Get ready for a week of tribute to South Dakota State football in Iowa

Some loose ends as we enter “Week 1” of the college football season:

1. How was there a Week 0?

Illinois, Nebraska and Northwestern all played Saturday. Did those games not really exist? And wouldn’t Nebraska love it if they didn’t?

It’s a math thing. A sports season can’t start on Week 0, just like a marathon can’t start on Hour 0 and a basketball game can’t start on Quarter 0. You don’t start boiling a 3-minute egg on Minute 0.

How can a collegiate endeavor allow the use of such a factually wrong term like “Week 0?” Leave it to the Big Ten, which will soon have 16 members, to go along with this.

2. Ireland isn’t for everyone.

Northwestern and Nebraska played there Saturday. Here’s the only way Kirk Ferentz ever plays a game in Dublin, or London, or Monte Carlo: It’s mandated by the Big Ten.

Even able-bodied college athletes can’t fight off jet lag, and that’s just what you have for a few days after flying home from Ireland.

Northwestern won Saturday’s game, and also will win “Week 1.” Because the Wildcats don’t have a game this week, while the Huskers get right back at it with a home game against North Dakota.

3. Get ready for tributes to South Dakota State football in Iowa.

Yes, yes, yes, the Jackrabbits went to the 2020 FCS national-title game and were in the semifinals last season. All of which were played in the calendar year 2021, by the way.

Yes, yes, yes, the Jacks have been to the playoffs each year since 2012.

Yes, yes, yes, they are ranked No 3 in this year’s FCS preseason rankings behind North Dakota State and Montana, and just ahead of Montana State.

By the way, South Dakota, North Dakota and Montana have six U.S. senators and a combined population of under 3 million. California has two U.S. senators and over 39 million residents.

Anyway, all week you’ll hear and read why this is such a tough nonconference opener for the Hawkeyes, tougher than so many games Iowa could have had against FBS teams. And it’s true.

The Sagarin Ratings combine FBS and FCS teams, and have South Dakota State at No. 75, ahead of seven Power Five conference clubs, including Indiana and Rutgers.

But so what? Iowa has an overwhelming advantage in resources and recruiting advantages over South Dakota State. It has 85 scholarship players to the Jacks’ 63.

A loss Saturday would be a grotesque result for the Hawkeyes.

4. Nevada, Iowa’s opponent on Sept. 17, beat New Mexico State 23-12 Saturday.

That’s the good news for the Wolf Pack. The not-so-good? Nevada gained just 257 yards in the game and averaged a puny 3.4 yards per pass attempt. It had zero turnovers to New Mexico State’s five. Nevada led the nation in turnover margin last season.

Nevada is 92nd in the Sagarin Ratings, by the way.

5. “Moving the goal posts” is a strange metaphor.

Have you ever seen anyone literally move goal posts?

Week 1 is here. For the second week in a row.