Cracking the code on Trevor Lawrence is an ongoing chore; UCF #1 again | STATE OF FOOTBALL

Wasn’t it just an hour or so ago when our only QB question mark was Tom Brady’s marital status?

Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins were thriving in Mike McDaniel’s system, and Doug Pederson was obviously the answer to unlocking Trevor Lawrence’s vast potential in Duval.

And just like that, here we sit with questions that just can’t be answered. Comparatively speaking, marital discord tastes like peach cobbler.

Tua’s near and long-term status is out of anyone’s control. Concussions don’t answer calls.

But Trevor Lawrence . . . ohhhh, Trevor Lawrence. What to make of this? Rare talent and a sparkling portfolio, it turns out, don’t guarantee NFL success.

Cruising from your 20-yard line to the opponents’ 20 doesn’t guarantee points, a harsh truth Jags fans learned last week. But hey, it beats last year’s “from your 20 to your 12 before punting on fourth-and-18.” Baby steps, you know.

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Earlier this week, the head coach offered continued support and professed belief in a quarterback whose Generational Talent label is starting to peel up in the corners.

“I think that we as a staff have to figure out a way to kind of get him settled into the game, number one,” Pederson said.

You remember when Peyton Manning was at UT and had “happy feet” in the pocket? Some considered that unsettling for a quarterback, but it turned out to just be a quirk. Anyway, with Trevor, this ain’t that.

Pederson continues.

“The thing is, he sees everything. He sees the field well.”

How is he with colors? Opposing jerseys are an occasional blind spot, it seems.

Go on, Doug.

“He is going to get better. He will get better. I’m not worried about that at all. We have a lot of faith and trust in him, and he can definitely do the job. We’ve seen it this season. We just have to keep working on him.”

In a perfect football world, you’re working with your quarterback, not on him.

Across the way in Tampa, the Bucs once had a can’t-miss QB who missed too often for their liking. That’s how Jameis Winston became a Saint and Tom Brady a Buccaneer.

For what it’s worth, Tom will be a free agent after this season. Stop, don’t even think about it.

Rank & File: UCF moves to #1; Gators, 'Noles next

The weekly ranking of Florida's seven big-league college football programs, based on results versus expectations, current trends, and latest mood swings of the British pound . . .

1. UCF (4-1): Temple at home, tonight. The Knights make this their sixth annual “space game,” complete with space-themed uniforms, and for this one they’ll answer to the school’s original mascot name — Citronauts. Nope, not kidding. Meanwhile, just as shockingly, Temple is one of three groups of Owls playing in Florida this week — Double ’Naut Spies 32, Hooters 17.

T2. Florida (4-2): LSU at home. Illinois and James Madison are now ranked among the Top 25 teams in the land. Also, it's mid-October, and no one outside of the fan bases cares much about LSU-Florida. You try figuring out this new landscape. Oddsmakers hovering around Florida minus-3, so let’s give them a shot — Gators 23, Tigers 20.

T2. FSU (4-2): Clemson at home. Clemson is just two seasons removed from its most recent appearance in the College Football Playoff, yet when you hear talk about current contenders, it’s as if the Tigers are yesterday’s news. Doesn’t take long, does it? Details of FSU’s past glory, by comparison, must be etched on cave walls — Tigers 38, Seminoles 22.

4. Miami (2-3): at Virginia Tech. Tyler Van Dyke’s two-game slump ended last week but the ’Canes managed to lose again. This week they meet a fellow traveler on the Living In The Past Highway — Hurricanes 31, Hokies 27.

5. FAU (2-4): Rice at home. They say there are 19 different species of owls in North America. All are great hunters, nearly all are nocturnal, and none of them, it turns out, are very good at football. I say turn off the stadium lights and see who’s the real deal — Owls of Del Boca Vista 27, Owls of Rice 23.

6. FIU (2-3): UTSA at home, Friday night. Rare Friday nighter will be preceded by the Panther Tailgate Jam. Promo poster promises food trucks, live music, interactive games, and if that’s not enough, Pepsi sampling. True story — Roadrunners 19, Soda Sippers 16.

7. USF (1-5): Tulane at home. USF earned its second moral victory of the season last week, falling to Cincinnati by just four points, 28-24. No morals this week — Green Wave 38, Bulls 20.

Sunday School: Tom Brady, Bucs will face some angry Steelers

The weekly ranking of Florida's three NFL franchises, along with half-baked ideas about what will happen this weekend . . .

1. Tampa Bay (3-2): at Pittsburgh. The proud Steelers are coming off a humiliating loss and should be fired up. But not fired upon. A sigh of relief could be heard this week as Mike Tomlin, when asked if he’d do something dramatic in response to last Sunday’s debacle, holstered his frustration: “I remain open to it, but I don't intend to change for the sake of changing, to shoot a hostage, if you will, or anything of that nature” — Bucs 27, Steelers 17.

2. Miami (3-2): Minnesota at home. Reid Sinnett is Miami’s newest emergency QB, currently fourth on the depth chart but with the top two in doubt, he might actually be No. 2. Since arriving in the NFL just two years ago, he’s been signed six times, waived four, and outright released twice — all as a Buc, Eagle and Dolphin. Two Men and a Truck? He knows 'em by name — Vikings 31, Fins 20.

3. Jacksonville (2-3): at Indianapolis. Unless the Jags rediscover their September form, this one won’t even be suitable for soccer fans. Someone has to win, however, so . . . oh, wait. No they don’t — Jags 9, Colts 9.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Doug Pederson believes in Trevor Lawrence; should we? And go Citronauts!