Labor Day weekend is my favorite weekend of the year. The five-day kickoff extravaganza college football puts on is the best start to a season of any sport in the United States. Don’t debate me. Debate yourself.

It all kicks off (see what I did there?) on Thursday night, typically with 10 to 20 games being played on a variety of networks. One marquee game always stands out above the rest. This year, it’s the return of one of my favorite rivalries in college football, the Backyard Brawl.

While the first West Virginia vs Pittsburgh game since 2011 won’t make this week’s edition of The Napkin (I really hope my West Virginia plus-7.5 bet doesn’t look dumb when you read this Friday morning), it’s the perfect way to reintroduce ourselves to the sport that we all love. Rarely do we get such massive rivalry games right off the bat.

Those games are the exception, not the rule. Opening weekend is littered with so-called “cupcake” games, pitting powerhouse programs against lower-level teams so they can knock the rust off their shoulders and get back into game shape.

That’s the challenge when betting on Week 1 games. You have to find the games that won’t have you scrolling on Twitter for the entire 2nd half. That’s what we’ve done this week; identified the games that are worth watching, while maximizing the value of teams that might fly under the radar.

Week 0 was our dress rehearsal. Week 1 is our opening number.

All odds are provided by Tipico Sportsbook, our current official partner here at Gators Wire.

Without further ado, The Napkin for Week 1.

If anyone can put me in contact with the North Carolina administrator that thought it was a good idea to go on the road to play Appalachian State, I got some words for them.

Setting aside the scheduling stupidity, App State has earned the right to be taken seriously by Power Five teams. They have managed to withstand multiple coaching changes and have a history of playing the “bigger” teams close. Last year, they were a dropped pass away from beating Miami on the road and they sleepwalked their way to the Sun Belt championship game.

On the North Carolina side, last week’s Week 0 performance was not reassuring. They let a depleted FAMU team hang around for way too long and the defense did not look good at all.

I expect the crowd to make themselves heard in Boone. I expect the Tar Heels to underestimate their in-state “little brother”. And I expect the Mountaineers to win one of the biggest home games in program history.

I have often referred to Lee Corso as college football’s grandfather.

I will now be referring to Sam Pittman as college football’s uncle.

Arkansas won a combined eight games in the three seasons prior to Pittman’s arrival. In his first non-COVID season (because we can all agree that season was one big LOL), Pittman led Arkansas to NINE wins. Nine! He managed to spearhead one of the best turnarounds in recent college football history. He’s also one of the more likable coaches in the sport. Sign me up for the Sam Pittman experience.

On the Cincinnati side, we just don’t know what to expect. The elite secondary that made the Bearcats the first Group of Five team to make the playoff (#JusticeForTheG5) left for the NFL. It’s very difficult to replace guys like Sauce Gardner and Cobe Bryant. Throw in having to replace longtime signal caller Desmond Ridder and you have more questions than answers.

I don’t think the Bearcats will have a bad season, I just don’t think they’re as good as they were last year. With Arkansas bringing back most of their Outback Bowl-winning team, this one seems to be cut and dry.

I’m going to keep this one short and sweet.

BYU is a well-oiled machine that has been consistently good, regardless of the constant personnel changes. Kalani Sitake understands what BYU needs to be successful. They have a high floor and rarely lose games they’re supposed to win.

USF is the opposite of consistency. Jeff Scott is pushing a boulder uphill. The way Charlie Strong left this program would have made it hard for Nick Saban to succeed in Tampa. The potential is there because we’ve seen it work at USF before. It’s just going to take a lot (and I mean a LOT) of time to figure it out.

I feel like we’re going to see the BYU reserves by the time the fourth quarter comes around.

Ohio State is going to win the national championship this season.

This team is stacked. Quarterback C.J. Stroud, wide receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba & Marvin Harrison Jr., running back TreVeyon Henderson… the list goes on. The Michigan loss from last season seems to be the perfect piece of bulletin board material for the Buckeyes. I don’t think they’re going to overlook everyone on their schedule, but I can guarantee November 26 is circled in sharpie in the Ohio State football calendar.

The Buckeyes also poached defensive coordinator Jim Knowles after he transformed Oklahoma State into one of the best defenses in the nation. Ohio State has always had defensive talent. The change of scheme will allow for the elite players to maximize their abilities. Expect to see a defense much improved from the one that gave up 35 points at home to Oregon last season.

Notre Dame did everything right this offseason, despite being caught off guard by Brian Kelly’s defection to LSU. They hired a young, up-and-coming coach in Marcus Freeman, kept offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, and maintained their momentum on the recruiting trail.

This pick has absolutely nothing to do with Notre Dame and has everything to do with Ohio State. The best team in the country, in my opinion, is like a rabid tiger just waiting to pounce on the fresh meat the zookeeper has left outside its cage. Unfortunately for the Irish, the fresh meat is a leprechaun.

Continuing our “why in the world is this North Carolina Power Five team going on the road to an in-state Group of Five rival” series, NC State is heading to Greenville to take on East Carolina in their season opener.

Opposite of my thoughts on UNC, I think NC State is in a position to have a good season. The Wolfpack’s floor is higher than that of the Tar Heels, and I don’t see a team with the pre-season expectations NC State has completely collapsing in their opener.

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Betting on FAU breaks Rule No. 1 of my betting philosophy:

Never bet on a team you’re emotionally attached to

For me, this includes Florida (alma mater), FAU (family team), UCF (I have an emotional attachment to someone with an emotional attachment to the soon-to-be Big 12 school), and Oklahoma (my brother’s alma mater).

But if we scroll down just a *little bit*, we’ll find Rule No. 2:

If the line is right, I am allowed to break rule No. 1

FAU dominated Charlotte during Week 0, and the offense was clicking with former Hurricanes quarterback N’Kosi Perry under center. Tim Albin replaced longtime Ohio coach Frank Solich after his abrupt retirement in July 2021. They then went 3-9 in Albin’s first, albeit rushed, season. I don’t see them course-correcting quickly. FAU by a TD seems like a gimmie.

Vanderbilt’s 63-10 victory over Hawaii was as the only Week 0 bet that made me look smart. That one didn’t count, given it was a dress rehearsal.

Let’s go back to the well as the Commodores take on FCS opponent Elon.

We really need to take advantage of the moments where we can bet on Vanderbilt instead of against Vanderbilt.

Three-Team Parlay: NC State (ML), FAU (-4.5), Vanderbilt (ML)

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