have to treat Michigan's season as legitimate.
West
Minnesota -- 3-2
Iowa -- 3-2
Wisconsin -- 3-2
Nebraska -- 3-2
Upcoming games: Nebraska at Wisconsin (Nov. 18); Iowa at Nebraska (Nov. 24); Wisconsin at Minnesota (Nov. 25)
Notable previous games: Minnesota d. Nebraska 13-10; Minnesota d. Iowa 12-10; Iowa d. Wisconsin 15-6
Outlook: Minnesota is in the strongest position within the division with victories over Nebraska and Iowa, and Wisconsin coming to Minneapolis. However, Minnesota still also has to play Ohio State.
Prediction: Michigan vs. Iowa
CONFERENCE USA
Liberty -- 6-0
Jacksonville State -- 5-1
New Mexico State -- 4-1
Western Kentucky -- 2-2
Upcoming games: NM State at WKU (Nov. 11); Jax State at NM State (Nov. 25)
Notable previous games: Jax State d. WKU 20-17
Outlook: Liberty clinches a C-USA Championship berth with a win over Louisiana Tech or UTEP or a Jax State/NMSU loss. The Flames are all but in. Jax State and NM State control their respective destinies, while WKU needs to win out and have Jax State lose out.
Prediction: Liberty vs. Jacksonville State
MAC
East
Miami (Ohio) -- 4-1
Buffalo -- 3-1
Ohio -- 3-2
Upcoming games: Ohio at Buffalo (Nov. 7); Buffalo at Miami (Nov. 15)
Notable previous games: Miami d. BG 27-0; Miami d. Ohio 30-16
Outlook: The RedHawks' can all but clinch with a home win over Buffalo on Nov. 15, but Ohio can make things interesting next Tuesday.
West
Toledo -- 4-0
Northern Illinois -- 3-1
Central Michigan -- 2-2
Upcoming games: NIU at CMU (Tuesday); Toledo at CMU (Nov. 24)
Notable previous games: Toledo d. NIU 35-33
Outlook: This one's pretty simple. Toledo would have to lose twice down the stretch to make things interesting, but Central Michigan can win the division by winning out and benefitting from one Toledo loss elsewhere.
Prediction: Toledo vs. Miami
MOUNTAIN WEST
No. 17 Air Force -- 5-0
Fresno State -- 3-1
UNLV -- 3-1
Boise State -- 3-1
Notable previous games: Fresno State d. UNLV 31-24
Upcoming games: Boise State at Fresno State (Saturday); UNLV at Air Force (Nov. 18); Air Force at Boise State (Nov. 24)
Outlook: The notable thing about the Mountain West's tiebreaker procedures is how much emphasis they put on games taking place outside its conference. In most other conferences, CFP ranking or a collection of computer models are brought in around Step 6 or 7. In the MW, that's Step 2.
Prediction: Air Force vs. Fresno State
PAC-12
No. 5 Washington -- 5-0
No. 24 USC -- 5-1
No. 6 Oregon -- 4-1
No. 16 Oregon State -- 3-2
No. 18 Utah -- 3-2
Arizona -- 3-2
No. 20 UCLA -- 3-2
Notable previous games: Washington d. Arizona 31-24; Washington d. Oregon 36-33; USC d. Arizona 43-41; Utah d. USC 34-32; Oregon d. Utah 35-6; Oregon State d. Utah 21-7; Arizona d. Oregon State 27-24; Oregon State d. UCLA 36-24
Upcoming games: Washington at USC (Saturday); UCLA at Arizona (Saturday); Utah at Washington (Nov. 11); USC at Oregon (Nov. 11); Washington at Oregon State (Nov. 18); UCLA at USC (Nov. 18); Utah at Arizona (Nov. 18); Oregon State at Oregon (Nov. 24)
Outlook: Washington is in the driver's seat, but Washington also has the toughest road ahead. If the Huskies beat a zombie-like USC team on Saturday night, they can afford a loss down the stretch and still reach the title game.
Prediction: Washington vs. Oregon
SEC
East
No. 1 Georgia -- 5-0
No. 14 Missouri -- 3-1
Florida -- 3-2
Tennessee -- 3-2
Notable previous games: Florida d. Tennessee 29-16; Georgia d. Florida 43-20
Upcoming games: Missouri at Georgia (Saturday); Tennessee at Missouri (Nov. 11); Georgia at Tennessee (Nov. 18); Florida at Missouri (Nov. 18)
Outlook: Georgia can all but wrap up its sixth East title in seven years with a home win over Mizzou on Saturday. Win that, and they can formally clinch against Ole Miss or Tennessee.
West
No. 8 Alabama -- 5-0
No. 11 Ole Miss -- 4-1
No. 13 LSU -- 4-1
Texas A&M -- 3-2
Notable previous games: Alabama d. Ole Miss 24-10; Alabama d. Texas A&M 26-20; Ole Miss d. LSU 55-49
Upcoming games: Texas A&M at Ole Miss (Saturday); LSU at Alabama (Saturday); Texas A&M at LSU (Nov. 25)
Outlook: The division will come into clear focus after Saturday. An Alabama win puts on the doorstep of their third West title in four years, their their seventh in 10 years, their 10th in Saban's 17 years, and their 15th overall. An LSU win opens the door for chaos, but let's talk after LSU actually wins in Bryant-Denny.
Prediction: Georgia vs. Alabama
SUN BELT
East
No. 23 James Madison -- 5-0
Georgia Southern -- 3-1
Georgia State -- 3-2
Coastal Carolina -- 3-2
Old Dominion -- 3-2
Notable previous games: Southern d. Coastal 38-28; Southern d. State 44-27
Upcoming games: ODU at Southern (Nov. 18)
West
Troy -- 3-1
Louisiana -- 2-2
Texas State -- 2-2
Arkansas State -- 2-2
South Alabama -- 2-2
Notable previous games: Troy d. A-State 37-3; Troy d. Texas State 31-13
Upcoming games: South Alabama at Troy (Thursday); Louisiana at Troy (Nov. 18)
Outlook: With the Sun Belt's best team ineligible for the league crown, and Georgia Southern and Troy's only losses coming to James Madison, the Eagles and Trojans are effectively unbeaten in conference play.
Prediction: Georgia Southern vs. Troy