Two things are forever true of our reactions to the first week of a college football season.
We know we shouldn't overreact. We don't have enough context to know what's good and what isn't, and a team's first impression matters only until its second. After all, Week 1 Maryland is darn near a national title contender each year. Other weeks? Not so much.
We really, really want to overreact! We just had to deal with an eight-month offseason. We're starving here!
So with that being said, let's have a look forward to Week 2 and the games you simply cannot afford to miss.
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Cincinnati @ #5 Ohio State, Sept. 7 at 5p BST
Credit Justin Fields for not wasting time. On the fourth snap of his first collegiate start, he rushed 51 yards over left end for a touchdown. Then, on the sixth snap, he threw a touchdown pass. On his ninth and 13th snaps, he threw two more. Ohio State led FAU 28-0 after just eight minutes, then put the game into mothballs and cruised. Fields finished 18-for-25 for 234 yards and four scores and rushed 10 times (not including two sacks) for 67 yards. It was easy to envision Ohio State as either a top-five team or borderline top-15 or top-20 depending on the QB position, and Fields' first outing suggests the former is more likely.
#12 Texas A&M @ #1 Clemson, Sept. 7th at 8.30p BST
The Tigers have a once-in-a-generation quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, who Paul Finebaum predicted a year ago would win two Heisman Trophies before he's done. They have one of the sport's best tailbacks, Travis Etienne, and one of the best wide receivers, Justyn Ross. The defending national champions are loaded on defence once again. What more could you possibly want? Clemson is a great team to watch if you enjoy seeing excellence and overall talent. Texas A&M's four interceptions in its 41-7 win over Texas State is the most in a game for the Aggies since 2006, (also four vs. Texas). A promising start for an A&M secondary that was subject of much offseason discussion, though Clemson will certainly pose a much sterner test.
#6 LSU @ #10 Texas, Sept. 8th at 12.30a BST
Joe Burrow tied an LSU single-game record with five touchdown passes before halftime in the Tigers' 55-3 victory over Georgia Southern Saturday night. Sam Ehlinger threw four touchdown passes as Texas rolled past Louisiana Tech 45-14 on Saturday night, giving coach Tom Herman his first season-opening victory in three years with the Longhorns. Let's go to work!