Bussin' With The Boys

Episode: Josh Pate Breaks Down CFP First Round + Michigan Head Coach Search

Date: December 22, 2025
Hosts: Will Compton, Taylor Lewan
Guest: Josh Pate

Episode Overview

This episode dives into a packed week for college football — recapping the College Football Playoff (CFP) first-round games and dissecting the chaotic Michigan head coach search. Will, Taylor, and Josh bring signature humor, candid locker-room banter, and sharp analysis to controversies, big wins, coaching drama, and what needs to change in college football.

Main Discussion Points

1. Michigan’s Head Coach Search Meltdown

[04:01]–[17:44]

• Surprise and Disarray:

  • Michigan’s entire head coach contingency plan "went to shit within a total of like an hour" (Will Compton, [04:17]).
  • Taylor Lewan, as a Michigan alum, expresses shock at the lack of a robust plan:

    "I like to believe that Michigan has a better game plan than 'Hey, hopefully Kalyn DeBoer loses to Oklahoma and we'll get him.'" ([04:22]—Taylor Lewan)

• Leadership Vacuum and Fumbled Strategy:

  • Taylor questions Michigan AD Ward Manuel and the possibility that multiple campus "camps" (power factions) complicated the process ([08:54]).
  • Josh Pate adds:

    "You always like to think somewhere behind that curtain they're just a bunch of mad scientists... It's just a bunch of people who have very, very little idea of what tomorrow may bring." ([07:57]—Josh Pate)

• Why NOT Kenny Dillingham?

  • The group crushes circulating rumors that Dillingham "played Michigan:"

    "He had never even talked to them... They really were waiting for Kaylan DeBoer. And Kenny's just like hanging out there in multiple press conferences in Arizona State saying, 'Yeah, I haven't talked to Michigan.' It's because he hadn't talked to Michigan." ([15:01]—Josh Pate)

• Short-term vs. Long-term Fixes:

  • Taylor, reluctantly, supports making Biff Poggi the interim, reasoning it’s better to "rent" a coach now and truly find 'our guy' in 2026 ([17:28], [18:06]):

    "The only answer is Biff... I think Biff is not the long-term answer at Michigan." ([17:31], [17:36]—Taylor Lewan)

  • Worries about program stability, player transfers during break, and recruiting.

2. Lighthearted Coping & Locker Room Camaraderie

[10:48]–[14:13]

• Will delivers a tongue-in-cheek existential take on losing:

  "Losing is not that bad... you can direct your anger toward other teams and just sit back and realize, this is just a game at the end of the day." ([10:48]—Will Compton)

• Jokes about Taylor possibly becoming jaded if Michigan’s turmoil drags on:

  "His silver lining to me was, you can direct your anger somewhere else." ([11:54]—Taylor Lewan)

• The boys riff on stress, caffeine, kids with fevers, and the toll of fandom.

3. CFP First-Round Recap & Game Analysis

A. Oklahoma vs. Alabama

[20:35]–[28:13]

• Comeback & Choke:
  • "Cannot believe they blew a 17–0 lead. Can't believe it. Especially with their defense." ([21:21]—Taylor Lewan)
  • Josh pokes fun at Taylor and Will for doubting Ty Simpson yet maintains, "Oklahoma just got it wrong... They screwed it up" ([22:09]—Taylor/Taylor/Josh).
• Game-Changing Plays:
  • John Mateer’s costly interception:

    "He could not have hit a DB in the chest any more effectively than he did with that ball. So I'm going to say miscommunication." ([23:35]—Josh Pate)

  • Different takeaways on Alabama's resurgence after a sluggish start.
• Alabama’s Flaws:
  • Will refuses to believe this version of Alabama is a title team:

    "No one's going to sit there and tell me this is the plan you win the national title with, right? You're 2 for 12 on third down. You average 1.1 yards per rush." ([22:18]—Will Compton)

• Upcoming Matchups:
  • Looking ahead to Indiana’s ground game, and a Big Ten flex opportunity.

B. Miami vs. Texas A&M

[30:04]–[33:33]

• Defensive Showcase:
  • "It was what I thought Bama-OU was going to be." ([30:07]—Josh Pate)
  • Miami’s defensive progression under new DC Corey Heatherman hailed as a game-changer.
  • Josh summarizes:

    "A year from now... they're going to go on the road, they're going to score 10 and that's going to be good enough to win a game. Would have sounded insane." ([31:33]—Josh Pate)

• Quarterback Play:
  • Marcel Reed’s inability to finish drives; missed key chances.
  • Will points to missed opportunities but admires both teams "flying around with their hair on fire" defensively ([31:50]—Will Compton).

C. Oregon vs. JMU / Tulane vs. Ole Miss ("G5 blowouts")

[39:25]–[56:36]

• Predictable Demolitions:

  • Oregon’s "five possession lead in the first half was the big takeaway" ([40:28]—Josh Pate).
  • The panel laments uselessness of these G5-vs.-Power games:
    • "Nobody wants to see those games." ([40:57]—Will Compton)

• Time for Structural Change?:

  • The group unanimously agrees the playoff format needs fixing.

    "We all believe that the College Football Playoff needs to be different next year." ([42:11]—Taylor Lewan)

  • Advocacy for:
    • Ranking-based G5 inclusion (not automatic bids).
    • More home playoff games for top seeds ([42:45]–[43:06]).
    • A separate, well-funded G5 playoff.

• Defending the Argument:

  • Josh:

    "Most of the examples people use...it was a G5 team playing their Super Bowl against some SEC or Big Ten team that missed out on their goal and now they're playing a consolation bowl game...This last weekend is actually what it looks like when a G5 inferior opponent gets the full focus of a power program." ([54:41]–[56:36])

4. How College Coaching Staffs Get Poached During Playoff Runs

[33:38]–[36:35]

• Weird Dynamics:
  • Josh explains the havoc when assistants accept head coaching jobs during playoff push (e.g., Dan Lanning losing both Oregon coordinators).
  • Contrasts NFL’s ability to block lateral moves versus college “open season”:

    "None of that exists in college." ([34:54]—Josh Pate)

5. Broader Playoff & Sport Restructuring Debates

[43:06]–[52:29]

• Promotion/Relegation & Pooling by Resources:

  • Taylor floats a European soccer-style promotion and relegation; Josh advocates for transfer/restoration penalties when players are poached ([50:26]–[52:22]).
  • The group riffs on how virtually everyone in “lower” playoff games is looking to use it as a transfer springboard.

• Notre Dame and ‘Bubble’ Definitions:

  • "Tennessee has comparable resources to Ohio State... There are no JMU wins over Oregon." ([49:10]–[49:50]—Josh Pate)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Michigan’s botched search:

  "It’s just a bunch of people who have very, very little idea of what tomorrow may bring trying to conduct a coaching search."
  —Josh Pate [07:57]

• On coping with football heartbreak:

  "Losing is not that bad… This is just a game at the end of the day."
  —Will Compton [10:48]

• On G5 teams in the playoff:

  "It is just a tier of college football that’s beneath the likes… they play the same sport from a rules perspective, but from a resource perspective, we’re on opposite sides of the Grand Canyon."
  —Josh Pate [44:34]

• On playoff restructuring:

  "We all believe that the College Football Playoff needs to be different next year."
  —Taylor Lewan [42:11]

• On college football emotion:

  "We have been like Icarus, dude. We have been flying towards the sun. It was about damn time we fell a little bit. So actually shout out Oklahoma because we needed a good humbling."
  —Taylor Lewan [57:48]

Timeline of Key Segments

| Time | Topic/Segment | |-------------|---------------------------------------------------------| | 04:01–17:44 | Michigan Head Coach Search, Strategic Fumbles, Biff Poggi arguments | | 20:35–28:13 | Oklahoma-Alabama First Round Recap, Alabama’s flaws, key plays | | 30:04–33:33 | Miami-Texas A&M Defensive Battle; Miami’s transformation | | 39:25–56:36 | G5 Blowouts, Playoff Structure Debates, G5 vs P4 future | | 33:38–36:35 | Coaching Staff Poaching During Playoff Runs | | 43:06–52:29 | Promotion/Relegation, Pooling Teams by Resources, Notre Dame | | 57:48–59:48 | Humbling travel stories, Oklahoma trip post-mortem |

Episode Tone & Language

• Signature ‘Bussin’ With The Boys’ banter — locker room humor, sarcasm, inside jokes, camaraderie.
• Passionate and candid takes, “just a game” perspective through heartbreak.
• Mix of sharp analysis and self-deprecating coping mechanisms as fans/former players.

Summary Takeaways

• The Michigan head coach search was chaotic, mishandled, and the panel is skeptical of interim solutions; 2026 might be the real inflection point.
• CFP first round saw expected blowouts from G5 teams, fueling calls for playoff restructuring.
• The group wants more meritocracy, fewer handouts, and meaningful home games in future playoffs.
• Coaching carousel chaos and NIL/transfer realities loom over all these debates.
• Humor, humility, and open questioning of the status quo make this episode worthwhile for any college football diehard or curious newcomer.