VSiN's College Football Tailgate Show | August 29, 2026 | Hour 2

**SPEAKER_1** (0:04)
This is VSiN's College Football Tailgate Show, only on VSiN, the sports betting network.

**Tim Murray** (0:11)
Keep it rolling here on a College Football Saturday. Yeah, that's right.
Check the old watch, August 29th, and yes, indeed, it is a College Football Saturday. We've got eight games between FBS teams. We just have had Best Bets dished out from Ballstone and Coach Biggs, Zach Bigelow making his maiden voyage here on the VSiN College Football Tailgate show. Later on this hour, from the Sports Gambling Podcast Network, our buddy Colby Dant is going to join us in studio. Also, get some insight on the SEC. No SEC teams in action today, but our good buddy, Jimmy Ott. What should we expect from LSU here in 2026 with Lane Kiffin down there in Baton Rouge. Jimmy Ott from ESPN Baton Rouge in studio with us later on in the hour. The breaking news of the morning, TCU going to be without their leading returning receiver today. Jordan Dwyer out due to injury, did make the trip according to Pete Thamel, but battling that foot injury, and he will be out today. 54 receptions, 730 receiving yards, 7 touchdown passes or 7 touchdown receptions.
I don't love it, but it is the first game of the college football season. I took a little 8.5 here with TCU, or excuse me, with UNC. So me and Paul are going to be going head to head. Paul does like TCU here in this spot. He laid the 8 I took a little 8.5 here. I was hoping this game would get to double digits. It's not going to be an official play, but I will take a little nibble on UNC. Nothing like starting the year with the contrarian underdog in Ireland. Yes, so we hit the trifecta. Contrarian underdog Ireland, to start the college football season. I did not bet the underdog a year ago when it was Iowa State taking on Kansas State. I stayed off of that game, but I remember I was sitting next to Matt Youmans. We were doing our live show out in Hawaii. We were watching that game in Ireland unfold, and Iowa State got the upset victory. Speaking of Hawaii, we were just out there this past week. It was an absolute blast. Hopefully, you guys enjoyed the content that we gave you out there in Hawaii. A couple of shows and some insight from Hawaii practice and our buddies from Rainbow Authentics were the reason we went out there. Game used apparel, autographs, trading cards from your favorite Hawaii student athletes. Rainbow Authentics has you covered. They've also got custom gear, so you look your best every game day. If you check out the VSiN College Football Bedding Podcast, I'm often wearing the Rainbow Authentics hat on that podcast, capture the moment, own a piece of history and support Hawaii Athletics. Hey, if you want those late night games to continue to be fruitful, Rainbow Authentics, keep supporting them. Shop now rainbowauthentics.com. Bring home a real piece of the action. We'll get more on Stanford and Hawaii. That is the best bet that I do have here on that particular game coming up late night. But let's get back to an ACC game and that is Virginia taking on NC State. I think this game to me is really intriguing on so many facets because you've got an NC State team that a lot of the talk is about CJ Bailey and returning this year. And that was a huge coup for Dave Dorn and his coaching staff. But the worry that I have regarding NC State a little bit and why it does feel like just a little bit that it is a trendy dog here in this game is, OK, CJ Bailey is back. And that is great.
But who is he distributing the ball to? We talked about Micah Alahaddo a little bit, the quarterback of Hawaii. Who is he going to distribute the ball to without his top three receivers returning? We look at the numbers from a year ago.
Top rusher, Hollywood Smothers ran for 939 yards a year ago. Where is he? He's at Texas. How about the leading receiver a year ago for NC State and Terrell Anderson? Where is he?
He's playing this weekend for USC, not NC State. Justin Jolie, stud tight end. Where is he? Well, he took his talents to the NFL. How about Noah Rodgers, number three leading receiver? He's at Alabama. So CJ Bailey is a really good quarterback, full stop. Maybe an underrated quarterback coming into this year. Can he do it all is the question that we have to ask ourselves heading into this game. So last year, NC State won this game in a non-conference affair, because that totally makes sense. 35 to 31, shootout. Now, we have a little bit of revenge factor. This game was supposed to be played in Brazil. Now it's being played in Charlottesville. And I'll say this, which is pretty interesting. And this was pointed out in Bret Sianci's Pick Six Previews, that UVA is number one nationally coming into the year in career snaps. And when you look at Bill Connolly's SB Plus returning production, it's totally different than what it used to be, because now you've got so much movement from the transfer portal and whatnot. But UVA defensively, 62% returning production on defense. That's good for 20th nationally. So initially, when I started to guive into this game, I was trying to make the case for NC State. The more I look into this game, I'm actually making more of a case for UVA here in this spot. But let's hear from Dave Dorn, the head coach of NC State, as he gets ready for a week one game against or week zero game, I should say, against a conference foe.