Bussin' With The Boys — Josh Pate Breaks Down Winter Storm Fern + Are Indiana & Miami Here To Stay?

Episode Air Date: January 27, 2026
Hosts: Taylor Lewan (primary), Will Compton (absent), Mitch, Jack McPherson, Jeremy Klump
Guest: Josh Pate (College Football Analyst, Weather Enthusiast)

Episode Overview

This episode rides through the chaos of Winter Storm Fern, traversing both storm coverage and college football. With Nashville paralyzed by a record ice storm, the "Bussin' With The Boys" crew gathers a skeleton squad—leaning into stories of neighborly support, destruction, eerie beauty, and weather nerdery thanks to guest Josh Pate. The second act returns to the gridiron, breaking down the national championship, analyzing programs like Indiana, Miami, Michigan, Alabama, and Ohio State, and forecasting what’s next. Woven through: classic "Bussin’" banter, plenty of “clean takes,” and unfiltered optimism for the tornado season ahead.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Surviving Winter Storm Fern: Chaos, Calm, and Community

(05:00–23:00)

• Host Taylor recounts the storm’s impact: mass power outages, impassable roads, widespread destruction, and the peculiar tranquility of a shut-down city.

  • “It's a weird beauty about it, but it takes so much away from all of us. I've never seen a storm like this in my entire life. It's one of the craziest things I’ve ever witnessed.” — Taylor (10:01)

• Community, compassion, and neighborliness:

  • Taylor helps charge his neighbor’s pacemaker (“just being there for people when they need you most” — 08:50)
  • Jack McPherson shelters friends and kids without power (11:14)
  • The crew shares “clean takes”—moments of darkness bringing out the best in people, and the eerie, unexpected calm of the city at a standstill (10:08–12:11)

• On-the-ground storm reports:

  • Mitch, Jack, and Jeremy compare notes on road conditions—Nashville’s response praised, but neighborhood streets “retired for now” until thaw (09:05–10:01)
  • Trees down everywhere, aerial photos look “like a tornado went through ... and there’s just ice everywhere.” (09:55)

2. Weather Nerdom Unleashed: The Gospel According to Josh Pate

(38:58–75:00)

Josh Pate’s Weather Origin Story

(45:26–51:56)

• His childhood love for the Weather Channel, state capitals, and the tornado-chasing “Twister” era
• A wild family story: the “Tri State Crematorium” scandal—his grandfather’s remains never cremated, and a bitter ice storm tying into the misadventure — a “passion born of malpractice”
  • “You’re gonna think I’m making this story up … So we took, like, firewood ash ... and they come to find out his body’s just been stacked in this shed the whole time.” — Josh (48:06)

Storm Chasing: “The Rollercoaster, Sex & Haunted House” Analogy

(52:51–63:54)

• The thrill of the chase, chasing 14 tornadoes so far (“Want to get that up to 20 this year!”)
• Chasing with “the Sniffer” (Brad Arnold, power-rated #1 tracker)
• The risks: Can instantly switch from adrenaline to disaster, sometimes becoming a first responder after a storm’s path
• On seeing a tornado:
  • “If you combined cresting at the top of a rollercoaster ... with sex ... with the best haunted house you’ve ever been in—all thrown into one—that’s kinda like the adrenaline you get.” — Josh (61:15)
  • Taylor jokes about the pressure of bringing friends to experience something epic, knowing some chases turn up “nothing.”

The Science & Dangers of Ice Storms

(63:54–75:40)

• Why ice storms, not snow, are truly nightmare fuel for weather pros:

  • Trees and power lines weighted with hundreds of extra pounds of ice
  • Extensive, slow-to-repair damage (“You have to physically rebuild the infrastructure ... weeks, sometimes months.” — Josh, 74:56)
  • Describes freezing rain: The “warm nose” in the atmosphere lets rain fall as liquid, then freeze instantly on contact (68:48)
  • Transformers blowing = green/blue flashes = “little bombs all over Nashville” (70:24)

• Education Gap:

  • Josh advocates weather awareness classes in schools: “It’s guaranteed to impact everybody.” (66:57)
  • Hosts admit even locals didn’t really grasp the science until living through it.

3. College Football Expanded: Indiana, Miami, and the Usual Heavyweights

(83:11–114:41)

Indiana vs. Miami: National Championship Reflections

(83:11–88:59)

• Both teams delivered “knockout blows” in a near-mythic game, but “the storm just wouldn’t let Miami out.”
  • “If you told [Cristobal] that morning, I’m going to give you the ball, first and ten midfield with a minute left down six—will you take that? I think he would.” — Josh (83:45)
  • Taylor: “It was beautiful. It was poetic ... two teams we haven’t seen in forever, or ever, in a national championship.”

Is Indiana Here to Stay?

(88:59–92:40)

• Josh: “I think they’re here. You can write their name on that fifth line in the Big Ten.”
• On team dynamics:
  • The chemistry on this title team may never be replicated, even as recruiting improves—Saban’s early-Bama teams cited as a parallel (selfless “what can I do for the team” dynamic hard to recreate)

Miami’s Outlook

(92:40–97:33)

• Miami is expected to “be there every year,” especially with Darian Mensah likely coming in at QB and Mario Cristobal’s system taking shape
• Quick turnaround defensively noted
• But, warns Josh: never lock in predictions before fall camp—“the path is more touch and go” compared to Indiana

Michigan, Alabama, Ohio State, and National Expectations

(97:33–114:41)

• Michigan:

  • Loaded with “potential, not production”—Signetti’s mantra about trusting production over potential discussed
  • “At least now, there’s no ‘what’s going on behind the scenes’—it’s time to play ball.” — Josh (101:15)
  • Optimism about Kyle Whittingham’s influence after moving from Utah to Michigan

• Alabama:

  • Keelan Russell predicted to win the QB job; Austin Mack lauded for sticking around to develop; new O-line coach (from USC) brings hope for physicality
  • “What they want is ... to look like Miami looks on the line of scrimmage ... to be feared as a bully.” — Josh (106:31)

• Ohio State:

  • Arthur Smith (ex-Titans/Atlanta Falcons) is now OC; “Ohio State’s roster is better than some NFL rosters,” according to Smith.
  • Josh jokes: “You think if picking Option 5 for coordinator would keep you [Taylor] up at night, Ryan Day would do it? … 100%.”
  • Taylor: “Ryan Day is playing chess in my brain right now.”

4. Tornado Season Preview: “We May End Up in Norman”

(114:41–117:32)

• Taylor and Josh plan a tornado chasing trip for the spring ("You and I ... joint private jet ... or helicopter access during a chase!")
• Josh: “Imagine private helicopter access—you're no longer handcuffed by winding roads, you just go after it.” (116:06)
• Taylor: “That sounds terrifying. I thought you were gonna say ‘buy a plane’ but, alright, a helicopter...I’ll do it!”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On storm beauty and destruction:
  • “There’s something about being downtown ... the city was so quiet and nobody on the roads. It was kind of like an eerie but cool feeling ... just see the city in its most raw form.” — Jeremy Klump (10:08)
• On power outages:
  • “When thunderstorms knock out the power ... NES is really good about getting that stuff back on ... With this, you have to physically rebuild the infrastructure of your power grid. You’re talking about weeks to potentially months.” — Josh Pate (74:56)
• On weather education:
  • “Weather awareness should be mandatory in school ... it’s guaranteed to impact everybody.” — Josh Pate (66:57)
• On the tornado chase rush:
  • “If you combined cresting a rollercoaster, with sex, with the best haunted house ... all thrown into one—that’s the adrenaline.” — Josh Pate (61:15)
• On Indiana’s rise:
  • “I think they’re here. You can write their name on that fifth line in the Big Ten.” — Josh Pate (88:59)
• On Alabama QB Ty Simpson’s old-school stay:
  • “I got respect for it. ... I was a captain at Alabama, I don't want to be looked back on as a guy that just threw that away and went elsewhere. That's such an old school way of thinking, I wish there was more of it.” — Josh Pate (104:13)
• On the will of Ohio State:
  • “Ohio State’s got the Ohio State offense. You’re gonna come here and run it. We’re gonna win. … It’s an ecosystem now.” — Josh Pate (110:16)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Storm Impact Stories & “Clean Takes”: 05:00–15:00
• Zips Restaurant Tangent & Friend “Food Pilgrimages”: 13:22–22:00
• UFC/Paramount Card, Commercial Break: (~23:00–32:00)
• Opening with Guest Josh Pate – Weather Nerding Begins: 38:58
• Josh’s Weather/Josh’s Grandpa Wild Story: 45:26–51:55
• Storm Chasing, “The Sniffer”, Tornado Adrenaline: 52:51–63:54
• Science of the Ice Storm, Aftermath: 63:54–75:40
• College Football National Title/Indiana-Miami: 83:11–88:59
• Big Ten “Fifth Spot” & Indiana’s Future: 88:59–92:40
• Miami’s Ceiling & Challenges: 92:40–97:33
• Michigan’s Potential vs. Production: 97:33–102:14
• Alabama QB Room, DeBoer, O-Line: 104:07–107:51
• Ohio State, Arthur Smith Hire, Ryan Day Trolls: 107:51–114:41
• Helicopter Tornado Dream, Farewells: 114:41–117:32

Tone and Takeaways

The crew blends earnestness with a laid-back, locker-room camaraderie—even when delving deep into weather science or football analytics. Josh Pate brings nerdy zeal to storm explanations and college football forecasting, while Taylor keeps things grounded with humor and moments of genuine community sentiment. In the face of disaster, the “boys” find perspective, fun, and hope—whether charging a neighbor’s pacemaker or planning to chase tornadoes from a helicopter.

For listeners:
This episode is equal parts survival podcast, weather masterclass, and CFB nerd-fest, packed with storytelling, laughter, and the assurance that even during weeks of literal storms, the bus keeps rolling for the boys (and the listeners).