It’s back.. Hot summer days turn to cooler fall afternoons. We’ve long awaited these Saturday showdowns, and this weekend we have a full slate that will not disappoint! From the heart-pounding anticipation before kickoff to the nail-biting moments of every play. The rivalries are fierce, the stakes are high, and the passion is unmatched. Every game is a battle, no matter the opponent. Every team, no matter the division, ranking, or history has one goal.. win. Story lines will come to fruition, but some dreams will be broken along the way. The rivalries are intense, the traditions are legendary, and the memories created are everlasting. Here’s to another unforgettable season!

Let’s Charge On to week number 1 of the 2023 college football season. My money is on these teams this week, remember to #WagerWisely!

Making Moves Picks: 4-1 (80%)

#PicksAllKnight on X: 4-1 (80%)

Texas Tech Red Raiders (-14) @ Wyoming Cowboys

The Red Raiders QB, Tyler Shough, returns for his third season in Lubbock. Staying healthy will be the goal for Shough as he has not played in more than 7 games in a single season, but being the first game of the season, this is little concern. Joey McGuire also returns to lead Texas Tech in his second season as head coach. After starting the 2022 season 4-5 (a stretch of the where they played 6 top 2h5 teams) McGuire gained the confidence of the Texas Tech faithful, finishing on a 4 game winning streak with a record at 8-5. Wyoming however, finished 2022 48th in total team defense and 110th in total team offense. I don’t believe Wyoming will have the firepower to keep up with Texas Tech. 

My pick: Texas Tech (-14) @ Wyoming

West Virginia Mountaineers @ #7 Penn State Nittany Lions (-20)

Unfortunately, this pick doesn’t fair well for our Big 12 brethren. West Virginia has been labeled as one of the worst P5 teams in the country. The Mountaineers were ranked 75th out of 133 FBS teams by http://CBSSports.com, and voted dead last in the Big 12 in the preseason Big 12 media poll, for good reason. West Virginia finished last in almost every defensive statistic in the Big 12 last year, and Head Coach Neal Brown’s seat is about as hot as the Bounce House during an August noon kickoff. Penn State on the other hand finished 2022 20th in scoring offense, and 9th in scoring defense. The Nittany Lions have a lot of returning production, and hopes of winning the Big 10. I believe Beaver stadium will be rocking for the season opener. Penn State may only have to score 4 times to cover the 20 points. 

My pick: West Virginia @ #7 Penn State (-20)

Virginia Cavaliers @ #12 Tennessee Volunteers (Total Over 58)

My pick: Virginia @ Tennessee (Total Points over 58)

As most of you should know, my favorite bet is an over, and this one seems like a no brainer. Josh Heupel’s offense has been firing on all cylinders at Tennessee, and I feel like this season will be no exception. Joe Milton replaces Hendon Hooker at the starting QB role, and while Milton has the cannon to sling it deep, his accuracy has come into question before. I think a year backing up Hendon Hooker, and learning the offense is a huge benefit to Milton. Tennessee may cover the 58 point total on their own. 

#5 LSU Tigers vs. #8 Florida State Seminoles (+3)

Florida State takes on the LSU Tigers at Camping World stadium in Orlando on Sunday night. I like FSU as 3 point dogs in this matchup. The Tigers offense will rely mostly on their rushing attack, but can Jayden Daniel’s elevate his passing game to open up the field? Florida State has a similar balance to their offense, and will also rely heavily on their starting QB Jordan Travis. This may likely be a showdown to keep Heisman hopes alive for each team’s QB. This is a gut pick!

My pick: #5 LSU vs. #8 Florida State (+3)

Last but not least…. UCF Knights!

Kent State Golden Flashes @ UCF Knights (Total Over 58.5)

The Knights open their inaugural season in the Big 12 playing host to an old foe, Kent State. Gus Malzahn brings in former UCF QB Darin Hinshaw to run the offense and.. call plays! The phrase “Vertical passing attack” has been the hot phrase this off season, and news out of camp is that UCF QB John Rhys Plumlee’s play is night and day compared to last year. Addison Williams is also taking over the Defensive Coordinator role after the departure of Coach T-Will at the end of last season. The depth chart alludes to some changes to the defensive philosophy, so there are a lot of questions left to be answered. Kent State is also a team in massive turnover as they only return no offensive starters and only a few on defense. With the questions, and new philosophies on both sides of the ball, I can’t advise laying 37 points. The line has moved quite a bit since originally opening at UCF (-35). I like the game to go over 58.5 points. 

My pick: Kent State @ UCF (Total Points Over 58.5)

Thank you for reading! Follow along on http://SonsofUCF.com and _AllKnight_ on X (twitter). I’ll be keeping tracks of my Sons picks week to week, as well as my entire slate. Let’s win together, and as always. #WagerWisely

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