Louisville QB Lamar Jackson joins SportsCenter to share his thoughts on how the Cardinals handled their loss to Clemson and rebounded to beat Duke, as well as his experience meeting 16-year-old cancer patient Amzie Smith. (1:33)

Jackson says team has to come out stronger each week (1:33)

College football national championships aren't won in the first half of the season.

Ask Baylor, Utah and TCU, all of which were ranked in the top four after seven weeks of the 2015 season. Of course, none of them made the College Football Playoff, and eventual national champion Alabama was ranked No. 8 after seven games, before climbing to the top at season's end.

But the midpoint of the season at least gives us a chance to look back at what transpired during the first half. And there were plenty of thrilling finishes, compelling storylines and memorable plays and performances.

Here's your chance to vote for the best in college football from the first half of the 2016 season:

Offensive player of the year

Schlabach says ... Lamar Jackson, Louisville

The sophomore has accounted for 30 touchdowns, which is more than 98 FBS teams have scored at this point. Enough said.

Defensive player of the year

Schlabach says ... Jabrill Peppers, Michigan

Peppers has played so many positions for the Wolverines so far this season it's getting hard to keep track. On defense, he has 38 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 2½ sacks, six quarterback hurries and one forced fumble. Plus, he's averaging nearly 20 yards per carry on offense and is as dynamic as any kick returner in the country.

Coach of the year

Schlabach says ... Mike MacIntyre, Colorado

After winning a total of two Pac-12 games in MacIntyre's first three seasons, the Buffaloes are 5-2 overall, 3-1 in the league, and in the thick of the Pac-12 South race.

Best first-year coach

Schlabach says ... Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech

Sure, the Hokies' 34-17 loss at Syracuse last week took some luster off the first half of Fuente's first season at Virginia Tech. But the Hokies are 4-2 and upset then-No. 17 North Carolina 34-3 on the road and remain very much in the thick of a crowded ACC Coastal title race. Not bad for a guy who had the unenviable task of replacing legendary coach Frank Beamer.

Biggest surprise team

Schlabach says ...West Virginia

Who else had the Mountaineers unbeaten through five games? They've yet to face the meat of the Big 12 schedule, but their 48-17 rout of Texas Tech on the road last week was an eye-opener. They're in the mix for a Big 12 title, and play No. 16 Oklahoma and No. 9 Baylor at home.

Most disappointing team

Schlabach says ... Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish are 2-5, their worst start since beginning 1-6 during a 3-9 campaign in 2007, and they just lost to Stanford, which didn't have star tailback Christian McCaffrey. Defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder was fired after four games, and quarterback DeShone Kizer now looks lost.

Coach on the hot seat

Schlabach says ... Charlie Strong, Texas

Barring a complete turnaround down the stretch, the Longhorns will probably be looking for a new coach after the season. Strong has a 14-17 record in two-plus seasons in Austin, and he demoted defensive coordinator Vance Bedford earlier this month. It was the second time in as many years that he changed coordinators during the season.

Coach on the rise

Schlabach says ... Tom Herman, Houston

Herman is the hottest name in the coaching carousel right now, and he might have his pick among LSU, Texas (if it opens) and other openings at season's end. The Big 12's decision to table expansion for now only increases the odds of him leaving Houston.

Comeback player

Schlabach says ... James Conner, Pittsburgh

Conner battled Hodgkin's lymphoma during the offseason, while he worked his way back from the torn ACL that sidelined him for the 2015 season. He was declared cancer-free on May 23 and leads the Panthers with 531 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

Top freshman (offense)

Schlabach says ... Jalen Hurts, Alabama

Hurts, the first freshman to start at quarterback for Nick Saban, has led the No. 1 Crimson Tide to a 7-0 record. He has completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 1,385 yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions, while rushing for 428 yards with eight scores.

Top freshman (defense)

Schlabach says ... Dexter Lawrence, Clemson

Lawrence, a 6-foot-5, 340-pound defensive tackle, has helped defending ACC champion Clemson replace its top two pass-rushers from last season. He has 44 tackles, 4½ tackles for loss, 2 sacks and 17 quarterback pressures in seven games.

Heisman front-runner

Schlabach says ... Lamar Jackson

Jackson was a one-man highlight show in the first half of the season. He has already rushed for 15 touchdowns and thrown for 15 scores, and he's on pace to become only the fourth player in FBS history to finish a season with 20 touchdowns rushing and passing. He's completing 58.2 percent of his passes for 1,806 yards and leads the No. 7 Cardinals with 832 rushing yards.

Best finish

Schlabach says ... Tennessee 34, Georgia 31

After the Volunteers rallied from a 17-point deficit to take a 28-24 lead with less than three minutes to play, Georgia's Jacob Eason fired a 47-yard touchdown to Riley Ridley to put the Bulldogs in front 31-28 with 10 seconds left. But then Joshua Dobbs threw a 43-yard touchdown to Jauan Jennings on a Hail Mary pass on the final play, giving the Volunteers an improbable 34-31 victory on Oct. 1.

Biggest upset

Schlabach says ... Navy 46, Houston 40

The Midshipmens' stunning upset of the then-No. 6 Cougars on Oct. 8 might have cost Houston an AAC title and possibly a spot in the College Football Playoff. It was Navy's first win over a top-10 opponent since upsetting then-No. 2 South Carolina in 1984, and ended its 0-18 drought against AP top-10 foes.

Best plays

1. Colorado receiver Bryce Bobo somehow managed to haul this catch in with one hand for a 38-yard touchdown -- and keep one foot in bounds. It ended up being the game-winning score in the Buffaloes' 41-38 win at Oregon on Sept. 24.

Colorado's Bryce Bobo made this #SCtop10 catch of the day.



WATCH: https://t.co/wRO4n47AtD — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 25, 2016

2. Lamar Jackson became a household name after running circles around Florida State's defense in a 63-20 win. This touchdown run was one of his five TDs on the day.

Stop us if you've heard this one before: Lamar Jackson: Touchdown. #SidelineCam https://t.co/gvRFnNuVC4 — College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 17, 2016

3. Ohio State's Noah Brown somehow managed to score as he pinned the ball on the back of Oklahoma's Michiah Quick as he was falling out of bounds. The Buckeyes won 45-24.

4. Michigan cornerback Jourdan Lewis had the best one-handed interception you'll ever see to preserve a 14-7 win over Wisconsin on Oct. 1.

Schlabach says ... Lamar Jackson's touchdown run against Florida State

Jackson had more than a few Heisman-esque moments in the first half of the season (like his leap over Syracuse cornerback Cordell Hudson), but his 47-yard touchdown run in a 63-20 rout of then-No. 2 Florida State was most memorable. It featured a nasty cut and electrifying spin move into the end zone. It even prompted Michael Vick to proclaim on Twitter that Jackson was five times better than he was at Virginia Tech.

Worst plays

1. We've seen too many instances of players dropping the ball before crossing the goal line. Clemson's Ray-Ray McCloud was just one example.

He DeSean Jacksoned it. https://t.co/N1k75fIBcf — ESPN CollegeFootball (@ESPNCFB) September 10, 2016

2. DeMarcus Walker blocked Michael Badgley's PAT which would have tied the game at 20-20. Instead, it secured a 20-19 win for Florida State over Miami on Oct. 8

Heartbreak in Miami. The Hurricanes, losers of six straight games to rival Florida State, scored a late TD ... and got their tying extra point blocked. Seminoles win 20-19. A video posted by espn (@espn) on Oct 8, 2016 at 9:11pm PDT

3. Charlotte was penalized for three dead ball penalties on the same Eastern Michigan pick-six, so the Eagles took the ensuing kickoff from the 49ers' 20-yard line. EMU won 37-19.

After 3 personal foul penalties, Eastern Michigan kicked off from the Charlotte 20-yard line (h/t EMU Athletics) pic.twitter.com/hYwsqakuwp — ESPNU (@ESPNU) September 18, 2016

4. South Carolina State's Ahmaad Harris fielded a kickoff and flipped the ball to an official -- without taking a knee. The Tigers recovered the fumble for a touchdown.

Schlabach says ... South Carolina State kick returner forgets to take a knee

During a season in which we've seen far too many players drop the ball before the goal line, South Carolina State's Ahmaad Harris might have taken the prize in the Bulldogs' 59-0 loss at Clemson. After a Tigers touchdown, Harris fielded the kickoff and flipped the ball to an official -- before taking a knee. Clemson recovered the fumble in the end zone for a touchdown.