Podcast Summary: Josh Pate’s College Football Show

Episode: CFP Chaos Coming + Penn State Latest & Cole Cubelic Joins

Date: December 5, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the looming “chaos” as college football nears conference championship weekend, dissecting the possible permutations of the new College Football Playoff (CFP) format. Josh Pate provides detailed insights into what chaos scenarios could unfold, critiques the Playoff Committee’s process, explores the implications of expanding playoffs, and hosts analyst Cole Cubelic to break down championship matchups and the future of conference title games. Notably, the episode keeps its focus sharp, maintaining a data-driven and witty tone, and features robust mailbag Q&A that engages the audience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: CFP Chaos and Major Announcements

• Josh Pate opens with reflections on his busy travel schedule, then announces his participation in ESPN’s first-ever SEC Championship “altcast” (with Taylor Lewan, Will Compton, and Harry Douglas) alongside the traditional TV broadcast.
  • “The pressure’s not on us ... Kaylyn DeBoer, Kirby Smart, are you listening? The pressure is really on you guys. We're just there to narrate. You paint the picture. We'll describe it.” (03:21)

2. Mailbag: “What Would Cause Maximum CFP Chaos?”

(Start ~05:12)

Chaos Scenarios (Fan question from Richard, East Lansing, MI)

• The most significant chaos agent: Duke winning the ACC Championship as an underdog against Virginia. Duke’s win would likely mean:
  • Duke’s ACC title could see two Group-of-5 (G5) champions (potentially including James Madison/UAB) ranked above them, pushing ACC out of automatic bids.
  • “If Duke wins this thing, there is sure to be one G5 champ ranked higher ... there is a distinct possibility [there] will be two G5 champs ranked higher than Duke, which means Richard the ACC champ is out.” (07:27)
• Brigham Young/Big 12 impact: If BYU wins the Big 12, both BYU and Texas Tech could get in the CFP, possibly bumping Notre Dame. If BYU loses, the severity of their loss could still influence the rankings and impact who’s in or out.
  • “If Brigham Young wins Saturday ... that means two Big 12 teams in the playoff, which we didn’t plan on. That someone [falling out] is in all likelihood Notre Dame. That would be a mess.” (09:13)
• Alabama’s security: Even with a blowout loss, Pate doubts the committee would drop Alabama out of the top four due to “Power 2” conference bias.

Quotable:

“We're going to find out how much it's possible to be penalized for losing a major Premier Power 2 Conference championship game. Power 2 is a classification of college football that doesn't officially exist, much like Area 49 or 51.” (11:06)

3. College Football Playoff Format: Broken or Not?

(Start ~17:15)

Kyle (Knoxville, TN) Mailbag: “How would you fix the CFP?”

• Josh urges critics to distinguish between format/size (playoff isn’t broken) and committee operation (room for improvement).
  • “What's your evidence that it's broken? ... Just because people are upset in college football doesn’t necessarily mean anything’s wrong with it.” (18:17)
• Expanding the playoff further would only shift the debate over who gets in, not resolve it.
  • “If we expanded again ... sure enough, there'd be a team ranked 19th and you would be up in arms ... It would happen within a year or two” (21:46)

Examples:

• Frustration about teams like Miami, Texas, or Vanderbilt being left out doesn’t mean the system is broken; in most cases, Pate says, “they screwed themselves.”

4. CFP Committee: Logic, Process, and Gripe Zone

• Pate’s main complaint is with the committee's inconsistency and lack of transparency in ranking explanations, not necessarily with bracket size.
  • “What I’ve trafficked in, if I’ve got a big gripe, is the procedure of the playoff—the way the committee claims it operates vs. the way it really does.” (22:56)
• Head-to-head ranking debates (Miami vs. Notre Dame) are highlighted; Pate believes Miami deserves the nod.

5. Pate State Freights Branding Explained

(Start ~29:21)

• Josh explains the origin of his show's mascot and “Pate State Freights”—an inside joke referencing his childhood passion for freight trains, representing the show’s “community/army.”

Memorable Moment:

“This boxcar right here, where did it originate? Where does it terminate? ... I'm just utterly fascinated.” (31:01)

6. Championship Weekend Preview with Cole Cubelic

(Start ~35:53)

Conference Championship Games: Format Future at Stake

• The survival & structure of conference title games is in question—could rapid change follow if their existence harms a playoff hopeful’s chances?
  • Cubelic: “If this is shown to harm specifically one of these SEC teams, what does the future of this game look like and how quickly does it change? ... I think things could change that rapidly if it ends up costing the SEC a spot in the College Football Playoff.” (38:19)
• SEC Championship focus: Georgia vs. Alabama rematch
  • Both hosts agree Georgia is likely “in” regardless; Alabama getting a first round bye if they win is debated.
  • Health and injuries are expected to play a key role, with Georgia missing center Drew Bobo and Alabama dinged up.

Notable Quotes

• On committee explanations:
  Cubelic: “You said the committee has and keeps protocol.”
  Pate: “Let me rephrase. The committee has said some stuff ... I'm gonna call it stuff.” (41:47)

7. Alabama vs Georgia: X’s and O’s Deep Dive

• Both hosts forecast a close game, predict Georgia sneaking out a win, note offensive line worries for Alabama, and discuss key player impacts (like the return of Ryan Williams).
• Discussion of mental blocks (“Kirby Smart, Bama in his head?”), impact of injuries, explosive plays, and nuances like wide receiver confidence.

Quotes:

• Cubelic:
  “Kirby Smart is too good of a coach. ... College football history doesn’t say that one of the greatest to ever live just couldn’t do this for a very extended period of time.” (44:23)
• Pate:
  “I think the only thing that would probably shock me is the blowout scenario and that's just because I never see it between these two.” (46:00)

8. Macro Discussion: Conference Realignment & Its Fallout

(Start ~51:05)

• Conference realignment, not the ACC or Big 12, is blamed for current “pathetic” title matchups and diluted field outside SEC/B1G.
  • Pate: “Conference realignment, which none of us really liked when it happened, is still the real culprit over in the corner. You got so tired of banging on conference realignment that you tried to look elsewhere.” (51:19)
• Both lament the loss of traditional geographic conferences, foresee eventual “breakaway” by power programs, and wish for a tailored playoff for mid-majors.

9. Indiana’s Overlooked Strength & Playoff Potential

(Start ~56:49, 57:05)

• Cole Cubelic introduces his “Rubik’s Cubelic” ranking model, noting Indiana grades as an all-around A- team with few weaknesses, maybe the second-best team nationally.
  • Cubelic: “Would you not rather take a team A minus across the board than A plus plus in one spot, but maybe C plus in one ... There's not a true weakness with that football team. But Josh, nobody's talking about them that way.” (57:18)
• Pate agrees, suggesting Indiana’s incremental improvement and all-round competence give them a real shot in the Big Ten title, even if the public underrates them.

10. CFP Committee Transparency and Motivation

(Start ~62:42)

• Pate claims committee debates are exaggerated; real decisions are likely driven by data/spreadsheets, not fierce debate.
  • “My grand theory is that's cause it's not happening. My grand theory is they get a computer ... which finishes about 98% of their job. And then they just ... move [teams] around a little bit.” (63:36)
• Cubelic adds that if the committee spoke like real humans using “common sense” football talk—“they operate as a better team right now ... we love that about them”—public would accept more of their decisions. But instead, math/“data points” are invoked as “deflection.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On playoff chaos and the committee:
  • “We’ve long since stopped caring about how it's supposed to work around here. Frankly, none of us even know.” — Josh Pate (07:54)
• On playoff expansion gripes:
  • “Just because people are upset in college football doesn't necessarily mean anything's wrong with it.” — Josh Pate (18:17)
• On committee explanations:
  • “Let me rephrase. The committee has said some stuff ... I'm gonna call it stuff.” — Josh Pate (41:52)
• On conference realignment:
  • “Conference realignment, which none of us really liked when it happened, is still the real culprit over in the corner. You got so tired of banging on conference realignment that you tried to look elsewhere.” — Josh Pate (51:19)
• On Indiana as overlooked contender:
  • “There's not a true weakness with that football team. But Josh, nobody's talking about them that way.” — Cole Cubelic (57:18)
• On committee process:
  • “My grand theory is that's cause it's not happening. My grand theory is they get a computer ... which finishes about 98% of their job.” — Josh Pate (63:36)
  • “Data points are not real life conversations... Real life conversations are that team operates great in the red zone. ... We love that about them.” — Cole Cubelic (67:36)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• CFP Chaos Mailbag: 05:12 – 14:42
• Playoff Format/Committee Talk: 17:15 – 26:49
• Pate State Freights Origin: 29:21 – 33:19
• Championship Weekend & Cole Cubelic: 35:53 – 69:44
  • Conference Championship Games Future: 38:19
  • Georgia-Alabama Preview: 41:47 – 50:24
  • Macro/Realignment Talk: 51:05 – 56:49
  • Indiana as a Playoff Contender: 56:49 – 62:42
  • CFP Committee Transparency: 62:42 – 69:44

Tone & Language

• Analytical, witty, occasionally sardonic:
  • Pate pokes fun at the CFP’s “protocol,” draws analogies ("Power 2 ... much like Area 49 or 51"), and keeps audience engaged with banter and inside jokes.
• Collegial and irreverent dynamic between Pate and Cubelic, blending football technicalities with dry humor.

For Listeners & Fans

• This episode is a must-listen for fans fascinated by the mechanics and politics of the new playoff system, the implications of realignment, and the nuance of on-field matchups—especially SEC fans.
• The mailbag approach guarantees a listener-centric conversation, with the hosts wrestling with—and often debunking—the prevailing playoff gripes and conspiracy theories.