Barstool Pick Em Week 12: Dave Portnoy Uncovers Rico's Next Target

Podcast: Barstool Pick Em
Hosts: Big Cat (Jack), Dave Portnoy (Pres), Rico Bosco
Date: November 13, 2025
Episode Theme: Weekly College Football Gambling Picks, Internal Barstool Drama, and "Rider" Army Escapades

Overview

This episode finds the Barstool Pick Em crew in the "home stretch" of college football season, wrestling with a tough betting card, debating the motivations and stakes of this week's games, and, as always, navigating Barstool's unique workplace drama. Highlights include inside talk about advertising (Bosco's contract negotiations!), a wild story about gambling luck, and a sudden Rico subplot: is Meek Phil next in the “rider crosshairs”?

1. Standings & The State of Gambling (02:30–04:19)

• Standings Update:

  • Jack (Big Cat): 52.3%
  • Dave: 51.8%
  • Rico: 43.2%

• Diaco Trophy talk—ongoing rivalry.

• The crew laments that the season is almost over.

• Dave's Stance:
  “I hate the card again. The last two weeks, I've hated the card.” (03:07, Dave)

• Anecdotes of Bad Beats & Luck:
  Dave describes an incredibly rare “thread” win, betting both the over and under on a Michigan-Wake Forest basketball game and winning both.

  • “I had maybe my most improbable... it's one of my most improbable wins I've ever had.” (04:20, Dave)

2. College Hoops & Bosco’s Futures Portfolio (07:17–09:45)

• Bosco Loves Gonzaga (as always):
  • “I like Gonzaga a lot. Old, a lot of size...” (07:29, Bosco)
  • Lists Bama (25:1), BYU (18:1), Oregon (100:1) as his picks.
• Chirping about value:
  Dave and Jack press Rico on whether his “portfolio” is really as special as he claims.
  • “That portfolio that you're like, I like where I'm at... like, you didn't... two of three are worse.” (09:16, Dave)
  • "You really said that like you pulled one over." (09:30, Dave)

3. Barstool Business & Bosco’s Contract Negotiation (09:48–15:41)

• Meeting Recap:
  Jack shares that advertisers "love Bosco."

  • “The sales people were like, they love Bosco. The advertisers keep asking for Bosco.” (11:12, Jack)

• Bosco’s Response:
  Plays it cool—“don't get too high, don't get too low. Stick to the plan.”

• Contract Negotiation Banter:

  • Jokes about rehearsing a Luca Brasi–style monologue from The Godfather in the mirror.
  • Talk of raise percentages:
    • “I think I deserve a 45% raise.” (15:12, Dave, joking about Barstool raise culture)
    • On staffers' attitudes: “Maybe just 30. All right. What have you done?... If everyone got 30 raises, I think we're out of business.” (15:24, Dave)
  • Jack floats an idea: make Bosco's contract negotiation a pay-per-view event.
    • “Imagine if you did like an Apprentice style boardroom, pay per view of everyone's negotiations...” (20:16, Jack)
    • “Our fans would be so disgusted by these pitches... They'd be like, these guys live on fucking Mars.” (20:44, Dave)

4. Barstool Internal Drama: Meek Phil in the Crosshairs (26:00–39:05)

• Meek Phil, Load Management, and Annoyances:

  • “He's just a habitual line step.” (27:14, Bosco)
  • Jack and Dave needle Rico for not acknowledging Meek Phil on streams and in person.

• Fan Encounters Turn Into Barstool Lore:
  Dave reads a DM from a fan who met Rico and claims to have been told who the next "target" is in the Barstool internal wars—turns out, it's Meek Phil.

  • “Was told if I hear something, say something... That's when he gave me the next guy in the Riders crosshairs. Winner squeeze out for Meek Phil.” (31:51, read by Dave)

• Rico Downplays, But Admits It:

  • “Dude, the guy comes up, 'Hey man, huge fan... I'm your guy.' ...It's a throwaway comment.” (32:14, Bosco)
  • Jack: “We can't be having these conversations in public. We gotta go.” (35:06)

• Dave’s Observations:
  “That is the culture you created... Ramblings of a lunatic. That's what the rider army was built upon. I have your back here.” (36:09, Dave)

5. College Football Playoff Hypotheticals and Motivation (28:32–44:21)

• Big Ten Motivation Debate:
  Bosco repeats internet rumors that maybe, with expanded playoffs, losing the Championship Game is "not the worst thing."

  • Jack and Dave are highly skeptical—“I don't think you've expressed whatever they were saying... I don't know what the point was. Why would you want to lose the big ten?” (30:03, Dave)

• SEC Playoff Expansion Chatter:

  • “Greg Sankey said he wanted 18 [teams]. They think Missouri and Tennessee should be in there.” (40:41, Jack and Dave incredulous)

• ACC Scenarios:
  Jack: “The whole Duke theory of like a 4-loss Duke team will not be high enough ranked... I completely disagree with that...” (42:03)

6. Featured Game Picks & Analysis (46:32–66:33)

Michigan at Northwestern (Wrigley Field)

• Line: Michigan -11.5
• Consensus: Michigan just needs to escape with a win; Northwestern's a frisky underdog.
  • “I think I just want to escape with the win here. That's my only goal in life.” (46:14, Dave)
  • Bosco: “Dave said everything. Northwestern plus eleven and a half. I agree.” (47:48)
  • Jack: Advocates for the over because "the field just looks a little smaller at Wrigley." (47:17)

Virginia vs. Duke (ACC implications)

• Duke -5.5, O/U 58.5
• Bosco: “I think I'm take Duke. I'm going to take Duke.” (50:29)
• Dave: “I'll take Virginia. I'll take the points. I think it'll be close.” (50:44)
• Jack: Over 58.5

Texas at Georgia

• Georgia -6, O/U 48.5
• All three take Texas and the points—Georgia may not be "that Georgia" this year.

Oklahoma at Alabama

• Alabama -6, O/U 45.5
• Jack & Dave: Oklahoma to cover.
• Bosco: The over (45.5) – expecting points.

Notre Dame at Pitt

• Pitt +11.5, O/U 55.5
• Pat Narduzzi's wild quote: “I'd gladly get beat 103 or 110 to 10... as long as we win the next two.” (54:36, Dave quoting Narduzzi)
• Dave: Leans Pitt, “weirdly kind of makes me like Pittsburgh.” (55:30)
• Bosco: Likes the over.

7. Random Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Bosco on Not Getting Too High or Low:
  • “That's been pretty good... Stick to the plan. Should be good.” (12:27, Bosco)
• Jack on Gambling Wins:
  • “There's certain gambling wins that... make you like a four year old who did like an art project. You're like, you gotta see this.” (06:58)
• On Pay Secrecy:
  • Dave: “I think they underestimate our pay scale probably by like 50 to 60%.” (21:50)
• Rider Army – Lost Boys Reference:
  • “They're the Lost Boys. They want to be a part of something. They need a leader. They know I've been lost before.” (36:14, Bosco)

8. Card Rundown and Immortal Locks (57:46–66:33)

• Immortal Locks Standings: (65:22)

  • Ebo: 8–3
  • Jack: 7–4
  • Rico: 6–5
  • Dave/Hank/Zupy trailing

• Selections:

  • Zupy: Utah -8.5 at Baylor
  • Jack: Virginia–Duke Over 57.5
  • Ebo: Texas +2
  • Dave: UNC +6.5 against Wake
  • Rico: North Texas -18.5 vs. UAB (plus North Texas -10.5 1H)

9. Closing

• The hosts agree this card is tough and don't have their usual conviction.
• Discussion of early nights and hotel fan encounters.
• Final plug: Live at Murphy’s (Wrigleyville) on Saturday.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps (MM:SS)

• “I had maybe my most improbable... one of my most improbable wins I've ever had.” —Dave (04:20)
• “[Advertisers] love Bosco. The advertisers keep asking for Bosco.” —Jack (11:12)
• “I think I deserve a 45% raise.” —Dave (15:12, joking on Barstool culture)
• “He's just a habitual line step.” —Bosco on Meek Phil (27:14)
• “Ramblings of a lunatic. That's what the rider army was built upon.” —Dave (36:09)
• “Imagine if you did like an Apprentice style boardroom, pay per view of everyone's negotiations.” —Jack (20:16)
• “This is my least favorite part of the year.” —Dave (15:05, about contract talks)
• “I'd gladly get beat 103 or 110 to 10... as long as we win the next two.” —(Pat Narduzzi, quoted by Dave, 54:36)
• “They're the Lost Boys. They want to be a part of something.” —Bosco (36:14)
• “I think our fans would go bananas.” —Dave (21:03, pay-per-view negotiations)
• “I just want to escape with the win here. That's my only goal in life.” —Dave (46:14)

This episode had it all: cynical betting, workplace intrigue, inside jokes, and the always-absurd universe of Barstool content. For newcomers, it’s a crash course in Barstool’s culture; for longtime listeners, it’s vintage Pick Em, with a little extra Meek Phil paranoia on top.