Season 8 Week 1 (Return to Paradise Edition)
Time is undefeated. Like the 2002 Buckeyes, or the 2012 Buckeyes, or whichever team won last year. Ya just can’t beat it. But you can repeat it. Beautiful, temperate Fall days. Putting on your liquid jacket in a chilly stadium parking lot as the sun creeps above the bleachers. Early morning pregame house parties. Slight buzz in your head transforming your thoughts for that day’s events into radiant positivity. Yeah of course we’re scoring 49. Pick 6? I bet we will. Easy dub. I got a good feeling.
Lather
Buckeyes are looking to win a national championship. Michigan looks great but can they prove it again? MSU is on the upswing with a new coach and a few nice player additions.
1998? 2006? 2020? 2024?
Rinse
Jonathan won another trombone trophy, with the rest of us fighting amongst ourselves and shitposting through it. It’s nearly Labor Day weekend and the hype for our new season, new details, and new projections are at a fever pitch. Nothing can go wrong for us nor our favorite teams. They’re all going to overachieve. All going to the CFP. All going to make us happy. Like it was 2002, or 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, or 2023. We’re all fiending for that feeling already. GIVE IT TO US. GIVE US COLLEGE GAMEDAY. GIVE US BIG NOON. GIVE US GUS JOHNSON!
Repeat
I know a Bud Light Lime hates to see us coming
An extremely eventful offseason (finally not in a bad way thank god) has led us here! The 2024 College Football season and Season 8 of WTSBETS are ready to kick off! Gratitude abounds on my end (and it better on your end. I work hard gosh darn it). This passion project is the most fun I have each year when watching sports. But it’s especially fun that we can all lose money together. The real american dream.
Our 7th year and 8th Season is potentially a perfect encore to an incredible Season 7. Will we have a photo finish again like last year? Will one of our favorite teams win the national championship? Will our newest league member walk his talk? Can Jonathan get me tickets to The Game? Please Jonny I beg. We’ll find out! The journey starts anew! Let’s get after it!
I'm ready
IT IS TIME
This year kicks off even earlier than previous years, so I’m getting Week 1 out to y’all expeditiously! Also, some commentary is provided for each team, as a treat. Behold!
Week 1
CCSU vs. Central Michigan, Thursday August 29th 7pm EST
Our very first game feels like it’s not actually a real football game! CMU hosts the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils! LMFAOOOOOO. Central needs a real glimmer of growth from Shark Boy this year or it may be a long road ahead. Also, how’s The Scandal going behind closed doors? I hear it’s not going well! Wonder how much that will impact this program. So, how do we feel about the Chips this year? As Benj loves to say over and over (and over), “Not great, Bob!” Hopefully CMU can get close to bowl eligibility somehow. My prediction: Fun QB play leads to a fun few games, but not enough to make a bowl. Fire Up.
North Carolina vs. Minnesota, Thursday August 29th 8pm EST on Fox
Later on Thursday, (and actually on TV!), UNC faces off against Minnesota and the unfireable PJ Fleck! Can UNC put it together a bit better than last year? You should be better than this! UNC has the money, the talent, and the infrastructure to be what Clemson was!! And yet. Mack is getting up there in age, but made a pretty good hire for his new DC. My conclusion on this team: The Heels are way too confusing of a program, but y’all gotta win something at some point! Won’t be this year though. Let’s hope for some fireworks in the meantime!
FAU vs. Michigan State Spartans, Friday August 30th 7pm EST on BTN
It’s Beaver time. The Jonathan Smith era starts on a Friday night under the lights in East Lansing! Is hope back on the menu for the Spartans? Will this Jon Smith era go better than their previous John Smith era? I would love to see another self-imposed slap on live TV though. Overall, I am pretty bullish on the Smith MSU program. He’s from the Boise State tree and you can tell. Lots of movement, and a lot of interesting wrinkles on offense. They won’t be good this year unfortunately! But…..BUT!……I think they surprise at least 1 team this season if they can get even serviceable play from their OL (please be Michigan please be Michigan please be Michigan).
Western Michigan vs. Wisconsin, Friday August 30th 9pm EST on FS1
My new boss is a pretty socially awkward person, but she LOVES her alma mater. She’s from Wisconsin and went to UW Madison. I made 1 comment about how they sucked last year and she legitimately got mad at me lol. But I said I loved their head coach Luke Fickell and that he can right the ship!! My lesson there is to not make fun of Wisconsin football I guess. But this game is gonna be a huge joke, unfortunately. Western, you guys need to do something, ANYTHING, to get better. A new OC who had juice a decade ago miiiiiiiight be something but idk. Will the Broncos be better than CMU this year? I won’t touch that one until the rocks and broken fireball bottles come out on November 19th. No bowling for Buster again this year. sad neighing heard in the distance
Akron vs. THEEE Ohio State Buckeyes, Saturday August 31st 3:30pm EST on CBS
Brutus oh my god please stop looking at me like that
They’re back folks. The longest stretch of Ohio State not winning the Big Ten nor Michigan is OVER. The Bucks are poised to be kings of the Big Ten once again! The national champion favorites (lord please) kick off their title run by hosting the other school claimed by Lebron James! My take on this team is very short: They should be the best team in country with the best defense in the past decade-plus. Will that be enough to overcome Ryan Day’s ineptitudes? Well, worse coaches have won titles (See: Swinney, Dabo; Fischer, Jimbo; and Chizik, Gene). However, it will come down to 3 games this year. Oregon, Michigan, and whoever they face in the 1st round of the CFP. Go Bucks baby. May God’s favored children bask in his glory once again this year. Also, still can’t believe Caleb Downs plays for us lol.
Fresno State vs. Michigan Wolverines, Saturday August 31st 7:30pm EST on NBC
For the first time since I was in kindergarten, the Michigan Wolverines are defending national champions. And for the first time since the forward pass, they are defending a WHOLE championship. They start their season off with a legit sneaky banger against Fresno State at the Big House. I will not say congrats about the ring, but I know Benjamin is happy so that is something good. How long will he be happy for under this new regime in Ann Arbor? Who’s to say. Will The Scandal have any real repercussions this year or moving forward? Signs point to maybe. But, Michigan has 3 of the Top 10(?) 15(?) players in all of college football, and they’re all on defense so they will be very good on that side of the ball still. The biggest thing will be to see if their QB can literally throw the ball even a little bit. Will it matter? Outside of 2-3 games, no. But it’ll matter against the Buckeyes, and their streak against them comes to an end this year. Still could make the CFP though.
MFW you skip to the bottom and don't read my preview
LET’S GET THIS SEASON STARTED, FOLKS!!!
PLACE YOUR BETS! WIN THOSE PRIZES!
AND AS ALWAYS, GO BUCKS! (or your team too).
