For some teams, like Alabama, picking the MVP for the first month of the season is easy. For others, it's a little trickier. But as we hit October and the postseason chase gets into gear, let's look back on the players who made it possible.
Here are the September MVPs for each Top 25 team:
No. 1 Alabama: QB Tua Tagovailoa
MVP? How about Heisman Trophy favorite? Tagovailoa has been magic ever since he set foot on the field during the national championship game last season. He came out on fire to start this season, first winning the starting job and then throwing 14 touchdowns and no interceptions, despite not attempting a single pass in the fourth quarter. On a 0-100 scale, his FBS-best QBR checks in at 97.8. -- Alex Scarborough
No. 2 Georgia: LB D'Andre Walker
Heading into the season, if you saw that a guy named D'Andre would win this, you would have assumed running back D'Andre Swift. And Swift has played well so far. It's just that Walker, a senior outside linebacker, has been an undeniable difference-maker. He's off to a phenomenal start, leading the team in sacks (4), tackles for loss (5) and QB hurries (8). -- Scarborough
No. 3 Ohio State: QB Dwayne Haskins
Haskins has been a big part of Ohio State's offensive success through the first five games, and a large reason why the Buckeyes have defeated two Top 25 teams, TCU and Penn State. He has been named Big Ten offensive player of the week three times and has racked up 1,464 yards passing. Haskins is second among all FBS quarterbacks with 19 touchdown passes and has only two interceptions in his first season as a starter. -- Tom VanHaaren
No. 4 Clemson: RB Travis Etienne
While all the attention was on the dominant defensive front and the dramatic QB battle, Etienne has been the real foundation of Clemson's 5-0 start. He has run for 594 yards and eight touchdowns, and he's averaging 8.14 yards per rush, tops by any Power 5 back with at least 40 carries. But nothing illustrated Etienne's value better than his 203-yard, three-touchdown performance against Syracuse, when he almost single-handedly carried the Tigers to a season-saving win. -- David M. Hale
No. 5 LSU: S Grant Delpit
It's easy to say Joe Burrow, who has been serviceable at the all-important QB spot, but nobody has played better for the Tigers than Delpit. His combination of speed, range and instincts has made him a consistent playmaker. Despite playing in the secondary, he leads the Tigers in tackles for loss (6.5), is tied for the lead in sacks (3) and has 2 interceptions, 3 pass breakups and 5 passes defended. -- Sam Khan Jr.
No. 6 Notre Dame: QB Ian Book
The Irish offense is a different unit with Book on the field -- that much has been clear since he took over the starting job two weeks ago and led Notre Dame to a pair of high-scoring victories. The junior is completing 74.3 percent of his passes and has thrown for seven touchdowns without an interception. His presence makes the Irish a legitimate College Football Playoff contender, which is enough to make him the team's most valuable asset despite limited playing time to start the year. -- Dan Murphy
No. 7 Oklahoma: QB Kyler Murray
Murray has been so good through the first month of the season, he has played himself into every Heisman conversation. Murray trails only Tagovailoa in QBR and has already broken OU's single-game passing efficiency record. His only real weakness this year has been setting alarm clocks. -- Jake Trotter
No. 8 Auburn: LB Deshaun Davis
While Jarrett Stidham and the Tigers' offense continue to struggle, Davis continues to make a name for himself as the anchor of the defense. His arms were just a hair short of knocking down a pivotal touchdown pass against LSU, but the second-year starter nonetheless leads the team in total tackles (43) and tackles for loss (7). He also has a sack and three quarterback hurries. -- Scarborough
No. 9 West Virginia: QB Will Grier
Grier has lived up to the preseason hype, propelling West Virginia to the cusp of the CFP conversation. Grier is second nationally with 371.8 passing yards per game and third in QBR. He also has 17 touchdowns with only three picks. -- Trotter
No. 10 Washington: LB Ben Burr-Kirven
Even for a casual observer, it would be nearly impossible not to notice Burr-Kirven. The Huskies' defense is among the best units in the nation and Burr-Kirven is one of the major reasons for that. His 59 tackles are nearly twice the amount of the team's second-leading tackler and his 20-tackle performance against Arizona State was the most for a Washington player in over 20 years. -- Kyle Bonagura
No. 11 Penn State: QB Trace McSorley
McSorley's performance against Ohio State made it even more evident how valuable he is to this entire team. The talented quarterback accounted for 461 of Penn State's 492 yards against the Buckeyes and put the offense on his back when needed. McSorley has 1,049 passing yards and 10 touchdowns through the air to go along with 410 yards and 6 touchdowns on the ground. His leadership, talent and pure playmaking ability have brought a tremendous presence to this team. -- VanHaaren
No. 12 UCF: QB McKenzie Milton
It is hard to go with anyone other than Milton, who has been efficient and productive through the first month. Milton has thrown for 1,223 yards, 13 touchdowns and only three interceptions, while rushing for 198 yards and five scores. He also ranks No. 3 in the nation in points responsible for, No. 4 in total offense and in the top 10 in total QBR. He has made a seamless adjustment to new coach Josh Heupel and the slightly varied offensive scheme he has brought to the Knights. -- Andrea Adelson
No. 13 Kentucky: RB Benny Snell Jr.
There's no doubt who has been the most valuable Wildcat. Snell leads the SEC with 128 rushing yards per game and eight touchdowns and is the main man in Kentucky's SEC-best rushing attack (259.2 yards per game). He accounts for 33 percent of the Wildcats' yards from scrimmage, which is the most among SEC players. -- Khan Jr.
No. 14 Stanford: WR JJ Arcega-Whiteside
With respect to Bryce Love, who remains Stanford's most talented and most dangerous offensive player, through five games this season it's Arcega-Whiteside who has been the more productive player. Arcega-Whiteside's ability to win jump balls is uncanny; in the end zone, he plays like power forward getting a rebound. He's responsible for eight of the Cardinal's 11 touchdown receptions and -- thanks, in part, to opposing defenses focusing on stopping Love -- has helped make this one of Stanford's best passing teams in years. -- Bonagura
No. 15 Michigan: DE Chase Winovich
No one has been more consistently productive for the Wolverines in September than Winovich. Defense has been an anchor for Michigan in its competitive games, and Winovich has been at the forefront of that group. His 10.5 tackles for loss are tied for best in the nation, and his 32 total tackles are the second most on the Michigan roster. When the Wolverines have needed a big stop, he has been the one providing it through the first five weeks of the year. -- Murphy
No. 16 Wisconsin: RB Jonathan Taylor
This very well could be wide receiver A.J. Taylor for how he has stepped in and consistently performed in the passing game or safety D'Cota Dixon on defense, but Jonathan Taylor is No. 5 in rushing yards for all FBS running backs. And the four players ahead of him have all played five games, while Wisconsin has played only four. Taylor ranks No. 1 in yards per game with 157. He has 628 rushing yards and five touchdowns through four games and has been a huge part of Wisconsin's 3-1 start to the season. -- VanHaaren
No. 17 Miami: DT Gerald Willis III
The coaching staff came into the season with high expectations for Willis, who had underachieved after transferring in from Florida a few years ago. Willis has been dominant inside so far, leading the ACC with 10.5 tackles for loss and helping the Hurricanes' defensive front set an aggressive tone. Miami leads the nation with 60 tackles for loss. Willis ranks third on the team with 23 total tackles and has fit right into the starting lineup. -- Adelson
No. 18 Oregon: QB Justin Herbert
Not only is Herbert clearly the Ducks' best player, but he's making a strong case to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft. Through five games, he has thrown for 1,411 yards with 15 touchdown passes and has shown, at times, to be an effective scrambler. Had the Ducks not collapsed against Stanford, Oregon would be sitting at 5-0 and Herbert would be a much bigger part of the Heisman Trophy discussion. -- Bonagura
No. 19 Texas: LB Gary Johnson
With Johnson leading the way, Texas ranks second in the Big 12 in run defense, allowing 115 yards per game. The Longhorns also haven't allowed an opposing player to run for 100 yards in a game this season. Johnson also has six tackles for loss and a forced fumble. -- Trotter
No. 20 Michigan State: WR Cody White
Because it wouldn't be fair to credit a single player with the dominant run defense the Spartans played in September, we turn to the most important piece of the puzzle on the other side of the ball. Michigan State's offense has been doing its damage through the air, and White (20 receptions, 300 yards) has been the team's best receiver. A broken hand will keep him out for several weeks, which means others from a talented group of pass-catchers will have to pick up the slack. -- Murphy
No. 21 Colorado: WR Laviska Shenault
Few people in the country were familiar with Shenault before the season. On a team with several veteran receivers a year ago, he wasn't really needed and finished the season with just seven catches. Through four games in 2018, he has been held below 10 catches in a game just once, has caught a touchdown in every game and is very much a contender to win the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's best receiver. -- Bonagura
No. 22 Florida: DL Jachai Polite
The Gators have put together some strong defensive performances in the early going, and Polite has been a major contributor. He is tied for the national lead with three forced fumbles (Florida is tied for the national lead with 14 takeaways), and leads the team with four sacks. He and Jabari Zuniga are one of just two SEC duos with 3.5 sacks each so far this season, and have combined for 11.5 tackles for loss. Freddie Swain has played well on offense and special teams, too (he ranks No. 6 in the nation in punt return average). -- Adelson
No. 23 NC State: QB Ryan Finley
The Wolfpack knew when the season opened they'd be relying heavily on Finley, but the senior QB has surpassed all reasonable expectations. Finley has been responsible for 71 percent of NC State's offense so far, completing 69 percent of his throws for 1,313 yards, 8 touchdowns and 1 pick. His 328 passing yards per game rank sixth nationally. -- Hale
No. 24 Virginia Tech: DB Reggie Floyd
It has been an uneven season for the Hokies, which was probably to be expected considering the number of new faces and moving parts on the roster. But one of the few consistent stars has been rover Floyd, who leads the team with 6.5 tackles for loss, including at least two apiece in each of the Hokies' three wins. Floyd has added 27 tackles, a QB hurry and a pick, too. As Virginia Tech's secondary finds its footing, he has been the foundation of Bud Foster's defense. -- Hale
No. 25 Oklahoma State: RB Justice Hill
Until last weekend, Hill's carries had been limited, in an attempt to preserve him for the entire season. But after a loss to Texas Tech, Oklahoma State unleashed him and Hill piled up 189 yards on 31 carries in a win at Kansas. Hill now leads the Big 12 with 577 rushing yards, averaging a whopping 7.5 yards per carry. -- Trotter