It’s way too early to jump to conclusions

The Pac-12 South is overrated and Texas Christian is nowhere close to deserving its No. 1 ranking by a certain major metropolitan newspaper.

Inbox: “Still comfortable about TCU winning CFP?”

These were just a few of the comments received after the first Thursday of the college football season.

That’s right, the first Thursday. Anything else? Why yes! South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier should have retired and spared us his team’s ugly, opening 17-13 win against North Carolina.

The Head Ball Coach, at age 70, has definitely lost the tight spin off his spiral.

Some, none, or all of these things may be true, but how about waiting until Monday before jumping off Conclusion Bridge?

The time for reflection in society, as we know, developed a cough with advent of the Internet and keeled over dead with the advent of Twitter. College football was red meat for this microwave as social media has allowed fans to scream, immediately, into your face.

In the old days — 15 years ago? — people still had to sit down with a crayon and write a letter, then ship it off to a newspaper that screened it for anthrax before stamping it “approved.” The envelope was then passed along, in a delivery basket with wheels, to the reporter’s mailbox, which was checked every three months.

This new relationship with readers is intimate and exciting. Fans have become watchful 24-7 editors who can correct what has been published on the Internet before a mistake reaches print: “Hey Einstein, Mississippi State is the Bulldogs, not the Aggies.”

Context and patience are not necessarily virtues of passionate people who wear pig masks and snort for their favorite teams.

As a columnist with the press badge, context is my job. So, let’s offer some context.

Last year at this time, Texas A&M quarterback Kenny Hill went nuts on the first Thursday, passing for 511 yards against South Carolina.

Some said, “Hand him the Heisman.” Hill lost his job eight games later, and has since transferred to TCU.

You have to give college players a little time to let the plastic molding set in their mouthpieces. The National Football League allows each team four exhibition games to work out the kinks.

So yes, at first glance, the Pac-12 South did not look like all that on Thursday.

Utah did not win any beauty contests in defeating Michigan, 24-17. But what if some of that has to do with Michigan being better?

Utah was picked to finish fifth in the division, not first. Also, Utah defeated Michigan last season, too, and then UCLA, USC and Stanford.

Arizona struggled to defeat lowly Texas San Antonio, 42-32. The bigger concern was a knee injury suffered by the Wildcats’ All-American linebacker Scooby Wright.

“I’m getting depressed,” Arizona Coach Rich Rodriguez said after reciting his team’s litany of injuries.

Wright’s father said afterward the injury was not serious, a report that was amended by multiple reports Friday to “not season-ending.” Good news until you realize the season doesn’t end until January.

For what it’s worth, Arizona defeated UTSA by three points last season and somehow won the Pac-12 South.

What about Hawaii beating Colorado, 28-20? Well, every discussion about the strength of the Pac-12 South should begin with the words “except for Colorado.”

There is no sugar-coaching that losing at Hawaii is a bad omen for a program supposedly making strides. Hawaii’s win did have at least one Pac-12 South tie. Former USC quarterback Max Wittek threw three touchdown passes.

OK, so what about TCU winning by only six points at Minnesota?

It may have been a warning sign, or not, depending on how good Minnesota turns out to be. “We found out it’s not going to be easy,” TCU Coach Gary Patterson said.

Again, some context: Minnesota lost one game at home last season, by seven points, to Ohio State, which went on to win the national title.

As for Spurrier being washed up after Thursday’s sloppy win over North Carolina, well, check back in two weeks after the Gamecocks play Kentucky and Georgia.

Enjoy the rest of the Labor Day weekend games, if that’s possible.

We can tell you this already about one of Saturday’s big games: Alabama is definitely overrated, or underrated.