Barstool Pick Em – 2024 Week 12 (November 14, 2024)

Overview

This episode of Barstool Pick Em dives headfirst into the chaos and drama of college football and basketball as the season enters a critical stretch. Big Cat (Pat), Pres (Dave Portnoy), and Rico Bosco break down their season records, recap wild recent results, hash out the infamous “bus bet” for March Madness, and make their confident (if historically losing) picks for this week's CFB and CBB slates. The show also offers entertaining tangents: college campus rankings, TikTok rap fame, bracket resumes, and the ever-present rollercoaster of Barstool's team dynamics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Gambling & Picks Update (01:33–02:26)

• The hosts start by hilariously highlighting their subpar records.
  • Rico is “hanging on by a thread” at 50.9%, Dave at 47.9%, and Pat self-deprecates as “having the worst season of my life.”
  • Bob Diaco’s “Ibo” standings surface, signaling the show’s ongoing inside jokes around bad beats and losing streaks.

2. Campus Rankings: The Grove at Ole Miss (02:18–02:51)

• Glowing reviews for Ole Miss’s campus life after a visit:
  • Dave: “It's spectacular… the Grove number one. It's spectacular… upscale, tight walking, just really cool.”

3. NCAA Hoops & the Infamous Alabama Bus Bet (02:51–08:12)

• With college basketball back, the crew hammers out details on an outrageous wager:

  • The Bet: If Alabama makes the Final Four, Rico flies first class to San Antonio and parties with the crew. If not, he must take a bus to San Antonio.
  • The negotiation spirals into “stimulations” (Rico repeatedly mispronouncing ‘stipulations’), arguments about bus rides becoming a permanent show tradition, and add-ons suggested by Jack Mac (e.g., someone should always be forced to take the bus for content).

  “This will be the last bus bet ever.” – Rico (03:52)

  “No, but I'm not even doing last bus bet. That is crazy. That may be something we want to do every year.” – Dave (04:26)

  • Odds are discussed: Alabama is +240 for the Final Four.
  • Rico admits: “My father was horrified when he heard this... that's a bad bet.” (07:21)
  • The banter cements March Madness as “must-watch TV: no naps, no excuses.”

4. Heisman Race & Future Bets (08:46–10:07)

• Travis Hunter emerges as the Heisman betting favorite:

  • “Travis Hunter. Heisman. He’s +130... now everything is in.” – Pat (09:01–09:05)
  • Discussion on odds for other contenders: Dylan Gabriel (+330), Ashton Gentry.

• Debate on how conference championship game outcomes impact playoff seeding.

5. College Basketball: Player Talk & Villainy (11:04–11:57)

• Pat and Rico rave about Dejuan Harris at Kansas and reflect on Hunter Dickinson’s seemingly eternal eligibility (“Covid years, man”).
• The need for NCAA basketball villains, with Dickinson singled out as a top ‘bad guy’.

6. Music & Pop Culture Tangent (12:03–12:48)

• Dave’s TikTok rap ("Rumble, Rumble") reaches meme status (“If they didn’t take it down, it’d be number one in the country.” – Dave).
• Brief chat about Zach Bryan’s NFL music play.

7. CFB Playoff & Bracket Arguments (12:55–14:44)

• Pat is incredulous that SMU isn’t ranked over Notre Dame in the CFB playoff bracket, with the table debating what matters more: signature wins or awful losses.

  • “SMU's loss is against one of the last four undefeated teams… No loss like Notre Dame’s NIU loss.” – Pat (13:35–14:00)

• SEC chaos highlighted: “The SEC is in f***ing log jam… so many teams with one or two losses...” – Rico (14:14–14:17)

• Praise for South Carolina despite their dim playoff outlook.

8. Parity & Paranoia: Who’s the Best? (15:02–16:04)

• No consensus on a dominant team.

  • “Who do you think is the best team in the country?” – Rico

  • “No idea!” – Dave

  • Oregon, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Alabama are floated as possible top four teams.

9. SEC & Conference Championship Scenarios (16:18–19:05)

• Spirited “what-if” discussion over how a 2-loss SEC runner-up could miss the playoff, and whether championship game losers are unfairly penalized for playing an extra game.

  • “I don’t think you should be penalized for the championship game.” – Dave (18:10)

  • Suggestion: The championship could be between two bubble teams (though everyone agrees that'll never happen).

10. Specific Big Games & Bets: Picks Breakdown (21:49–45:51)

a. Utah at Colorado (21:49–24:55)

• Colorado is a big favorite (–12.5), sparking debate about their turnaround and Utah’s deflated state after a “brutal” loss.
• Notable moment: “That was as rowdy… like when I think of places on the verge of chaos, I think Lubbock.” – Dave about Texas Tech (24:04)

b. Tulane at Navy (24:57–26:14)

• Rico likes Tulane to cover, Pat prefers the over.
• Dave: “Navy’s been really good… I think this will be a close, high scoring game.”

c. Kansas State vs. Arizona State (26:16–28:21)

• Analysis on Big 12 chaos; Kansas State considered a strong home pick.

d. Mizzou at South Carolina (28:21–30:47)

• South Carolina (-12) gets support from Pat and Dave; Rico takes Mizzou +12.

e. Tennessee at Georgia (31:24–34:37)

• Multiple hosts shocked by the Georgia player celebrating with Ole Miss; call it “psychopath” behavior.

  • “That guy's a crazy. That guy's a psychopath.” – Dave (33:08, 33:11)

• All take Georgia, but with zero faith in QB Carson Beck: “Carson Beck is bad… he makes the wrong decision five times a game.” – Pat (34:37–34:48)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “I'm the worst gambler in the world. I'm having the worst season of my life.” – Pat (01:40–01:43)
• “This will be the last bus bet ever.” – Rico (03:52)
• “You want somebody on the bus if they make it. Somebody should still take the bus.” – Rico, fishing for backup in bus misery (04:55)
• “My father was horrified when he heard this… that's a bad bet.” – Rico (07:21)
• “That was as rowdy... on the verge of chaos, I think Lubbock.” – Dave on the Texas Tech crowd (24:04)
• “That guy’s a psychopath.” – Dave on the Georgia player who celebrated with Ole Miss (33:08–33:11)
• “Carson Beck is just… he makes the wrong decision five times a game.” – Pat (34:37–34:48)

Timestamps for Notable Segments

• Standings recaps & gambling misery: 01:33–02:26
• Campus/culture (The Grove): 02:18–02:51
• The Bus Bet (March Madness): 02:51–08:12
• College Basketball/Player talk: 11:04–11:57
• Music/TikTok tangent: 12:03–12:48
• Resume debates (SMU/Notre Dame): 12:55–14:44
• SEC/CFB playoff chaos: 14:44–19:05
• Utah–Colorado pick breakdown: 21:49–24:55
• Tulane–Navy pick breakdown: 24:57–26:14
• Kansas St.–Arizona St. pick: 26:16–28:21
• Mizzou–South Carolina pick: 28:21–30:47
• Tennessee–Georgia pick & Georgia player controversy: 31:24–34:37

The Cards (Picks of the Week)

Each host gives an extensive card with mortals (locks):

Pat (Big Cat)

• Old Dominion +3, Penn State –28, Texas-Arkansas over 57.5, Kansas +3 (as mortal)

Rico

• Jacksonville State –14, SMU/BC over 53.5, Oregon –14.5, UAB/Memphis over 62.5

Dave (Pres)

• Aggressively chasing with a long card, including Syracuse +9.5, Penn State –28.5, Florida +4.5, Virginia +23, BC +19, South Carolina –12, UCLA +3.5, Arizona –1, Ohio –28.5, Navy +7, San Jose State +13.5, Georgia –10, Oregon –14, BYU –3, UNLV –20.5, among others. (43:04–43:57)
• Mortal: South Carolina –12

Jack Mac & others

• Various picks added for card/”parlay” purposes.

Barstool Office Banter: Team Dynamics & Year-End Reflections (35:12–37:56)

• Quick aside on Rico’s year: consensus is he’s “changed” and no longer a problem, with inside jokes about the expectations of basic behavior (“wrestling with rewarding expected behavior”).
• Meek Phil gets a shoutout as a rider “having a good year.”

Bitcoin, Biz & Company Talk (45:36–47:25)

• Dave updates on his bitcoin holdings: “Probably lost like... million, million and a half… have 14 bitcoins left.” – Dave (45:43–46:00)
• The crew jokes about paying contracts in bitcoin and who would mentally survive volatility.

Summary Takeaways

• If you’re looking for sharp, serious picks—look elsewhere: The hosts play up their own mediocrity with self-aware bravado.
• The show’s best moments come from side bets, inside jokes, and friendly antagonism: e.g., the “bus bet,” celebrating mediocrity, heated sideline debates.
• On the field, the CFB landscape is wild and wide open: The crew can’t confidently name a “best” team, and the SEC/Big 12 are described as “chaos.”
• All eyes are on March Madness—if only to see Rico stuck on a bus to San Antonio.

For the best digest of the week’s picks and the emotions around them, cue up each timestamp above and enjoy the Barstool chaos.