Podcast Summary: Josh Pate’s College Football Show

Episode: Does CFB Need NFL Help? + Signing Day Reaction
Date: February 6, 2026
Host: Josh Pate (iHeartPodcasts)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into two major themes: the current governance crisis plaguing college football—especially around player eligibility and the transfer/NIL chaos—and reactions to National Signing Day 2026. Josh Pate examines whether the NFL could or should step in to help sort out CFB's leadership vacuum, springboarding off recent comments by Roger Goodell. The second major focus is a blend of analysis and nostalgia around the shifting significance of National Signing Day, offering insights into today’s recruiting landscape and a heartfelt look back at its magical past. The latter part covers early feedback to Josh’s “way too early” Top 25 rankings, a meticulous breakdown of 2026 ACC schedules, advice for aspiring sports media professionals, and a “Mood Tracker” for Ohio State fans.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Leadership Crisis in College Football & Possible NFL Involvement

[02:07–19:19]

• Eligibility & Chaos:
  Josh discusses how current rules—or the lack thereof—have led to unprecedented situations like players seeking eighth years of eligibility at age 25 (e.g., Joey Aguilar at Tennessee), adding, “It's insane for anyone to still be playing college football at 25 years old.” [03:56]

• No Clear Leadership:
  College football’s lack of a unifying commissioner or effective oversight leaves governance issues unsolved. Various bodies are either unwilling or unable to act, leading to a “Shawshank” atmosphere: “This is not a fairytale world. This is the real world. And in prison and college football, as Meemaw used to say, you do whatever you have to do to survive.” [05:17]

• NFL’s Previous Benefit:
  The NFL has profited for decades from the developmental and marketing work of college football, and Josh points out it’s logical for the NFL to “do college football a solid and work with them on the calendar front,” though that’s yet to happen. [09:11]

• Roger Goodell’s Comments:
  After being asked if the NFL would ever step in to help college football, Goodell responded:

  “If for some reason we can be helpful with the right people, we would obviously be willing to engage with anybody. But I think we try to stay in our lane... unless we're invited in to be part of the solution.” [15:24]
  Josh’s translation: “Yeah, we'll help. They gotta ask for it.” [16:19]

• NFL’s Direct Stakes Now:
  Josh argues that unlike the calendar issue, eligibility chaos could soon negatively affect the NFL—imagine players who go undrafted or get low offers simply opting to return to (or even return from) college for more NIL money, “tampering” with the NFL’s own free agent and draft talent pool. [17:50]

• Media Rights Crowdsourcing:
  He also suggests the NFL’s pooled media rights model should be copied by CFB, yielding higher value for all and potentially saving struggling conferences, saying, “College football hasn't figured out that for all the money hungry approaches in this sport, that'd be the one that quenched the thirst the most.” [19:07]

2. National Signing Day Reaction & Recruiting Nostalgia

[22:37–41:15]

2026 Recruiting Trends & Takeaways

• Talent Distribution:
  “The spread of the five star talent... Miami, Houston, Vandy landed the numbers one, numbers two and numbers three players in the country.” [22:55]
  This wide distribution—17 teams signed at least one five-star—signals a diversifying of elite talent.

• Top Classes:

  • USC: #1 class after moving away from portal-dependence to high school recruiting
  • Oregon: #3 with highest average player grade despite a small class
  • Notre Dame: Now a “model” of high school recruiting, #2 class
  • Washington: Rises to 13th, reflecting Big Ten’s depth [24:10–25:41]

• Quarterback Impact:

  • Keyshawn Henderson (Houston): “I'm a big fan of this. Ed Oliver vibes... big time five star talent, never stayed to play for those caliber programs. Well, it's kind of happening again here.”
  • Jared Curtis (Vandy): Highest ranked commit ever, seen as likely starter

Signing Day Nostalgia

• What Signing Day Meant:
  “Signing day used to be to college football what the NFL draft is to NFL fans. The energy, the anticipation, the fear—it was like nothing we have in college football today.” [29:25]

• Personal Anecdotes/Strategies:
  Josh reminisces about skipping school or work for Signing Day, coordinating logins for premium recruiting boards, and the drama of “the flip.” Even after public commitment ceremonies, nothing was final until the faxed Letter of Intent arrived.
  “Not until you hold a hot sheet of paper in hand, fresh out of the fax machine with a 17-year-old signature on it, are you safe. But it was always viewed as a formality—until it wasn't.” [36:19]

• Loss of Magic:
  Early enrollees and portal chaos have diluted the moment, but Josh defends longing for the “old” experience:

  “Some people dream of far different things. I just dream about signing day being great again... I would go as far as to say I need it. There's a part of me that needs it.” [40:38]

3. Feedback on Early 2026 Top 25 Rankings

[43:48–52:30]

• Notre Dame at #1:
  Most pushback centered on this. Josh defends the pick:

  “Why is Notre Dame at number one so egregious? Notre Dame was perceived to be a top 10 team... at least you got a lot of those pieces coming back. Why in the world is it egregious...?” [44:33]

• Alabama at #13:
  Criticized for being too high and too low:

  “How is there any egregiousness to this? Maybe if you don't believe in Keelan Russell or Austin Mack, whoever wins quarterback battle there...” [45:18]

• SEC Bias Accusations:
  Josh debunks these, explaining the logic and comparative placement of SEC teams, and challenges critics to offer their own complete Top 25:

  “You can't just shout nonsense like SEC overrated because you hate the SEC without telling me who belongs there in their place.” [48:20]

4. ACC 2026 Schedule Insights

[53:00–58:42]

• Miami:
  Most favorable path; avoids Louisville, SMU, Virginia, and gets three finishing games at home.
• Florida State:
  Toughest path—faces top five ACC teams, two northern November trips, and non-con road games at Alabama and home vs. Florida.
• Georgia Tech:
  Eleven Power Four opponents, but ACC schedule could allow for sneaky conference title contention despite tough non-con load.
• Louisville & Stanford:
  Louisville could be off the radar early but finish strong (six of bottom seven ACC teams); Stanford faces a “Northwestern-in-the-ACC” level of adversity with many Eastern time zone games.

5. Sports Media Career Advice (Listener Mailbag)

[58:42–65:40]

• The ‘Big Break’ Myth:
  “I longed for it and I prayed for it and I fought for it... but I was not ready for any kind of big break” before getting “hours and years of reps.” [60:43]

• Production Shock:
  The leap from DIY to major network is massive; only reps can prepare you for the “white hot lights.”

• Originality vs. Emulation:
  Most start by copying others, but real success means developing a personal, authentic style:

  “You could see through me 10 years ago... you can't help but mirror the personalities and the styles... It takes a long time to shake yourself of that.” [64:10]

6. Ohio State “Mood Tracker”

[72:07–78:47]

• “Establishing the New Norm”:
  The core of the OSU fanbase is adjusting to life after 2024’s title, replacing staff and talent, and grappling with the Big Ten’s overall improvement.

  “There is this...acknowledgement way, way, way in the back of your mind that keeps you up a couple of extra minutes at night. That 2024 was it. It’s the only championship you'll win under Ryan Day.” [73:28]

• First-World Problems:
  OSU worries about “maintaining the edge” versus a leveling CFB landscape; NIL and recruiting are focal anxieties.

• Overall Sentiment:
  Slight nerves but mostly “trust but verify” optimism—OSU is expected to compete for more titles, but 2026 is a key year.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On NFL Involvement:
  “College football had failed to so much as take a leak without getting the front of its pants wet should not shock me when they have not reached out via the proper channels for, for help on things like eligibility.” – Josh Pate [16:31]

• On eligibility chaos:
  “We're not very far right now from a world where a guy declares for the draft... goes undrafted... and just says, 'I'm going to accept a low 7-figure offer to go back and play another year for South Carolina.'” [17:50]

• On Signing Day of Old:
  “The closer you got to national signing day, the shorter and shorter the fingernails got because you chewed them down to the nubs.” [32:29]

• On developing a media career:
  “Talent is very overrated in this business. What you have to have is you have to have grind and you got to have a proper value and principle system.” [63:15]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:07] — Introduction of the NFL-college football “help” topic, the leadership vacuum, and eligibility chaos.
• [15:24] — Roger Goodell’s comments about potential NFL assistance.
• [22:37] — National Signing Day analysis, 2026 recruiting landscape, and nostalgia segment starts.
• [29:25] — Deep-dive into how magical Old Signing Day felt (“NFL Draft for CFB fans”).
• [43:48] — Feedback on the “way too early” 2026 Top 25 rankings.
• [53:00] — ACC 2026 schedule breakdown, team-by-team.
• [58:42] — Mailbag: Sports media career advice.
• [72:07] — Ohio State Mood Tracker, discussion of fanbase expectations.

Conclusion

This episode weaves together urgent questions about CFB’s lack of leadership (and a possible role for the NFL), a meticulous and personal breakdown of the recruiting landscape, a defense of sometimes-controversial rankings, and thoughtfully blends insight, humor, and nostalgia. Josh Pate’s candor and energy stand out, making this essential listening for anyone passionate about college football’s present, past, and future.