It's Week 0 in college football. Here are the games and why some teams get an early start

College football returned on Saturday — for a few schools, anyway.

A small slate of games, including No. 17 Kansas State and No. 22 Iowa State playing in Ireland, gave viewers hungry for college football something to nibble on before the season kicks into high gear next weekend. It's called Week 0 and offers fans more than, well, nothing.

Other games included Stanford at Hawaii; Fresno State and Kansas; Sam Houston at Western Kentucky; and Idaho State at UNLV.

Why there's a Week 0

Under NCAA rules, the first games in college football typically take place the Saturday before Labor Day. But some teams get permission to kick off early.

One exception is for schools that are scheduled to play in Hawaii during the regular season. Another allows exceptions for international games, and Kansas State and Iowa State squaring off in the Irish capital in a rivalry that's come to be known as “Farmageddon” fit the bill. The Cyclones edged the Wildcats 24-21 in the Aer Lingus Classic.

Dublin has been hosting college football games for nearly four decades, starting with a Boston College-Army game in 1988.

A bounty of big matchups Week 1

Consider this week an appetizer to some doozies next weekend, when No. 9 LSU faces No. 4 Clemson, No. 6 Notre Dame visits No. 10 Miami and No. 3 Ohio State, the defending champion, hosts No. 1 Texas.

Before the College Football Playoff expanded to 12 teams last year, games of such magnitude might have been make or break. Now, teams have second chances and can afford three (maybe four) losses and still get in.

How to keep track of who’s good and who's not

After Labor Day, the AP releases its weekly Top 25 poll every Sunday. The CFP selection committee starts releasing its weekly rankings the first week of November. Its last poll, on Dec. 8, will slot the teams into the playoff bracket.

___ AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football