It’s just one game.

That single sentence is a handy guide to avoid a very natural reaction -- which is to overreact.

There was plenty of that after Week 1. In several cases involving playoff contenders, it didn’t matter whether a team won or lost. The new playoff has made knee-jerk the preferred way to respond to any one game. Struggle, even in victory, and the court of public opinion will immediately dismiss a program from contention for the four-team field.

So to bring some order, I’ll break down whether an early reaction is fair.

Overreactions

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

The text I got from an SEC assistant during the second quarter of Alabama's 33-23 win over West Virginia on Saturday certainly caught my eye: “[Alabama] looks like every other team.”

See. Even coaches are subject to overreaction.

There are reasons for that perception, but those reasons could fade over the next few weeks.

Alabama has a new QB, a new OT, etc., but the most legit evidence of being pedestrian is at cornerback.