Top tailgating foods and tips to satisfy hungry college football fans this season

Josh Cooper, a Florida political consultant who moonlights as a "world champion pitmaster," told Fox News Digital what makes the perfect football tailgating food — and why his barbecue brings fans together.

College football is back – and so are the tailgates.

As college students return to campuses across America and celebrate their favorite teams, tailgating will be plentiful. But what constitutes the perfect tailgating food — and what are some factors that should be considered before game day?

A political consultant who moonlights as a "world champion pitmaster" shared answers to these questions.

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Josh Cooper said he loves competition. 

"We compete every day in politics," the former college football player told Fox News Digital during a Zoom interview from his home in Florida's capital city of Tallahassee.

Pitmaster Josh Cooper spoke to Fox News Digital from Tallahassee, Florida, where he operates Cooper's Next Level BBQ, a mobile barbecue business. (Fox News Digital)

He took up cooking as a side hobby — so the competitor in him led Cooper to eventually challenge the best of the best along the cooking circuit, where he participated in season eight of Fox's "MasterChef," finished ninth overall in the World Food Championships and earned the title of world seafood champion in 2019.

Along with his wife, he now operates Cooper's Next Level BBQ in Tallahassee, home to two Division I football-playing schools: Florida State University and Florida A&M University.

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This season, Cooper's Next Level BBQ will set up shop at the Palace Saloon, a