October wasted no time changing the college football landscape. Northwestern opened its new Ryan Field by hammering Penn State, Missouri dismantled No. 8 Florida, Minnesota reclaimed the Little Brown Jug from Michigan, and No. 5 Ohio State walked into Iowa City and convincingly beat No. 14 Iowa.

Miami and Alabama also looked every bit like national contenders, Notre Dame remained perfect, Wisconsin continued its remarkable resurgence, and USC needed a second-half comeback to survive Washington.

Pittsburgh 35, Virginia Tech 33

The weekend began with a thriller in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech raced to a 14-0 lead and finished with a massive 499-295 advantage in total yardage, but four Hokie turnovers kept Pitt alive.

The Panthers rallied behind touchdowns from Ja'Kyrian Turner, La'Vell Wright and Damon Ferguson Jr., while Blue Hicks caught two touchdown passes. Virginia Tech quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer threw for 434 yards and three scores, giving the Hokies one last opportunity.

They drove into field-goal range, but John Love's 36-yard attempt missed with three seconds remaining, allowing Pitt to escape at 5-0.

Northwestern 34, Penn State 13

Northwestern could hardly have scripted a better opening night for the new Ryan Field.

The Wildcats overwhelmed Penn State with 413 rushing yards, including 188 from Caleb Komolafe and 162 from Joseph Himon II. Himon scored twice, Komolafe added another touchdown, and Northwestern controlled possession for more than 36 minutes.

Penn State managed only 291 total yards and committed two turnovers as its early-season struggles became much more serious. Northwestern improved to 3-1 with one of the program's most impressive wins in years, while Penn State dropped to 3-2 after consecutive losses to Wisconsin and Northwestern.

No. 3 Notre Dame 37, North Carolina 26

North Carolina stayed competitive, but Notre Dame's offense proved too balanced.

CJ Carr threw for 234 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, with Jordan Faison catching eight passes for 132 yards and two scores. Jonaz Walton added 120 rushing yards as the Irish accumulated 475 yards and controlled the ball for more than 37 minutes.

UNC repeatedly answered, including a kickoff-return touchdown to open the second half, but two turnovers hurt its upset chances.

Notre Dame moves to 5-0, extending its winning streak to 15 games.

No. 7 Alabama 56, No. 16 Mississippi State 23

An unbeaten Mississippi State team entered Saturday hoping to announce itself as a serious SEC contender.

Alabama delivered a different message.

The Crimson Tide scored 14 points in every quarter, generated 483 yards and forced four Bulldog turnovers. Keelon Russell continued his spectacular start, completing 16 of 22 passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns.

Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor threw three touchdown passes, two to Anthony Evans III, but his two interceptions included an early pick-six that immediately put the Bulldogs in trouble.

Alabama improved to 5-0 and has now scored at least 45 points in five consecutive games.

Minnesota 20, Michigan 14

The Little Brown Jug is going back to Minnesota.

Michigan led 14-7 at halftime but produced nothing offensively after the break. Minnesota chipped away with two field goals before Drake Lindsey found Darius Taylor for a three-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood finished just 10-of-21 for 101 yards with two interceptions as the Wolverines managed only 180 total yards.

Minnesota improved to 4-1 while recording its first home victory against Michigan since 1977. More troubling for the Wolverines, they are now 3-2 after consecutive Big Ten losses.

Wisconsin 31, Michigan State 3

Wisconsin's upset of Penn State clearly was not a one-week fluke.

The Badgers dominated Michigan State behind quarterback Colton Joseph, who threw three touchdown passes and rushed for 141 yards and another score. His 47-yard touchdown run broke the game open in the third quarter.

Wisconsin's defense held Michigan State to only 235 yards and three points, with the Spartans averaging just three yards per play.

The Badgers are suddenly 4-1, while Michigan State has lost three straight and continues to search for offensive answers.

No. 5 Ohio State 31, No. 14 Iowa 14

The much-anticipated showdown at Kinnick Stadium ultimately belonged to Ohio State.

Iowa's defense kept things competitive early, but the Hawkeyes could not contain Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith. Sayin completed 20 of 27 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns. Smith was spectacular again, catching 11 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns, including a 57-yard score in the third quarter.

Ohio State outgained Iowa 484-238, committed no turnovers and held the ball for more than 38 minutes.

For the Buckeyes, it was an emphatic answer to memories of their disastrous 2017 visit to Iowa City. Smith also continued rewriting Ohio State's receiving record book during another extraordinary performance.

No. 25 Missouri 45, No. 8 Florida 17

Perhaps no result changed perceptions more dramatically than this one.

Florida arrived in Columbia ranked eighth after crushing Ole Miss. Missouri proceeded to overwhelm the Gators.

Quarterback Austin Simmons threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns, while Jamal Roberts exploded for 211 rushing yards and three scores, including an 80-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

Missouri finished with 560 total yards while holding Florida star Jadan Baugh to just 13 rushing yards.

The Tigers led 20-10 at halftime and then outscored Florida 25-0 before a meaningless Gator touchdown in the final minute. Missouri improved to 4-1 and should make a significant jump in the rankings.

No. 17 Tennessee 24, Auburn 14

Tennessee found its answer in the running game.

DeSean Bishop carried 34 times for 220 yards and three touchdowns, including scoring runs of 25 and 44 yards during a decisive third quarter.

Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown kept the Tigers alive, rushing for 107 yards and accounting for two touchdowns, but Auburn committed three turnovers and 11 penalties for 94 yards.

The Tigers pulled within 17-14 early in the fourth quarter before Bishop's third touchdown restored Tennessee's 10-point advantage. Brown's interception at the Tennessee goal line with less than a minute remaining finished the game.

The Volunteers improve to 4-1.

No. 4 Miami 41, Clemson 13

Miami went into Death Valley and removed almost all doubt about whether its unbeaten start was legitimate.

The Hurricanes scored on a 61-yard Darian Mensah-to-Cooper Barkate touchdown barely two minutes into the game and never trailed.

Mensah threw for 227 yards and a touchdown while also scoring on a wild 34-yard scramble in which he fumbled into the end zone and recovered his own fumble. Mark Fletcher Jr. rushed for two touchdowns as Miami accumulated 419 yards.

Clemson managed 350 yards but committed two turnovers and 10 penalties. JJ Dunnigan punctuated the night with a late pick-six.

Miami is now 5-0 and alone atop the ACC, while Clemson falls to 3-2.

No. 18 USC 25, Washington 21

USC needed a comeback to avoid a second consecutive loss.

Washington led 21-10 early in the third quarter, but the Trojans responded with 15 unanswered points.

Jayden Maiava found Tanook Hines for a touchdown, then USC's defense produced the game's defining play. Eric Newby stripped Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr., and defensive tackle Jake Stewart returned the fumble 48 yards for a touchdown to give USC the lead.

A fourth-quarter field goal made it 25-21. Washington still had one final opportunity and reached the USC red zone, but the Trojan defense held.

USC improves to 5-1 and remains very much alive in the Big Ten race.

October arrives with a shakeup

The first weekend of October exposed several teams that entered with significant momentum.

Penn State has now lost two straight. Michigan has lost consecutive conference games. Florida went from a top-10 breakthrough to a 28-point loss at Missouri in a single week.

On the other side, Northwestern suddenly looks dangerous, Wisconsin has emerged as one of the Big Ten's biggest surprises, and Missouri emphatically reentered the national conversation.

At the top, Notre Dame, Alabama and Miami remain undefeated, while Ohio State produced perhaps its most convincing performance of the season by beating a ranked Iowa team in one of college football's toughest road environments.

September established the contenders. The first weekend of October began separating the ones capable of staying there.