Barstool Pick Em: 2024 CFB Playoff Special – Episode Summary

Podcast: Barstool Pick Em
Episode: 2024 CFB Playoff Special
Date: December 19, 2024
Hosts: Big Cat (Dan), Pres (Dave Portnoy), Rico Bosco, with Hank and occasional appearances by others

Overview

In this special bowl season and College Football Playoff (CFB) episode, the Barstool Pick Em crew reunites to discuss their gambling records, recap Barstool drama, and dive deep into the biggest games of college football’s playoff and bowl season. Combining signature banter, inside jokes, and heavy doses of gambling analysis, Big Cat, Pres, and Rico offer “can’t-miss” picks (often jokingly referred to as losers), discuss the rapidly changing world of college sports, preview every playoff matchup, and each unveil their full playoff brackets.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Gambling Records & Season Recap

Timestamps: 01:27 – 02:10

• Rico celebrates his successful season, leading the Pat Hill trophy standings with 54.8% win rate; Dave (Pres) trails at 49.7%, and Big Cat is disappointed at 45.8%.
• Rico is "betting every single game on the board" for bowl week in hopes of a last-minute surge.

Quote:
"I love that. Dave, I'm jealous of the position you're in because if I were in your position, I'd go down swinging."
— Dan (Big Cat), 01:55

2. Barstool Drama: O’Malley, Brianna Chickenfry, Kirk Minihane, Social Media, and Internet Hate

Timestamps: 02:24 – 14:26

• Rico describes being embroiled in the middle of a feud involving O’Malley and Brianna Chickenfry, leading to widespread attention on TikTok and gossip sites.
• The cast discusses how certain Barstool personalities receive disproportionate hate or adoration online, the strange allegiance of "gossip girls" to Kirk Minihane, and the odd world of content algorithms.
• Debate on whether Barstool needs "an HR department" is sparked by Whitney Cummings' TikTok.
• General consensus: internet lore is overwhelming, and some drama is best ignored.

Notable Quotes:
"It's a gutter war, it's a gutter war in Russia. So I'm glad I'm done with it."
— Rico, 03:31

"The hate is a real thing, like, she can't move without getting hate... I've never seen so much hate directed at one human in 20 years."
— Rico on Brianna, 08:05

3. Company Meeting Recap & Work Culture

Timestamps: 15:31 – 19:10

• The annual company meeting lasted only four minutes, delighting the crew with its brevity.
• Jokes fly as Rico is accused of not being present on Zoom and not standing for the troops at a St. John’s game.
• Light-hearted ribbing about Barstool’s corporate culture and office dynamics.

Quote:
"I was just so happy because... we're back to Barstool world where it's like, alright, here's the deal, guys. Keep working. Okay, see you next year."
— Dan, 15:42

4. College Basketball, Bad Beats & “The Millennium Falcon Play”

Timestamps: 20:23 – 22:29

• Update on Barstool’s in-house college basketball contests: “Bama’s looking good,” per Dave.
• Rico laments a legendary gambling mishap dubbed “The Millennium Falcon Play,” symbolizing the heartbreak of CBB betting.
• The crew agrees college hoops is the hardest sport to gamble on, with daily bad beats.

Quote:
"You can't build on a Millennium Falcon play when it loses the first one. I was going to have Star Wars stuff. I had it all ready to go."
— Rico, 21:54

5. NFL (Super Bowl Futures, Injuries, and Contradictions)

Timestamps: 24:43 – 26:42

• Brief debate about which NFL teams have value heading into the playoffs. Disagreement about the Chargers’ recent form leads to a running joke about giving “patently incorrect information.”
• Picks touched upon: Eagles, Packers (as a dark horse), Ravens.

Quote:
"It's like you have this thing where you want to contribute and you don't know. It's a befuddling thing. You've had it your whole life."
— Rico to Dave, after Dave's wild Chargers take, 26:04

6. Mr. Ice’s Legendary Losing Streak

Timestamps: 27:15 – 31:30

• Discussion around Barstool personality "Mr. Ice" and his catastrophic run of losses betting on hockey. The crew commiserates, with Big Cat joking it’s gotten so bad, it’s affecting their friendship.
• Rico calls Mr. Ice, who confesses: "I can't really function right now. I'm losing all the time."

Quotes:
"He can't even function. Like, it's not an act."
— Rico, 30:30

"I'd almost rather he – what's the old, who the fuck was the player who's like, I'd rather go 0-for-30 than 0-for-9 because that means I kept on shooting. Elio is the opposite."
— Dan, 28:46

7. Playoff Seeding, Paths, and System Flaws

Timestamps: 32:15 – 36:19

• Penn State’s “incredible” playoff path is highlighted.
• Dave pivots on his long-held belief: “If you win your conference, you should get the top four byes,” calling it a “fuck up”—now the committee should just seed 1-12 regardless.
• Concerns raised about opt-outs and disruptive transfer portal timing.

Quotes:
"You have to seed these teams 1 to 12... this is a disaster of a [system]."
— Dave, 32:44

"The easiest fix is get rid of conference championships and start the playoffs the week after Thanksgiving..."
— Dan, 35:41

8. In-Depth Playoff Game Picks

Timestamps: 36:19 – 45:10

• Each of the four quarterfinal CFB playoff games is picked with debate, reasoning, and more classic Pick Em banter:

  Indiana vs. Notre Dame (South Bend)

  • Notre Dame -7, O/U 52; picks: Dave likes under, Rico shares roots for ND but betting with caution, Dan takes Indiana +7.

  SMU at Penn State

  • Penn State -8.5, O/U 54; Dan and Dave think PSU rolls, Rico takes SMU plus the points.

  Clemson at Texas

  • Texas -12, O/U 52; Dave is anti-Texas, takes Clemson and the points, Rico agrees; Dan takes Texas, citing Clemson’s struggles vs. better teams.

  Tennessee at Ohio State

  • Tennessee +7, O/U 46; Dan and Rico like Tennessee with the points (stress in Columbus), Dave points to OSU’s bounce-back ability and takes the Buckeyes.

• Skirmishes over “devaluing the Michigan game” and how pressure narratives swirl around coaches and programs (especially Ohio State/Ryan Day).

Quotes:
"As long as you don't see those winged helmets, their little dicks don't curl into their little stomachs and they don't puke on themselves, they're still one of the more talented teams."
— Dave, 44:01

9. Special Picks, Bowls, and Mortal Locks

Timestamps: 46:38 – 51:57

• Dave reveals his “Pinstripe Bowl Curse” theory—his uncle’s history as security, picking NEBRASKA as a “mortal lock.”
• Rico unleashes the full board: he is betting every single bowl game, rattling off rapid-fire picks.
• Group rounds out their "mortal locks" for the week.

Rico’s Mortal: BYU +3 vs. Colorado
Big Cat’s Mortal: Nebraska -2.5
Group picks: Variety, including SMU and South Carolina -9.5

10. Hot Topics & Final Bracket Picks

Timestamps: 51:57 – End

• Dave answers how he’d negatively recruit against Bill Belichick at UNC (“You’re not going to be able to use social media...”) and slams Doug Gottlieb for poor performance as a coach and bad memes.
• The crew shares their full College Football Playoff brackets, each with a unique take:
  • Big Cat: Oregon over Penn State in the final.
  • Rico: Ohio State over Notre Dame, in a “sad, pathetic” natty no one truly cares about.
  • Dave: Oregon over Georgia.

Quote:
"Oregon national champions, finally get through the cracks here and hang a banner."
— Dave, 56:26

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "You want to get down to business when it's time to get down to business. Love Rose Sparks."
  — Dave (inferred ad read), 23:00

• "This is the beginning of them devaluing the Michigan game... Their tiny little dicks curl into their stomachs when they see us coming."
  — Rico, 45:32

• "It's been a while since he bet every game on the board."
  — Dan, 50:44

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 01:27 – Season records & Pat Hill standings
• 02:24 – Barstool drama & internet hate
• 15:31 – Company meeting feedback
• 20:23 – College basketball, CBB betting
• 24:43 – NFL playoff futures debate
• 27:15 – Mr. Ice betting meltdown
• 32:15 – Playoff seeding & system roast
• 36:19 – Playoff game picks breakdown
• 46:38 – Bowl picks, “Pinstripe Curse,” mortal locks
• 51:57 – Final bracket reveals & rapid-fire hot takes

Tone and Language Recap

True to Barstool’s style, the episode blends locker-room humor, insider references, honest (often self-deprecating) takes, and sharp-tongued debates. The show’s rhythm is built on quips, roasts, but also genuine gambling insight for listeners seeking both entertainment and picks.

Conclusion

With bowls and the all-new 12-team CFB Playoff approaching, the Pick Em crew keeps it classic: sharp betting talk, joke-laden culture war commentary, and a crew whose lovable dysfunction mirrors the chaos of college football itself. If you want picks, laughs, and a heavy dose of Barstool nonsense, this playoff special delivers—and sets the stage for playoff chaos and another round of Pick Em bragging rights.