WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — College football returned on Saturday — for a few schools, anyway.

A limited selection of games, featuring No. 17 Kansas State and No. 22 Iowa State in Ireland, offered college football enthusiasts a taste of the action before the full season begins the following weekend. This early start is known as Week 0, providing more excitement than no games at all.

Usually, the college football season officially kicks off on the Saturday before Labor Day, in accordance with NCAA rules. However, some teams are granted permission to start earlier.

Exceptions are made for schools scheduled to play regular-season games in Hawaii and for games held internationally. Kansas State and Iowa State met in Dublin for their “Farmageddon” rivalry, with the Cyclones narrowly defeating 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.

Think of this week as a warm-up for the action-packed schedule next weekend, which includes matchups like No. 9 LSU against No. 4 Clemson, No. 6 Notre Dame traveling to No. 10 Miami, and defending champion No. 3 Ohio State hosting No. 1 Texas.

With the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams last year, impactful games like these used to be do-or-die affairs. Now, teams have more leeway, as three or even four losses might still qualify them for the playoffs.

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.

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