Bussin' With The Boys: Josh Pate, Will Compton & Taylor Lewan Predict The 2025 CFB Season

Date: August 20, 2025
Hosts: Will Compton, Taylor Lewan
Guest: Josh Pate

Overview

This episode marks the launch of “The Locker Room” – a collaboration between college football analyst Josh Pate and the Bussin’ With The Boys crew. The panel dives deep into their predictions for the 2025 college football season, including conference champions, national title favorites, and Heisman picks. With honest banter, in-depth analysis, and bold takes, this episode is a must-listen for any CFB fan gearing up for an electrifying season.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Hype for the College Football Season

• Excitement about the new "Locker Room" show format and the start of football season.
• Joking introductions highlight the personalities and backgrounds of each host/analyst.
  • “Three quads sitting here getting to live the American dream right now. It’s beautiful.” – Will Compton [04:10]
• Light-hearted recap of inside jokes, fan reactions, and Josh Pate’s transition into the show.

2. SEC Predictions: Texas, Georgia, Alabama, and LSU

• Main Contenders: The big three for the SEC title are Texas, Georgia, and Alabama, with LSU as a serious dark horse.
• Culture & Fit:
  • Discussion about how head coaches "fit" with their schools.
  • “With Sark and Texas, that's a peanut butter and jelly feeling…Brian Kelly, who's still a great college football coach, doesn't have this like Coach O did with LSU.” – Will Compton [13:27]
• Concerns About Alabama:
  • DeBoer’s new culture following Saban’s retirement; questions about whether Alabama maintains its dynasty.
  • “What does that pressure look like to DeBoer when everyone's whispering—how could 8 and 4 possibly happen at Alabama?” – Will Compton [17:18]
• Texas Optimism:
  • Sarkisian’s culture, faith in Arch Manning as QB, and the favorable schedule all highlighted.
  • “I just believe it's going to happen...I like them to win the SEC.” – Taylor Lewan [20:00]
• Georgia Strengths & Weaknesses:
  • Loaded wide receiver room is new territory; questions about youth and defensive inexperience.
  • “If you tell me they've got a Georgia offensive line, I have no problem trusting that kid.” – Josh Pate re: Gunner Stockton [22:08]
  • “Their wide receiver room could be the alpha room at Georgia…think about how crazy that statement is.” – Josh Pate [24:11]
• Summary Picks:
  • Taylor: Texas
  • Will: Georgia
  • Josh: Alabama

3. Big 12: Chaos & Wide-Open Race

• Teams in the Mix: Kansas State (“floor is familiar, can they tap a higher ceiling?”), ASU, Texas Tech, Utah, Baylor, Arizona State.
• Kansas State: Taylor leans on their consistent culture under Coach Kleiman.
• Arizona State: Will gives a passionate, detailed case for ASU’s rise, citing culture, stability, and roster depth. Josh cosigns, citing their continuity and late-season momentum.
  • “For the longest time…every coach that’s gone there has used [ASU] as a stepping stone to get somewhere else. Now you have a place, Tempe, Arizona, fun spot to be at.” – Will Compton [34:03]
  • “If they get in the mix, I trust them to peak at the right time because I know they can.” – Josh Pate [38:13]
• Texas Tech Experiment: Discussion about portal-heavy rebuilding and whether individual talent can gel into a unit.
  • “If they get cut early in the season, what kind of team are we looking at?” – Josh Pate [41:33]
• Summary Picks:
  • Taylor: Kansas State
  • Will & Josh: Arizona State
  • Notable Sleeper: Kansas, Utah. Texas Tech is an “experiment.”

4. ACC: Clemson’s Conference to Lose but Watch Miami

• Clemson: All three hosts concur Clemson is the safest pick, with concerns about Miami’s history of “shitting the bed” and inconsistency.
  • "Clemson’s a proven commodity. Miami’s not yet." – Josh Pate [44:58]
• Miami: Massive overhaul of defensive backfield; if the portal transfers excel, they could be trouble.
  • “We flushed the entire thing...we portaled in a whole new secondary. That will end up being a strength.” – Josh Pate [43:29]
• Georgia Tech: Josh’s sleeper pick in the conference; Haynes King at QB, tough identity.
• North Carolina (w/ Bill Belichick):
  • Skepticism about an NFL coach quickly turning UNC into a contender.
  • “Nothing about this sport is like the NFL, up to and including the talent acquisition mechanism.” – Josh Pate [47:16]
  • “I am so not sold on them coming in there and revolutionizing North Carolina football.” – Josh Pate [48:10]
• Summary Picks:
  • All: Clemson (with Miami as the threat)

5. Big Ten: Oregon, Penn State, and a New Hierarchy

• Main Focus: Oregon and Penn State are the clear front-runners.
• Oregon:
  • Will picks Oregon, citing Dan Lanning’s culture and faith in Dante Moore.
  • Detailed schedule walk-through; favorable matchups after a marquee home contest vs. Ohio State.
  • “Every person…who has watched them practice say he is NOT going to be the issue this year.” – Will Compton (on Dante Moore) [48:23]
• Penn State:
  • Josh and Taylor pick PSU: improvements at WR, roster depth, and new DC Jim Knowles.
  • “This is the year to put up or shut up for James Franklin.” – Taylor Lewan [56:30]
  • “If you could hand-pick the year for Penn State to have their best squad, this is it.” – Josh Pate [58:56]
• Ohio State and Penn State comparison:
  • Ohio State seen as loaded but facing turnover and questions.
  • Penn State’s only hurdle: can Franklin finally win the “big one”?
  • “Franklin conversation has always been really funny…he’s like 95th percentile…trying to get him to the 99th percentile.” – Josh Pate [57:42]
• Summary Picks:
  • Will: Oregon
  • Taylor: Penn State
  • Josh: Penn State (also calls Minnesota a sneaky dark horse)

6. National Champion Predictions

• Josh: Alabama – faith in their versatility, depth, physicality, and DeBoer’s coaching acumen.
  • “I believe in the teams that can beat you many different ways. I could see Alabama winning a game 19–13, I could see them winning 38–31. That’s the kind of versatility I need.” [62:30]
• Taylor: Waffles but ultimately leans Texas (“if all goes as I think it should…”).
• Will: Sticks with Oregon (“Dan Lanning’s that man. I think Oregon takes it…they put their foot on the fucking gas…”).
• Discussion: If Penn State reaches the final, concern is the “hot team” from the SEC or Texas would overpower Franklin at the last hurdle.

7. Heisman Predictions

• Will: Jeremiah Love (Notre Dame RB) – long-shot with big upside.
  • “If he gets the numbers, you have the people coming out of the bushes being like, ‘remember last year, maybe Ashton Gentry should have won it.’” [67:41]
• Taylor: Lenore Sellers (South Carolina QB), with Arch Manning as the other top candidate.
  • “I think it’s either [Sellers] or Arch Manning because they’ll have enough primetime moments.” [68:32]
• Josh: John Mateer (Oklahoma QB) – bets on high ceiling, dynamic story, expects the narrative to work in his favor.
  • “He’s going to be the story of the SEC this year. If he’s not, [Lenore Sellers] actually is.” [68:54]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On College Football Culture:
  • “Does Brian Kelly fit the mold of the Cajun Baton Rouge fried lifestyle…? There’s a little bit of a disconnect there.” – Will [14:50]
• Josh’s Coaching Fit Theory:
  • “In college football… the impact of a culture is how much does the program reflect the fingerprint of the head coach.” [38:19]
• Franklin Pressure:
  • “This is the put up or shut up year for James Franklin.” – Taylor [56:30]
  • “If you could hand pick… the year for Penn State to have their best squad, this is it.” – Josh [58:56]
• On Belichick at UNC:
  • “He can be what North Carolina’s been. That’s not what people are expecting.” – Josh [47:42]
• Oregon’s Prospects:
  • “Dan Lanning sets the expectation for when coaches will win national championships.” – Will [65:19]
• Heisman Wild Cards:
  • “He’s going to be the story of the SEC this year.” – Josh (on John Mateer) [68:54]

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Time | Segment | |-------------|--------------------------------------------------| | 00:00–04:21 | Show intro, chemistry, FanDuel talk | | 11:28–28:17 | SEC deep dive: Texas, Georgia, Alabama, LSU | | 29:22–41:33 | Big 12 debate: Kansas St, ASU, Tech, Utah, Baylor| | 42:06–48:14 | ACC breakdown: Clemson, Miami, GT, UNC/Belichick | | 48:14–61:00 | Big Ten: Oregon, Penn State, dark horses | | 61:19–66:49 | National Champion picks & rationale | | 66:49–70:47 | Heisman predictions | | 70:47–end | Closing banter, next week’s tease |

Conclusion

An episode packed with bold predictions, lively debates, and the kind of chemistry only lifelong football guys bring. The panel’s conference picks and national title outlook vary, but the recurring theme is clear: culture, continuity, and the right fit at QB or coach are make-or-break in 2025’s wild college football landscape. If you want a leg up in your CFB conversations or betting pools, this is essential locker room talk.

Biggest takeaways:

• Don’t count out bluebloods, but there’s real parity brewing across major conferences.
• Expect the unexpected in the Big 12.
• Penn State’s moment of truth is at hand.
• Heisman chatter could get wild—with QBs like Arch Manning & wildcards like John Mateer poised for the spotlight.

Next Episode: Locker Room returns next Wednesday, 6pm Central. "Big hugs, tiny kisses, tiniest kisses."