Week 5 college football viewer's guide: Ohio State's trip to Iowa headlines the first weekend of October

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October has arrived.

The first weekend of the second month of the regular season has three matchups between ranked teams and a host of other intriguing games. Let's get to it.

We could learn a lot about both the Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs on Saturday.

Mississippi State is 4-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since World War II. Last year, the Bulldogs finished the regular season 5-7 before earning a bowl birth because there weren't enough six-win teams. MSU lost that game too and finished 5-8.

It's hard to see how eight losses is in play this season for Mississippi State. Especially with the way that Kamario Taylor has started the season. He's the No. 3 Heisman favorite and has already thrown for 14 touchdowns while also showing plenty of ability to escape the pocket and get first downs with his legs.

He's gotten support from RB Fluff Bothwell, who has rushed for 402 yards and three scores, and WR Anthony Evans III has 28 catches for 408 yards. The Bulldogs' offense is averaging 7.5 yards a play and is by far the best unit Alabama has faced so far this season.

However, the same thing can be said for Alabama's offense against the Mississippi State defense. The Tide are a completely different team with Keelon Russell at quarterback, as he's helped unlock the Alabama run game. The Tide are rushing the ball nearly 40 times a game for almost 5 yards a carry. Opponents have scored just one rushing touchdown against MSU all season. Alabama should at least match that.

The Tide have also been very good at forcing turnovers. Opponents have turned the ball over 12 times in Alabama's four games. Mississippi State has just three turnovers all season.

Iowa's last-second win over Michigan in Week 4 was so big that it brought ESPN's "College GameDay" to town for the first time in two decades. The win also gives us the only matchup between top 15 teams this weekend after the Hawkeyes moved up three spots in the AP Top 25.

Will Kirk Ferentz be more aggressive against an offense that is far better than Michigan's? The game-winning TD pass last week overshadowed a typically conservative decision from the longtime Iowa coach. Trailing 19-14, Iowa opted for a 51-yard field goal attempt facing a fourth-and-6 with less than three minutes to go. Yes, a made kick in that scenario would have meant Iowa only needed a field goal on its final drive for the win — but it also would’ve required the Hawkeyes to get a stop of Michigan's offense.

Ohio State is averaging 45 points and 7.8 yards a play this season. WR Jeremiah Smith is basically uncoverable and Bo and Ja'Kobi Jackson are combining to average over 6 yards a carry. Iowa has the best scoring defense in the country at eight points a game and is allowing just 4.1 yards per play. But it won't be able to win this game on its own. Iowa QB Hank Brown will need to be even better than he was against Michigan. The Auburn transfer was 21-of-35 for 227 yards and two scores against the Wolverines.

This is a matchup of ranked teams because voters apparently couldn't find another team they liked for the final spot in the AP Top 25 after Missouri's loss to Mississippi State. That loss was the 20th of coach Eli Drinkwitz's tenure against a ranked opponent. Missouri has won just eight games against ranked teams in that timeframe.

A ninth won't qualify as a major upset according to the betting line, and it'll go a long way to showing that Missouri has the path to an eight or even nine-win season with a schedule that still includes No. 9 Ole Miss, No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Georgia. A loss — especially a bad one — and Missouri fans are going to wonder if a bowl game is even in the cards.

The explosive Florida run game with Jadan Baugh has been what Missouri's was a year ago with Ahmad Hardy. There's still no timetable for the Tigers star's return to the field and the run game has suffered without him. QB Austin Simmons has completed 66% of his passes for 947 yards and 11 TDs, but Cayden Lee and Donovan Olugbode have caught 47 of 79 completions.

The Gators showed in their win against Ole Miss how they can pay when opposing defenses focus too much on stopping the run. QB Aaron Philo is averaging 10.5 yards an attempt and completing 72% of his passes. Missouri's pass defense has given up its share of big plays this year and Florida could be well-positioned to capitalize.

TCU quarterback Jaden Craig said this week that the Horned Frogs held a players-only meeting on Monday after a road loss to a UCF team that started a backup quarterback.

TCU is 2-2 this season despite not allowing more than 21 points in a game. The Horned Frogs turned the ball over four times against the Knights as Craig threw two interceptions and receiver Ed Small had two fumbles. TCU's defense has shown that it can keep the Horned Frogs in games. Can the offense avoid the mistakes that have plagued them against North Carolina and UCF?

BYU is coming off a bye week and again has one of the more dominant rushing attacks in the country (in a limited sample size). The Cougars are averaging 6.7 yards a carry and nearly 263 yards a game and have been able to keep LJ Martin fresh, too. Martin has carried the ball just 42 times for 328 yards this season. Twenty of those carries came in a 28-17 win over Arizona in Week 2 and he had 15 carries for 176 yards and three touchdowns against Colorado State two weeks ago.

The Tigers can do a lot of making up for a Week 1 loss to LSU with an upset win against the Hurricanes. Or, a similar result will be further proof of just how far Clemson has fallen from being a perennial contender.

Such is the reactionary world of college football, and this is a Clemson team that's willing to lean into the run game with freshman QB Tait Reynolds now starting. But it seems unlikely that what worked at Cal in Week 4 will work against Miami.

Reynolds was 14-of-22 passing for 106 yards and an interception against the Bears. That can be OK when you rush for 257 yards and two scores against an inferior opponent. But the Miami offense is an absolute juggernaut. There's a reason this line favors Miami by more than two touchdowns.

The Hurricanes are averaging 8.5 yards a play and 589 yards a game so far this season. It's comical how good Miami's offense has been — and it's a statement that is still true without counting a 77-7 win over Florida A&M.

Miami could really exploit Clemson on the ground. The Tigers have held Georgia Southern and Cal to 108 combined rushing yards … while giving up 309 rushing yards to LSU and 214 to North Carolina. Mark Fletcher Jr. and Javian Mallory could have big days.

Pitt at Virginia Tech (-3.5) (7 p.m. ET Friday, ESPN): The winner of this game better be ranked. Both teams are 4-0 and 1-0 in ACC play. Pitt QB Mason Heintschel has thrown for 13 TDs after a seven-TD performance earlier in the year, while Virginia Tech's Ethan Grunkemeyer is 101-of-136 for 1,012 yards and eight touchdowns.

No. 3 Notre Dame (-21) at North Carolina (Noon ET, ESPN): Yes, the line is massive. But it's another chance to see just how far North Carolina has progressed in Year 2 under Bill Belichick. Especially after an off week. Will the Tar Heels be able to slow down CJ Carr? Opposing QBs have thrown for fewer than 190 yards per game and just one touchdown against UNC this season.

Auburn at No. 17 Tennessee (-7.5) (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN): This could be the first big win for Alex Golesh at Auburn, while Tennessee aims to bounce back from its loss to Texas. It's also the first of four straight games against ranked opponents for the Tigers. After Tennessee, Auburn has No. 2 Georgia, No. 11 LSU and No. 9 Ole Miss to close out October.

Virginia (-2.5) at Florida State (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2): The Seminoles are home underdogs for the second straight ACC game. That shows you where things are in Tallahassee. A loss drops FSU to 2-3 with games against Louisville, Miami and Clemson coming up.

No. 24 Kentucky at South Carolina (-3) (4:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network): This is another home team that badly needs a conference win. The Gamecocks will be without edge rusher Dylan Stewart as he serves his one-game suspension for throwing a punch at Alabama's Josh Ford. A win for the Wildcats would be the team's first 2-0 start in SEC play since 2023.

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