Bussin' With The Boys: Locker Room – College Football Gambling Show
Episode: Josh Pate Says Missouri Will Upset Vanderbilt + Will Compton & Taylor Lewan Disagree On Ole Miss
Date: October 22, 2025
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This episode is a spirited roundtable of college football betting, analysis, and predictions with Will Compton, Jeremy Klump, and college football insider Josh Pate. The crew debates the big matchups of the week, focusing on nuanced power rankings, rivalry game narratives, coaching carousel rumors, and the state of several blue-blood programs. They provide gambling picks, lively banter, and a dose of football culture—anchored with a classic “Separation Saturday” where picks could create some distance in the group’s head-to-head contest.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The State of the Standings and Mindset for "Separation Saturday"
- Will is leading the group standings at 21-21, poking fun at his .500 record and joking about shaving his head if he wins.
- They dub this week “Separation Saturday,” hoping the tight race will finally open up some gaps.
2. Josh Pate’s JP Poll Philosophy
- Discussion on the JP Poll: Josh Pate explains his method as a power rating, not a ranking, emphasizing "favorability" and not just results (05:34).
“It's not a ranking. It's a power rating. What is power rating based on? Favorability…”
—Josh Pate (05:57) - Example: After BYU beats Utah, they aren’t moved above Utah since oddsmakers and Pate’s “model” would still favor Utah on a neutral field (06:39).
3. The Value of Rivalry Names and College Football Culture
- Josh strongly defends classic rivalry names (Holy War, Farmageddon, World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party), pushing back against corporate or sanitized rebrands (08:02).
“You can't let hall monitors run a sport... They take away great rivalry names.”
—Josh Pate (08:02-08:35) - The crew riffs on rivalry culture and the importance of maintaining college football traditions.
4. Nebraska’s State of Mind After a Loss and the Importance of Culture
- Jeremy argues Nebraska must “respect the game” after an embarrassing loss, preaching the need for a “foxhole mentality” against Northwestern (15:03–19:47).
“I'm riding with Nebraska because this is a foxhole game... That’s why I like them.”
—Jeremy Klump (18:04–19:47) - Josh’s pragmatic take: Nebraska’s season is still alive—if they win out, a 10-2 Nebraska is a playoff threat (20:00).
5. Coaching Carousel: Lane Kiffin, Elko, and the Nature of Career Moves
- Josh believes Lane Kiffin would be Florida’s first choice if Napier is out, but speculates Kiffin must weigh legacy at Ole Miss vs. building anew at Florida (22:01–23:09).
- They discuss structural advantages at A&M and the idea that Elko would only leave for personal—not strictly football—reasons (24:25–26:30).
“There is no football related reason why Mike Elko would leave Texas A and M for Penn State. It would have to be personal preference…”
—Josh Pate (24:25)
6. Game-by-Game Breakdown and Picks
BYU at Iowa State (27:00)
- All agree Iowa State (favored by 2.5) is the pick; they play the “wounded animal” card and trust ISU at home post-bye.
“Iowa State needs it. Brigham Young just wants it.”
—Josh Pate (27:37) - Memorable analogy: urgency at “last call” in a college bar compared to ISU needing to “close” in this must-win (29:46).
Texas at Mississippi State (33:30)
- Will sides with Mississippi State +6.5 due to a strong ATS track record, while Jeremy and Josh reluctantly back Texas, but see it as an ugly, low-scoring cover (35:13–41:37).
“This is a pissed off Steve Sarkeesian... I just like a pissed off Sark against Mississippi State.”
—Jeremy Klump (36:41)
Texas A&M at LSU (42:11)
- Group consensus: Lean Texas A&M -2.5; skepticism of LSU’s fit under Brian Kelly and their inability to run the ball.
“I think A&M goes in, they might end the Brian Kelly era.”
—Will Compton (47:00) - Josh dramatizes potential LSU fan reactions (“The uncomfortability factor...will go from like six to nine and a half… There will be changes…” 47:00).
Ole Miss at Oklahoma (51:38)
- Debate: Will backs Ole Miss's explosive offense (“I think Lane Kiffin gets 28 points out of that,” 52:25); Jeremy and Josh both take Oklahoma due to the run game, Mateer’s injury, and elite OU defensive pressure (Josh’s “crowbar theory”—when a defense can torpedo an elite offense, 59:19).
“A sentence that has not come out of any of our mouths so far this year is ‘Oklahoma is going to win this game running the football,’… But I think Oklahoma is going to win this game running the football.”
—Josh Pate (57:21) “[Oklahoma’s] defense can crowbar Ole Miss in a way that no one else they played this year could…”
—Josh Pate (59:19)
Mizzou at Vanderbilt – "Game of the Week" (62:31)
- Will goes with the “magic” of underdog Vanderbilt; Jeremy and Josh take Mizzou, banking on their run game and telling stats about who Vandy’s defense has really stopped (65:44–67:57).
“Something about Diego Pavia, with his wrestler brain, willing an SEC team into a contender conversation… I have to be here for it, even if my wallet might hurt…”
—Will Compton (70:23–71:13) “If there’s a crack in this game, it’s that Vandy’s run defense, while statistically top 15, may not have been pressed like they will [by Mizzou].”
—Josh Pate (68:11)
7. Dogs of the Week & Hypotheticals
- Jeremy: UCLA +25.5 vs Indiana; Will: South Carolina +11.5 vs Alabama; Josh: Cal +4.5 at Virginia Tech.
- The group hypothesizes about UCLA’s wild playoff path if they pulled an upset (“If we think a 9-3 SEC team could make it, why not a Big Ten team with that resume?” —Josh Pate, 77:48).
8. Rapid Fire & Wrapping Up
- Lively riff on possibly picking 15 games a week in November to break the logjam in their standings (61:10).
- Will drops his “professionally responsible” Michigan -14.5 pick against Michigan State, citing dominance in the trenches and calling for a Bryce Underwood breakout (81:18).
Notable Quotes & Moments
-
On College Football Culture:
"You can't let hall monitors run a sport... They take away great rivalry names."
—Josh Pate (08:02) -
On Nebraska's Playoff Hopes:
“Will a 10 and 2 Big 10 ever be left out of the playoff? ... Therefore, maybe we're not so dead.”
—Josh Pate (20:00) -
The “Wounded Animal” Theory:
“Love a wounded animal…”
—Josh Pate (27:37) -
Bar Analogy for Urgency:
"That’s the urgency Iowa State has to have this weekend to close. The lights come on, you’re like, ‘Oh shit, the lights are on, gotta roll.’"
—Jeremy Klump (29:46) -
On Coaching Moves:
"There’s no football related reason why Mike Elko would leave Texas A&M for Penn State. It would have to be personal preference."
—Josh Pate (24:25) -
On Ole Miss at Oklahoma:
"A sentence that has not come out of any of our mouths so far this year is 'Oklahoma is going to win this game running the football'… But I think Oklahoma is going to win this game running the football.”
—Josh Pate (57:21) -
On the “Crowbar Theory”:
“…if you toss a crowbar in the bicycle spokes … the bike just stops. … If you're averaging 35 a game and you face an elite defense, you could go from scoring 35 to oh, we’ve got nine on the board in the fourth quarter. … you got crowbarred.”
—Josh Pate (59:19) -
On the Mizzou/Vandy Game:
“Something about Diego Pavia … with his wrestler brain, to will an SEC team into a contender conversation. Yet here we are.”
—Will Compton (70:23)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- JP Poll/Power Ratings Philosophy: 05:34–06:45
- Rivalry and Hall Monitors: 08:02
- Nebraska Post-Minnesota Therapy: 15:03–19:47
- Coaching Carousel Discussion (Kiffin/Elko): 22:01–26:30
- Game-by-Game Picks Begin: 27:00
- BYU at Iowa State: 27:00–31:13
- Texas at Mississippi State: 33:30–41:37
- Texas A&M at LSU: 42:11–49:32
- Ole Miss at Oklahoma: 51:38–60:29
- Mizzou at Vanderbilt: 62:31–71:13
- “Dogs of the Week”: 74:42–78:03
- Final Picks & Wrap-up: 81:10–83:16
Tone & Style
The tone is irreverent, energetic, and sharply informed, mixing locker-room camaraderie with deep football knowledge and a gambler’s edge. Josh Pate brings weighty analysis and levity, while Will and Jeremy supply the emotional stakes of fans and former players. Banter is quick, humor is dry, and analogies are colorful—as befits “boys on the bus.”
For Those Who Haven't Listened:
This episode runs the gamut from strategic betting logic and coaching rumors to the heart of college football culture and locker-room emotion. It’s essential tuning for any serious college football fan who wants analysis spiced with personality, insight, and wit.