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Morning Coffee: Historic Week 1 of the NCAA Football season kicks off on TSN
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It’s the only sport on the planet in which 100,000 people will routinely make it a priority to show up any given Saturday to watch 18-year-olds chase their dreams.
Add up the sport, betting, culture, and the nostalgia and it’s easy to get excited for the return of college football.
Week 1 of the NCAA football season kicks off this evening on TSN with four games to watch on TSN and TSN+.
We’re still a couple of day away from the Labour Day Classic, one week away from the NFL Kickoff game, and here I am sipping my morning coffee wondering how I can come up with an excuse to bail on the family for the next few months so I can lock in on football.
The best part about this job is that if anybody questions why I spent 8 hours watching NCAA football on a random Thursday in August I can use the excuse that it’s for work.
Honey, if you happen to see this, just know that the notes I make tonight are for my column and have nothing to do with Friday night’s fantasy football draft.
I’m not just a fan, I’m a professional.
Keep in mind, even though we have four games on the network tonight, we still have a loaded weekend slate of NCAA Football Week 1 games on deck this weekend and it will be important for me to pace myself.
That’s without mentioning Saturday night’s showdown between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers – the first of a home-and-home between those teams that could have major implications in the West Division standings.
The Calgary Stampeders went from the longest odds to win the Grey Cup at FanDuel to the favourite to win it all and they’ll be tied for first place in the CFL standings with a win over the Edmonton Elks and a Riders loss this week.
Plus, Makai Polk is back and Sunday’s game between the Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger-Cats might feature the best cast of wide receivers of any game this weekend.
I might still give out a CFL bet in Friday’s column, but my guy Drew F. Morrison has been so hot with the picks in his weekly 3rd and 1 column that he’s putting the rest of us to shame.
Maybe I’ll just text Drew for his picks and then give them out as my own in Friday’s column so that I can experience what it’s like to be the hottest CFL handicapper on the planet for a week.
Seriously though, make sure you check out 3rd and 1.
All the pressure is on you now, Drew. I know you can handle it.
Let’s keep building up our bankroll before the NFL hits.
In case you missed it, my NFL team season preview series continued with a look at the Green Bay Packers on Wednesday that featured a couple of futures bets for a player I think is in line for a big game in Week 1.
The Game of Throws series will continue this afternoon and throughout this weekend as we continue to count down to Week 1 of the NFL regular season.
In the meantime, we’ve got four games to kick off Week 1 of the NCAA Football season tonight on TSN and TSN+.
Then it’s on to a loaded weekend of football headlined by the Labour Day Classic and three top-10 college football Week 1 match-ups for the first time ever.
This is Morning Coffee for Thursday August 28th, 2025.
Historic Week 1 of the NCAA Football season kicks off on TSN
The AP preseason poll was first introduced in 1950. 75 years later, the 2025 NCAA Football season will begin with three top-10 match-ups in Week 1.
On Saturday at noon ET, No. 3 Ohio will host top-ranked Texas in a rematch of last year’s Cotton Bowl.
The Buckeyes won that game, which paved the way for their first national championship win since 2014.
Now Texas is the top-ranked team in the AP poll and Ohio State is ranked No. 2 overall, yet it’s the Buckeyes that are a small home favourite for Saturday’s game at FanDuel.
If the current line holds, the Longhorns will become the first AP preseason poll No. 1 to open the season as a betting underdog.
Texas is the favourite to win the NCAA Football FBS Championship at +550 at FanDuel.
Their SEC rival Georgia is a close second choice at +650. Then it’s Ohio State and Penn State both at +700.
Adding to the intrigue of that Week 1 showdown is the star power with two of the top four choices to win the Heisman Trophy set to compete at Buckeyes Stadium.
Speaking of Heisman Trophy contenders, Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik and LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier are both +900 to win that award at FanDuel.
Meanwhile, Nussmeier is +370 to be the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft at FanDuel, followed by Klubnik at +410 as the second choice in that market.
Klubnik and Nussmeier will go head-to-head on Saturday night, when No. 4 Clemson hosts No. 9 LSU in another top-10 match-up with major implications.
The Bayou Bengals have lost each of their previous five season openers and are currently +150 to pull off the upset on the road at Memorial Stadium.
Only six teams have shorter odds to win the College Football Playoff National Championship than LSU at +1300 entering Week 1.
One of those teams is Clemson at +1200.
The Fighting Irish haven’t won a game at Miami since 1977 – a span that includes six straight losses.
On the flip side, the Hurricanes have lost eight straight games against AP top-10 ranked opponents and now get the opportunity to prove they deserve their top-10 ranking as a +110 underdog versus Notre Dame.
They’ll have a new QB in Carson Beck, who replaces Cam Ward – the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. All these Week 1 match-ups will have a considerable impact on the road to the College Football Playoff. Miami is +190 to make the playoff at FanDuel this morning.
A two-team parlay with Notre Dame to make the playoff and Miami to miss the playoff could be found at +118.
Meanwhile, a two-team parlay with Texas and Ohio State to both the College Football Playoff is -118 at FanDuel.
While a Week 1 win will be huge for either team, one loss on its own won’t stop either contender from getting to the 12-team playoff. Of course, that long road to the College Football Playoff begins with four games on TSN and TSN+ tonight.
NC State is a 13.5-point favourite versus East Carolina. Then Missouri is expected to cruise to a Week 1 win as a 36.5-point favourite against Central Arkansas.
Later tonight, Cincinnati will try to open the season with an upset as a 6.5-point home underdog against Nebraska. Last season, Cornhuskers QB Dylan Raiola set a school freshman record when he threw for 2,819 yards.
Raiola to throw for 225+ passing yards and Nebraska to win tonight could be found at +115 at FanDuel.
As for my FanDuel Best Bet for tonight’s college football Week 1 opener, I’ll lock in USF +6.5.
The Bulls are staring down a brutal schedule to start the season, so it will be critical to throw everything they have at the Broncos and try to pull off the upset tonight.
Boise State will have to travel 2,500 miles to South Florida for its first game in the post-Asthon Jeanty era, and the combination of the distance travelled, early start time, humidity in South Florida, and the weight of expectations could hurt a team opening on the road in Week 1.
I think USF has legitimate upset potential and I’m willing to take the 6.5 points with the Bulls at home.
Hopefully, we can kick off Week 1 with a winner. Enjoy tonight’s games, everyone!