Bussin' With The Boys – College Football Locker Room: Week 5 Picks & Deep Dives

Episode: Taylor Lewan & Will Compton Ride With Dan Lanning/Oregon, Josh Pate Believes in Lane Kiffin/Ole Miss
Date: September 24, 2025
Host(s): Will Compton, Taylor Lewan, Louis Locks
Guest Analyst: Josh Pate

Overview

This episode dives head-first into the heart of college football’s Week 5, combining sharp betting analysis, insider team perspectives, and classic “Bussin’ with the Boys” banter. Will, Louis, and acclaimed analyst Josh Pate break down marquee matchups and controversial storylines, with a particular focus on Oregon vs. Penn State, LSU vs. Ole Miss, Alabama vs. Georgia, and much more. From wild parlay tales to coaching hot seats and “Dogs of the Week,” the show is packed with insight, laughs, and a hefty dose of friendly jab-throwing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Legendary Betting Wins & Superstitions

• [03:27] A listener hits a 12-leg parlay for $15,061.20 off a $10 bet thanks to a FanDuel “boosting with the boys” profit boost. The group marvels at the miraculous string of results.
  • Louis Locks: "This is stuff you dream on." [03:48]
  • Josh Pate: "Think about the Oklahoma part of this alone. That's a late safety to go from up 5 to up 7." [05:00]
• [05:34] Image jokes about Will Compton’s new shaved-head look, framing it as a new era for Will and the start of his “villain era”.
• [06:34] Will recounts his close call with a sunburn after the head shaving bet, connecting the emotional roller coaster to Michigan’s on-field swings.

2. Iowa State vs. Arizona State (Big 12 Analysis)

• [10:36] Deep dive into Iowa State's season, travel challenges, and why they’re overlooked in the Big 12.
  • Will Compton: "I feel like Iowa State was kind of on that outside looking in on that club of getting to the Big 12 championship."
• [12:44] Praise for Iowa State coach Matt Campbell:
  • Josh Pate: "Matt Campbell...does this crazy thing where he's happy where he's at. He could be ultra selective and could stay in Ames, Iowa, another five years if he wanted." [14:20]
• [15:23] Matt Campbell is cast as the archetype of the “ideal college football coach.”

3. Illinois vs. USC – The Tale of Two Extremes

• [17:44] Discussion opens with Illinois coming off an unexpected blowout loss to Indiana, leaving the panel doubting the Illini’s direction.
• [21:46] Why Vegas has USC favored by only 6.5, despite their firepower:
  • Will Compton: "Something's up, Josh." [21:46]
  • Josh Pate: "I'm just going to have to find out what's up because I got to lay the points with USC." [21:47]
• [22:21] Breakdown of USC's renewed physicality and focus, with the team having “circled” this game.
• [24:39] Will Compton makes a passionate emotional case for Illinois:
  • “Why not us? Why not this week in Champaign on the home field? We can make it a phone booth. Fist fight.” [25:07]
• [27:04] Debate over whether Illinois’s home-field and west coast travel disadvantage for USC will matter versus the difference in talent.

4. LSU vs. Ole Miss: The Over and Kiffin’s Swagger

• [29:54] Panel instantly gravitates toward the “over” after Lane Kiffin tweets it as a lock.
• Josh Pate on LSU’s offense issues (31:18):
  • “They asked Garrett Nussmeier to do too much because they couldn't run the ball...it's happening again. They're not running the ball effectively again.”
• Analysis of matchup:
  • Josh Pate: “It's not a quarterback controversy. That's just called depth...for the first time, I think they're going to get put in a position where they got to score.”
  • Louis Locks counters with a belief LSU will expose Ole Miss’s weak run defense, backing LSU.
• Betting picks:
  • Will Compton: “If I’m picking one solo thing...it’s the over. The over 55 and a half points.” [35:44]
  • Josh Pate: “I'm going to take Ole Miss to win and cover.” [33:43]
  • Louis Locks: “For those reasons I will be going with the LSU Tigers in this game.” [34:34]
• Will Compton: “LSU is still on fraud alert...this is up to Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss to prove it to me.” [36:53]

5. Alabama vs. Georgia – The Power SEC Clash

• [38:01] Georgia, favored by 2.5, gets confident nods from both Will and Louis for their proven ability in big games.
  • Will Compton: “Kirby Smart in that defense, they’ll be ready to go...I don’t see how Georgia loses this.” [38:04–40:01]
• Pressure rates, explosive plays, and problem areas dissected.
  • Josh Pate: “Bama on the road in general has been very penalty prone...the problem is...when you do what you did in week one against Florida State. I'm not going to give up on you, you just lose my trust.” [40:59]
• [43:10] Statistical dominance of Bama in the rivalry context—underdog mentality for Georgia.
• [43:40] What a loss means for Alabama: introspection and “prove-it” territory despite championship ambitions.

6. Game of the Week: Oregon at Penn State (Big Ten Rematch & Hot Seat Riffs)

• [48:01] The boys declare their bias for Oregon and invite Josh Pate to lay out an unbiased vision.
• Josh Pate on Penn State’s home advantage: “All that matters. That's why Penn State’s favored, favorite environment.” [49:13]
• [50:11] A volley of good-natured jabs at coaches Dan Lanning and James Franklin, including a litany of jokes attributed to “anonymous sources.”
• [51:38] Stakes for both coaches:
  • Louis Locks: “With Oregon, ...he has a much longer leash...but with Penn State, if Franklin loses another big game, that pressure has got to be mounting.” [51:38–52:53]
• Josh Pate: "I think there's one team that wants to win this game, I think there's another team that needs to win this game." [54:28]
• [54:28] Key stat: Penn State is 4-20 vs. top-10 opponents under Franklin.
• [56:28] What a loss means for James Franklin and the Nittany Lions—would it be time to move on?
  • Louis Locks: “If your best outcome forever with James Franklin is 10-2, yeah, you move on.” [63:48]

7. Dogs of the Week

• [64:21] Each host picks their "dog of the week" underdog bet:
  • Josh Pate: Rice +14.5 vs. Navy – “I've dragged them relentlessly for years...but Rice is pretty good.” [64:38]
  • Will Compton: Cincinnati +5.5 vs. Kansas – Doubles as a pride pick for the Nebraska connection.
  • Louis Locks: UCLA +6.5 at Northwestern – Backs interim coach Tim Skipper’s leadership after a coaching shakeup.
• [66:30] Mitch reads the up-to-date “Dogs of the Week” records:
  • “Josh Pate is three and one. Will is three and one. Taylor is one and three.” [66:31]

8. The Boys' Parlay (Weekly Parlay Breakdown)

• [67:47]
  • Florida State -6.5 at Virginia (Louis’s pick)
    • Josh Pate: “So yeah, this could be a trap...but I think they're gonna go lay the wood, so I would.” [69:00]
  • UCF +6.5 vs. Kansas State (Josh’s pick)
    • Louis Locks: “It's not listed as UCF. It's listed as Central Florida.”
    • Josh Pate: “So I'm going to take UCF plus six and a half, frankly, because there's no world where Kansas State should be laying points to anyone right now.”
  • Tennessee -7.5 at Mississippi State (Will’s pick)
    • Will Compton: “I like the Tennessee team. I like the staff...I think the culture’s there—they’re going to run them and cover.”
• Total parlay odds: +536 on FanDuel

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the weight of a big-game loss for Penn State:

  • Josh Pate [56:33]: “It's just hard to imagine that world because it's hard to imagine how toxic it would become...even if it's a close loss, you're sitting there and the rest of your schedule you're going to probably win until you go to Columbus. And then your own fan base is going to say, if we couldn't beat Oregon at home, we're not going to beat them on the road, which they're probably right about.”

• Panel’s take on college coaching expectations:

  • Louis Locks [60:10]: “If that's the attitude that James Franklin has at Penn State, get his ass out of there.”
  • Will Compton: "I would rather risk it all and be like, let's go see if we can get over that hump." [60:54]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Big parlay win example: [03:27] – [04:54]
• Iowa State-Arizona State & Matt Campbell discussion: [10:36] – [15:23]
• Illinois-USC breakdown/debate: [17:44] – [27:27]
• LSU vs. Ole Miss full breakdown: [29:54] – [37:03]
• Alabama vs. Georgia discussion: [38:01] – [45:40]
• Oregon–Penn State & Franklin hot seat: [48:01] – [63:55]
• Dogs of the Week: [64:19] – [66:47]
• Weekly parlay picks & wrap-up: [67:44] – [76:02]

Tone & Language

The show’s tone is collegial, irreverent, and reminiscent of passionate sports debate among friends—colorful, humorous, and unfiltered:

• Persistent ribbing between hosts and guest analyst
• Will Compton’s “villain era” and bald jokes
• Frank, sometimes biting takes about coaches’ futures and program ceilings
• Confessional storytelling about bets, game rituals, and coaching experiences

For First-Time Listeners

This episode is a high-energy, information-rich ride perfect for fans looking for authentic sports talk. Loaded with sharp analysis, bold predictions, and the hosts' one-of-a-kind banter, it’s a must-listen for college football diehards, especially those invested in the nuances of betting, coaching, and the emotional swings of the season.

FanDuel betting features and promotions (profit boost tokens) were referenced frequently throughout, but all non-content (ads, repetitive sponsorships, etc.) were omitted from the summary.