Consider this a reminder. An empathic statement. An opening salvo.

Georgia, evidenced by its 49-3 evisceration of Oregon, didn’t go anywhere.

Alabama is everyone’s national championship favorite, and the Crimson Tide backed up that hype in Week 1, its starters needing just over a half to put up 48 points without allowing any.

Ohio State is the team everyone else is picking, a group loaded on offense featuring the potential No. 1 pick in the NFL draft in quarterback C.J. Stroud and arguably the nation’s best receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Despite the absence for most of the game due to injury of Smith-Njigba and fellow top wideout Julian Fleming, the Buckeyes still overwhelmed No. 5 Notre Dame late in a 21-10 win, showing grit and defensive fortitude that was lacking at times last year.

Georgia? Well, Georgia had been somewhat forgotten after losing so many key players from last year’s championship team, a stunning and record-breaking 15 players drafted into the NFL. Jordan Davis, Travon Walker, Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker and George Pickens, among many others, are no longer Bulldogs.

Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, it didn’t seem to matter. Kirby Smart’s annually loaded recruiting classes have created Alabama-esque depth. His team looked different, more aesthetically pleasing than last year’s bullies, and even more dynamic offensively.

Quarterback Stetson Bennett IV, the former walk-on who supposedly wasn’t good enough last year until he won it all, was in complete control. He could be even better this fall. Bennett got whatever he wanted, throwing for a career-high 368 yards and two touchdowns while completing 25 of 31 passes. Versatile running back Kyle McIntosh looked like a star, catching nine passes for 117 yards. The tight end room is an embarrassment of riches, a physical, playmaking group that includes studs Brock Bowers, Arik Gilbert and Darnell Washington. The defense wasn’t quite as suffocating and violent as last year’s record-setting unit, but it held Oregon without a touchdown, the first time that has happened to the Ducks since 2017.

Now, in time, maybe we’ll find out Oregon was vastly overrated, that the Ducks didn’t deserve the No. 11 ranking. It was their first game under a new coach, former Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning, and so there were bound to be growing pains. They looked like a Division III team against the Bulldogs.

Again, Alabama and Ohio State were impressive. Both are obviously favorites to reach the playoff. Georgia, considering the opponent, was better this week. It was dominant, it was sharp and it even showed some qualities last year’s national championship team lacked.

Somewhere, Dan Mullen had to be wondering what could’ve been. Questioning his decision not to go all-in with Anthony Richardson. He still may be the coach at Florida.

Instead, Mullen didn’t fully commit to Richardson, who did battle a hamstring injury while splitting time with Emory Jones, and lost his job. New coach Billy Napier inherited Richardson, and watched him slice up No. 7 Utah for three rushing scores and 274 yards of offense in an upset victory.

The electric, dual-threat Richardson only showed glimpses of this last year, although it is fair to wonder how Florida’s 6-7 season may have gone differently had Mullen not tried playing musical chairs with his quarterbacks. Jones transferred to Arizona State after the dismal season and Richardson has begun to illustrate why so many people — including yours truly — thought Mullen made such a mistake in how he handled his quarterbacks, leading to last year being his final season in The Swamp.

Notre Dame and its fans had to like what they saw Saturday night in Columbus. They probably enjoyed Sunday evening just as much.

While the 11-point loss at Ohio State was somewhat disappointing after a quick start, new coach Marcus Freeman had his team ready and pushed the Buckeyes further than anyone could’ve reasonably expected. Then, hated former Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly dropped his opener at LSU on, of all things, a blocked extra point at the horn.

Kelly, who somehow has lost that southern accent he all of a sudden picked up, didn’t distinguish himself in his first game, losing to mediocre-at-best Florida State, a team picked fifth in the ACC Atlantic. The popular Freeman, meanwhile, had already endeared himself to the fan base with his recruiting so far, and he gave Irish fans confidence he can coach, too.

1. Alabama (1-0)

Alabama starts its regular season for real Saturday at Texas. Its 55-0 pasting of Utah State was a glorified scrimmage.

2. Georgia (1-0)

Is it too early to think about a Georgia-Alabama showdown in the SEC Championship game? Georgia looked awesome in its 49-3 dismantling of overrated Oregon, the first game in which the Ducks failed to score a touchdown since 2017.

3.Ohio State (1-0)

It was at times sluggish, in part due to injuries at wide receiver, and there were some nerves for three quarters, but any win over a top-15 team is significant. Especially after Ohio State went 2-2 against such teams a year ago.

4. Texas A&M (1-0)

Yes, the opponent (Sam Houston State) was a cupcake, but quarterback Haynes King throwing for 346 yards and three touchdowns was significant. It was the first 300-yard passing game for a Texas A&M quarterback in 20 games.

5. Clemson (0-0)

Clemson and DJ Uiagalelei get three opponents made for blowouts to start the season before facing Wake Forest and N.C. State in back-to-back weeks. Anything but a stress-free, 3-0 start should be concerning to Dabo Swinney and Tigers fans.

6. Michigan (1-0)

On paper, this is Michigan’s best offense in Jim Harbaugh’s tenure and it looked the part against Colorado State at The Big House, rolling up 440 yards of offense in a 51-7 blowout.

7. Notre Dame (0-1)

Even in defeat, there was a lot to like for Irish fans. New coach Marcus Freeman had his team prepared and ready to play. The defense was impressive. No shame in falling short at Ohio State.

8. USC (1-0)

The Trojans last scored this many points (66, in a shellacking of Rice) back in 2008, when Pete Carroll was the coach and they were a premier program. Yes, Lincoln Riley is going to do just fine at USC.

9. Oklahoma (1-0)

Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams weren’t missed on Saturday, as new quarterback Dillon Gabriel produced three touchdowns to make Brent Venables a winner in his coaching debut.

10. Baylor (1-0)

Eight different Bears scored touchdowns in a cakewalk of a win over Albany, a warm-up to one of the best Week 2 games next Saturday, a trip to BYU.

(in alphabetical order)

RB Braelon Allen

The next great Wisconsin running back started his season as you would expect against an opponent like Illinois State: With 148 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns.

QB Stetson Bennett IV, Georgia

His Cinderella run isn’t up just yet. Last year’s championship-winning quarterback picked up where he left off, throwing for 368 yards and two scores in a 49-3 decimation of Oregon.

QB Anthony Richardson, Florida

Consider this the sophomore’s coming-out party, a three-rushing-touchdown, 274-yard performance to lead Florida to a come-from-behind victory over favored Utah.

QB C.J. Stroud, Ohio State

Stroud was as impressive as he was all of last year, when you take into account he didn’t have two of his top three receivers and he still performed well after a shaky start, throwing two touchdowns passes in an 11-point win over Notre Dame.

QB Bryce Young, Alabama

Last year’s winner started his defense with a bang: Six touchdowns and 295 yards of offense in a little over a half of action in a demolition of Utah State.