Bussin’ With The Boys – Podcast Summary

Episode: Josh Pate Picks Conference Championship Games, Talks CFP Rankings With Will Compton & Taylor Lewan
Date: December 3, 2025
Guests: Josh Pate (college football analyst)

Overview

In this lively episode, hosts Will Compton and Taylor Lewan are joined by college football analyst Josh Pate to break down conference championship weekend and the College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings. The trio dives deep into current playoff debates, makes picks for each championship game, and unpacks the intricacies and drama behind this year’s selection process. The show is filled with classic locker room banter, inside jokes, and a major announcement: the Boys will be hosting an alternate broadcast (altcast) for the SEC Championship on ESPN2.

Key Themes & Segment Timestamps

• Josh Pate’s 500k Subscriber Milestone & Commissioner Jokes: [05:00–07:35]
• CFP Rankings: Miami vs. Notre Dame Debate: [07:35–27:43]
• Vanderbilt, Power Conferences & G5 Representation: [29:07–36:03]
• Conference Championship Game Previews:
  • North Texas vs. Tulane (AAC) [41:25–46:21]
  • Duke vs. Virginia (ACC) [46:31–48:05]
  • BYU vs. Texas Tech (Big 12) [50:40–58:57]
  • Georgia vs. Alabama (SEC) [59:14–72:07]
  • Indiana vs. Ohio State (Big Ten) [73:23–80:27]
• Locker Room Banter, Picks, and Announcements: [62:17–67:08]
• Reflection on Rivalries, Coaching Moves, and Final Thoughts: [80:57–83:43]

Detailed Breakdown

1. Celebrating Josh Pate’s Milestone & Commissioner Fun ([05:00–07:35])

• Taylor & Will surprise Josh with balloons to celebrate his recent achievement: 500,000 YouTube subscribers.
• Running joke: Josh as the "future commissioner of college football."
  • “It’s official now. We have the power on this show.” — Josh Pate [06:08]
• Josh recounts Coach Joey McGuire’s (Texas Tech) press conference shoutout, playfully boosting his candidacy as commissioner.

2. CFP Rankings Debate: Miami vs. Notre Dame ([07:35–27:43])

Debate context: Miami beat Notre Dame head-to-head but is ranked lower in CFP rankings.

• Josh (pro-Miami):
  • “People overthink the room on this stuff… If I got a head-to-head result and I beat you on the field … the most common sense viewpoint in the world: put the head-to-head winner over the loser.” [08:19]
  • Argues that over-valuing “the eyeball test” instead of facts and field results leads to confusion in playoff selection.
• Will & Taylor (pro-Notre Dame, but nuanced):
  • Notre Dame’s two early losses came against strong teams; conversely, Miami’s two losses came against weaker ACC opponents.
  • Notre Dame has played better, more dominant football down the stretch.
  • “I would pick Notre Dame to beat Miami today.” — Will Compton [14:27]
• Josh’s retort:
  • “The committee uses the eyeball test too much… If we set data points, and Miami and Notre Dame are next to each other, you have to honor the head-to-head.” [15:50]
  • Suggests the committee is inconsistent and claims: “A computer makes the rankings, the committee just signs off and explains after.” [25:14]
• Money & Ratings Factor:
  • Discussion if Notre Dame, a bigger brand, is being favored by the committee for TV/ratings purposes. Taylor says: “You’re going to keep a brand like Notre Dame out?” [19:09]

Memorable Quote:

“The committee could just say these are the rankings because we say so. Instead it’s so much stuff that doesn’t matter that shouldn’t matter. It’s so incongruent logically …” — Josh Pate [26:12]

3. The Power Conference/G5 Dynamic & Vanderbilt’s Plight ([29:07–36:03])

• Taylor and Will raise the issue of Vanderbilt (“Vandy”) being a 10-2 SEC team but ranked behind Texas (9-3) and left out of playoff consideration.
• Discussion on the fairness of evaluating quality wins based on when/how teams were ranked at the time of the matchup vs. at season’s end.
  • “I personally think there needs to be more weight put on that.” — Taylor Lewan [33:16]

Memorable Quote:

“If you played South Carolina when they were ranked, it has to count for something. Define the value of a win at the time it happens.” — Josh Pate [34:18]

4. Conference Championship Game Picks

A) North Texas vs. Tulane (AAC) [41:25–46:21]

• None of the hosts care deeply about the game (“I will not turn this game on.” — Taylor [42:00]), but all pick the over 66.5 points due to both defenses being suspect.
• Anecdote: North Texas QB Drew Mestamaker was a backup in high school and now starts for a conference title game, underscoring the unpredictability of G5 football.

B) Duke vs. Virginia (ACC) [46:31–48:05]

• Virginia favored by 3.5.
• Blowout in regular season, but “the model” likes Duke for the upset.
  • All three back Duke (“Give me Duke moneyline.” — Will Compton [47:35]).
  • Motif: “Hard to beat a team twice.”

C) BYU vs. Texas Tech (Big 12) [50:40–58:57]

• Texas Tech favored by 12.5.
• Josh’s statistical model oddly favors BYU to cover; nonetheless, he, Taylor pick Texas Tech, while Will takes BYU (“With the blessing of the church, I’m going BYU plus twelve and a half!” — Will [56:27]).
• Off-script banter about Will not having seen Animal House (leads to inside jokes about locker room culture and commercials).

D) Georgia vs. Alabama (SEC) [59:14–72:07]

• Georgia favored by 2.5. Both teams banged up.
• Hosts announce they’ll altcast the game SATURDAY on ESPN2!
  • “We are going to have our own altcast broadcast … the four of us on the field at the SEC Championship, calling the action … and us with mics in our hands on the sideline. That’s happening.” — Josh Pate [63:26]
• Game breakdown:
  • Hard to beat Georgia twice, but Bama’s receivers could be the X-factor.
  • Injury status and O-line depth will impact both sides.
  • All pick the over 47.5 points for an exciting shootout.

E) Indiana vs. Ohio State (Big Ten) [73:23–80:27]

• Ohio State favored by 4.5.
• Taylor and Will see OSU’s defense under Matt Patricia as the difference.
• Both pick Ohio State to cover, citing their “red zone defense and explosive offense.”
• Josh: “I just ride with Ohio State in these kind of moments until further notice.” [75:33]

5. Locker Room, Coaching News, and Inside Jokes

• Coaching Moves: Discussion of Penn State’s ongoing coaching search chaos and BYU keeping their coach thanks to big money from “Crumble Cookies” – another locker room punchline [37:00–37:47].
• Rivalries & Humility: Taylor reflects on trash-talking Ohio State's Ryan Day all season, only to have Day beat Michigan and humble him post-game:

  “Coach Day, I said a lot of bad things about you. You shut my ass up. Congratulations.” — Taylor Lewan [82:27]

• Announcement Revisited: The Boys express excitement and nervousness about the ESPN2 altcast experience, comparing nerves for the SEC title to calling something like Wimbledon. [63:55–67:12]

Notable Quotes

• “A computer spits that stuff out, and then [the committee] just kind of slap their name on it.” — Josh Pate [25:14]
• “If you’re Miami, you had your path, but you lost to SMU and Louisville. That ACC schedule is the weakest it’s ever been.” — Will Compton [12:20]
• “We get to cover an altcast for the SEC Championship this weekend … The fact that we get to be on the field ... that big of a game!” — Taylor Lewan [62:17, 65:00]
• “Hard to beat a team twice.” — All, multiple segments

Final Picks Recap

• North Texas–Tulane: All pick the over
• Duke–Virginia: All take Duke (points/moneyline)
• BYU–Texas Tech: Josh & Taylor take Texas Tech to cover; Will takes BYU +12.5
• Georgia–Alabama: All pick the over 47.5; lean towards Georgia to win
• Indiana–Ohio State: Unanimous on Ohio State -4.5

Episode Vibe & Tone

The Boys bring classic, loose locker room energy with plenty of inside jokes and personal stories; Josh Pate provides thoughtful analysis, color, and humor. The arguments are impassioned but grounded in mutual respect. The mood is upbeat, celebratory, and informative—anchored by the huge announcement of their live “altcast” for the SEC Championship game.

For New Listeners

If you’re looking for insight into the logic and politics behind CFP rankings, honest (and hilarious) picks for championship weekend, or just want to hang in the virtual locker room, this episode brings you right into the heart of college football’s most chaotic time of year.

Don’t miss the Boys’ special SEC Championship altcast on ESPN2, Saturday at 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT!

(End of Summary)