College Football Playoff snap judgments from Kickoff Week

Don't kick anyone with those Week 1 knee-jerk reactions.

There's no time like the present to jump to conclusions in college football, but some claims have more validity than others. Here's a look at the biggest overreactions from the first games of the season, and whether or not you should buy into them:

ACC

Snap judgment: The ACC has two top-four teams

FSU and Clemson 2, SEC 0. The ACC's heavyweights survived scares but came out unscathed against what will be some of their toughest competition this year outside of each other. Clemson escaped with a 19-13 win over Auburn, and FSU knocked off Ole Miss, the only team in the SEC that has been able to beat Alabama the past two seasons. If FSU or Clemson can finish the season unbeaten, and the other finishes with just one loss to the ACC champ, it will force the committee to seriously consider both teams. Of course, the league's runner-up must be "unequivocally" one of the four best teams in the country to unseat a Power 5 conference champ, but after just one week, it at least kept that hope alive.

Verdict: Not an overreaction

BIG 12

Snap judgment: Texas is back

Even coach Charlie Strong knows there is still plenty to prove. Asked after the game if he feels any relief, Strong chuckled. "No," he said, "because I've still got a few more to go, so I don't have any relief." It's a long season, and as impressive as the Longhorns' double-overtime win against Notre Dame was, it will be meaningless unless they can parlay that into a Big 12 title. After next week's game against UTEP, Texas' season could be defined by a string of games against Cal, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma. ESPN's Football Power Index favors both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in those games. Let's see how the Longhorns fare through that stretch before declaring a return to the sport's elite.

Verdict: Overreaction

BIG TEN

Snap judgment: Michigan is ready for the next step under Jim Harbaugh

The big question heading into this season was if Michigan's play could match its coach's personality. The Wolverines left no doubt they can play, too, dominating Hawaii in a 63-3 win -- Michigan's most lopsided victory since 1979. They didn't even have to punt. But they were playing Hawaii, a team that had just traveled 20,000 miles and was overmatched from the start. It's quite possible Michigan will be 7-0 heading into its Oct. 29 game at Michigan State, but much like Iowa last year, we won't know how good Michigan really is this year until it starts playing ranked competition.

Verdict: Overreaction

PAC-12

Snap judgment: The power still lies in the North

No. 16 UCLA, No. 20 USC and Arizona all lost, while No. 8 Stanford, Cal, No. 24 Oregon and No. 14 Washington took care of business. The top two teams, Stanford and Washington, both earned nonconference wins against Power 5 opponents. The selection committee isn't going to penalize USC for losing to the defending national champs, but it's possible USC could start 1-3 with games against Utah State, Stanford and Utah looming. The North is still home to the league's highest-ranked teams, and there's no sign of that changing anytime soon.

Verdict:Not an overreaction

SEC

Snap judgment: The SEC is overrated

An unprecedented seven SEC teams lost their openers: Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Auburn, Kentucky, Missouri, and No. 5 LSU. Since the SEC re-expanded to 12 teams in 1992, there had never been a season where seven SEC teams lost their season openers -- until now. It wasn't just that they lost; it was who they lost to. Mississippi State fell to South Alabama and Kentucky lost to Southern Miss. Even Tennessee looked underwhelming and needed overtime to beat Appalachian State. Ole Miss blew a 28-13 halftime lead against FSU before losing 45-34. Texas A&M and Georgia had nice wins, but LSU was also a huge disappointment, continuing to look stale and predictable on offense as quarterback Brandon Harris threw two picks. After one week, it's Alabama and everyone else.

Verdict: Not an overreaction

GROUP OF 5

Snap judgment: Houston is top four material

What was so intriguing about Houston's upset of No. 3-ranked Oklahoma was that it wasn't a fluke. Houston looked scary good, but it has to continue to win and keep quarterback Greg Ward Jr. healthy in order to crack the top four. He had an MRI on his throwing shoulder Sunday and missed most of practice, but coach Tom Herman told the Houston Chronicle it wasn't serious. Still, the only time Houston has lost under Herman was last year against UConn, when Ward was out with an injury. ESPN's Football Power Index gives Houston a greater than 50 percent chance to win each remaining game except Louisville (36.4 percent). If the Cougars go undefeated, there's no question the selection committee would seriously consider them for the top four. One loss and it's going to need a lot of help.

Verdict: Not an overreaction

NOTRE DAME

Snap judgment: The Irish are toast

Notre Dame is certainly in a precarious playoff position after their double overtime loss to Texas, but if they run the table, it would be very difficult for the selection committee to leave them out -- especially if Texas parlays that success into a Big 12 title. Don't forget that Oklahoma lost to Texas last year, too, and was still a semifinalist. It's going to be difficult, though, for Notre Dame to win out, as it still has to play Michigan State, Stanford and USC. The margin for error is gone, but Notre Dame isn't. ESPN's FPI gives the Irish a better than 50 percent chance of winning every remaining game.

Verdict: Overreaction