Can undefeated Mississippi State and breakout quarterback Kamario Taylor handle Alabama? Can Iowa drag Ohio State into another ugly Big Ten fight? And which struggling program is under more pressure when Washington visits USC?

College Football with Sam joins Galen Clavio and Matt Blaszka for a full Week 5 college football preview as September gives way to a pivotal October.

The guys begin by revisiting the first month of the season. Washington has been one of the biggest disappointments in the country, Texas Tech hasn’t looked like the dominant Big 12 favorite many expected, and no national championship contender has completely separated itself from the field.

That leads to a look ahead at October: who will be No. 1 when the month ends? Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami and several other contenders have paths to the top as the first College Football Playoff rankings approach.

Then it’s on to the weekend. Penn State visits Northwestern for the first game at the new Ryan Field, while Alabama heads to Starkville to face one of the best stories of the season in Mississippi State and Kamario Taylor.

Ohio State travels to Iowa for a major physical test, Florida takes its resurgent offense to Missouri, and USC tries to rebound from the Oregon loss against a Washington team whose season has gone completely off course.

Plus: Pitt-Virginia Tech, Purdue-Illinois, Kentucky-South Carolina and Indiana-Rutgers.

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Oregon lost Dante Moore to a frightening first-half injury—and then rallied behind Dylan Raiola to win at USC. Florida demolished Ole Miss, Iowa stunned Michigan, Wisconsin rallied at Penn State, and another chaotic weekend dramatically changed the college football picture.

Galen Clavio and Matt Blaszka break down everything that mattered from Week 4, beginning with Indiana’s closer-than-expected win over Northwestern before diving into a wild Big Ten Saturday.

Iowa somehow escaped Michigan despite being badly outgained, while Wisconsin erased a 17-point deficit at Penn State and raised even more questions about the Nittany Lions’ offense.

Then comes Oregon-USC. After Moore left the game, Raiola stepped in and delivered exactly what the Ducks needed, helping Oregon produce a dominant second half and potentially rescue its season. For USC and Lincoln Riley, meanwhile, another loss in a major game brings back some very familiar questions.

The SEC was just as chaotic. Texas survived Tennessee, Florida ran away from Ole Miss, Mississippi State continued its remarkable start behind Kamario Taylor, and LSU overwhelmed Texas A&M.

Galen and Matt also name their biggest surprises and disappointments of September, update the national efficiency picture, examine whether the Big 12 could become a two-bid CFP league, pick their Teams of the Week and unveil the latest Football Weather Merit Poll.

Plus: a driving rainstorm in Chestnut Hill earns Virginia Tech-Boston College the Football Weather Game of the Week.

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Oregon heads to USC with both programs facing a massive prove-it game, Texas travels to Tennessee for another major test of Arch Manning, and LSU may already be staring at an early-season elimination game against Texas A&M.

College Football with Sam joins Galen Clavio and Matt Blaszka for a loaded Week 4 preview as conference play begins to reshape the college football season.

First, the guys revisit some preseason opinions that have already changed. Oklahoma’s offense has been a major disappointment, Michigan’s defense has far outperformed its offense, while Florida and UCLA have quickly changed the conversation around their new coaching staffs.

Then it’s on to six ranked-vs.-ranked matchups, starting with Oregon at USC. Can Dante Moore and the Ducks recover from their disastrous start, or is Jayden Maiava ready to give USC the signature win it has been waiting for? With Oregon still searching for answers and USC’s defense raising its own concerns, the stakes are enormous for both programs.

Ole Miss also faces a fascinating emotional test at Florida just one week after its huge win over LSU. Can Trinidad Chambliss carry the Rebels again, or is this the perfect spot for Florida?

LSU and Texas A&M meet in what might already be an elimination game, while Texas heads to Neyland Stadium with Arch Manning still trying to prove he can deliver in a hostile road environment against a major opponent.

The guys also break down Michigan-Iowa, undefeated Mississippi State and breakout quarterback Kamario Taylor against Missouri, plus Oklahoma-Georgia, Nebraska-Michigan State, Wisconsin-Penn State, Western Michigan-Boise State, Kansas State-Cincinnati and UCLA-Maryland.

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