Podcast Summary: Josh Pate's College Football Show

Episode: National Title Questions + Portal Chaos & Massive Mailbag
Date: January 12, 2026
Host: Josh Pate | iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

Josh Pate hosts a dynamic episode focusing on two headline themes:

1. National Championship Early Preview: Miami vs. Indiana — analysis, storylines, and key on-field questions.
2. "Portal Chaos": A deep dive into a wild transfer portal season, including quarterback movement and implications for team-building.

The episode is interspersed with an expansive mailbag segment, addressing pressing listener questions about the playoff system, recruiting, conference power shifts, “Cinderella” stories, targeting rules, and more. Josh brings his trademark blend of behind-the-scenes insight, humor, strong opinion, and regular listener engagement throughout.

1. National Title Preview: Miami vs. Indiana

Segment begins at [06:00]

Main Questions and Storylines

• Historic Stakes:

  • Either Miami or Indiana will capture a landmark national title.
    • Indiana: “No one ever thought [Indiana] could win one.”
    • Miami: “People said [Miami] couldn’t win one anymore. Somehow the sport had passed them by.” ([06:56])

• Key Game Questions:

  1. Can Carson Beck Play a Clean Game?
     • Miami’s QB is under scrutiny after multiple-interception performances in earlier losses; facing Indiana’s nation-leading turnover margin is crucial. ([07:26])
     • “If you turn over the ball, especially against Indiana, you’re going to lose the game.” ([07:54])
  2. Indiana’s Offensive Line vs. Miami’s Defense:
     • Indiana has been technically elite, especially in run blocking and pass protection.
     • “Even someone off the street who’s never watched a down… could see they’re playing at a higher level.” ([08:31])
     • Stat: Indiana is undefeated when running 4+ yards/carry against Power 4 teams; otherwise, their games are close.
  3. Can Miami Prevent Explosive Indiana Plays?
     • Indiana is loaded at receiver, with multiple threats.
     • “There’s no shutting down one guy and then crowbarring their offense to a halt.” ([09:54])
  4. Miami’s Ground Game:
     • Miami has gone 150+ yards rushing every playoff game; must maintain that form.
     • Indiana DL averages 278 lbs; Miami OL averages 331 lbs — a much-discussed stat ([11:11])
  5. Intangibles and Nerves:
     • Both rosters/coaches are new to the title stage. Penalties could matter (Indiana #2 in least penalty yards; Miami #85). ([12:46])
     • Home-field advantage for Miami is offset by Indiana fans’ presence (“Indiana took over Atlanta like Atlanta hasn’t been taken over since Sherman.” [13:27])
  6. Vegas Line & Perception Flip:
     • “Indiana a 7.5-point favorite… In week one, Miami would’ve been favored by 6.5. That’s a two-touchdown swing in odds-makers’ perception.” ([14:18])

Memorable Moment:
“If you've made it to the national championship game, you got to believe that your best is good enough. You got to believe Carson Beck's best is good enough.” — Josh Pate ([08:24])

2. Transfer Portal Chaos: Quarterback Frenzy & Team Strategies

Segment begins at [17:37]

Transfer Portal Headlines

• A “Hurricane” of Activity:

  • “Portal has lost its mind… The quarterback situation alone warrants…an entire 10 minute conversation.” ([00:50])

• Specific QB Movement Highlights:

  • Sam Levitt: No. 1 QB in the portal; visits LSU, Miami, decision pending; “That's the big one. That's the domino everyone's waiting to fall.” ([17:55])
  • Byron Brown: Follows coach from USF to Auburn; instant-system fit.
    • “Not looking for every coach to be a top 4 seed day one — sometimes you’ve got to clean the deck.” ([18:41])
  • Brendan Sorsby (Texas Tech): Reported $5M NIL price tag. “More than half a dozen NFL QBs made this year… but it is what it is right now.” ([19:35])
  • Husson Longstreet/Lagway/Deuce Knight/Kenny Menchie:
    • Stories of last-minute portal flips (Menchie to Kentucky after “ripping Nebraska’s heart out”) ([22:43])
    • DJ Lagway’s multiple commitments/visits despite portal commitment to Baylor. “If Meemaw were in the portal, I'd trust Meemaw. Outside of Meemaw, I wouldn't trust anyone's word.” ([21:38])
  • Dylan Raiola: Possibly on “Dante Moore pathway” at Oregon; could back up if Moore stays.

• Broader Portal Take:

  • Mix of excitement/frustration among fans; existential questions about the sustainability and logic of new portal-driven roster construction.

• Impact on Team Strategies:

  • Texas:
    • “All in” approach — added Cam Coleman (No. 1 overall portal WR), Hollywood Smothers (RB), multiple others.
    • “This is big boy college football right now. Texas…decided they wanted to purchase Hollywood Smothers. Why settle for one when you can have both?” ([27:12])
  • Tennessee:
    • Defensive overhaul led by new DC Jim Knowles and multiple high-level transfers from Penn State.
    • “You took leaps and leaps and leaps backwards!” ([29:11])
  • Michigan & Texas Tech:
    • Michigan brings in John Henry Daly (top edge).
    • Texas Tech aggressively stacking top portal talent, “number one portal class in the country right now.” ([31:35])

Memorable Moment: “This is not a fairy tale world, much like Shawshank in the movie. Prison is not a fairy tale world. Neither is the portal.” — Josh Pate ([18:54])

3. Mailbag: Deep Dives on Listener Questions

Segment begins at [34:34]; key questions below

Indiana as “Cinderella” — Or Not

Q (Sean, Rochester NY): “Isn’t Indiana a Cinderella? Huge talent deficit, still throttled Alabama and Oregon.”

• Pate: “Indiana is not a Cinderella, at least as I define it…There will never be a Cinderella story from the Big Ten or SEC. You are not a have not. Indiana is a has not.” ([35:14])
• “Indiana may be the best story…in years. Not a Cinderella story.”

Is High School Recruiting Dead?

Q (Ohio Divided): Have recruiting rankings been made obsolete by Indiana’s run?

• Pate: “Not dead. Just evolved. …The best tool we have for predictive college football success is high school recruiting rankings. Not perfect, but the best tool.” ([36:55])
• “Indiana is a glaring exception. What age and experience do in relation to talent — that's been Indiana football this year.” ([39:22])
• Predicts future college player rating systems (consistent updating beyond high school rankings).

SEC vs. Big Ten: Has the Balance Shifted?

Q (Pablo, Potomac, MD): "With the SEC out again, has the Big Ten overtaken them?"

• Pate: “Yes, the SEC is lagging behind the Big Ten at the top…Even the mid-tier may be comparable or behind.” ([46:17])
• Explains: SEC complacency, overvaluing recruiters/agency connections vs. coaches, talent edge now variable, not constant.
• Memorable line: “Where are these people [championing the SEC]? The Internet will continue to tell you I am, because the Internet doesn't watch the show.” ([46:04])

Playoff Expansion Justified?

Q (Jay Z, Weston FL): Does Miami's run as a 10-seed justify expanding the playoff to 16?

• Pate: “No. It doesn’t. …The best format is one that maximizes the regular season’s value, not just allows more capable teams in.” ([54:12])
• Money quote: “The pinnacle of college football is not the playoff for me. It's those 12 Saturdays.” ([54:58])
• Argues against further expansion unless playoffs are played on campus sites and the schedule is fixed.

Should Targeting Suspensions Be Reviewed/Appealed?

Q (Juan, Corpus Christi, TX): “Should all targeting in playoffs be reviewed by NCAA for next-game suspension?”

• Pate: “Not just playoffs. Appeal, transparency, and common sense tiers (like basketball’s flagrant 1/2) needed across the board.” ([65:13])
• “We’re ejecting kids for playing football — for doing exactly what they've been coached to do.”
• Full transparency and more rigorous appeals process recommended.

Dan Lanning = James Franklin?

Q (Chris, Tacoma, WA): “What really separates Dan Lanning from James Franklin?”

• Pate: “He’s beaten Franklin twice this year. That’s the concrete difference.” ([80:37])
• On “can’t win the big one” labels:
  • “Dan Lanning is 39. Saban won his first title at 52. …There's plenty of room for criticism, but let's be nuanced.” ([81:19])
• Draws analogy to critics who flip-flopped on Kirby Smart.

4. Notable Quotes & Key Moments

• On the Portal Era:

  • “It is not a fairy tale world, much like Shawshank in the movie. Prison is not a fairy tale world. Neither is the portal.” ([18:54])

• On Age and Experience vs. Rankings:

  • “I don't just look at the 23-year-old former three-star and think because he's playing out of his mind that the recruiting industry missed when they ranked him… What age and experience do in relation to talent — that's been Indiana football this year.” ([39:22])

• On Playoff Expansion:

  • “The playoff product’s incredible…but that's where your sentence ends. Mine has an ellipses — but at what cost to the regular season?” ([54:54])

• On Targeting Ejections:

  • “We're throwing guys out of games for playing football. …If a kid’s going to have a half of a game stripped away from him, you’d want a panel of 10 people, at least 8 agreeing on the ruling.” ([66:15])

• On SEC vs. Big Ten:

  • “The SEC thought for a long time [their] talent edge was a constant; it wasn’t. It was a variable.” ([49:26])

5. Episode Timestamps

• [06:00] — Early national title questions: Miami vs Indiana
• [17:37] — Transfer portal chaos: Quarterback movement, team strategies
• [34:34] — Mailbag: Cinderella talk, recruiting, conference races, playoff expansion, targeting rules
• [80:37] — Dan Lanning vs. James Franklin; criticism and coaching pressure

6. Episode’s Tone & Style

Josh Pate delivers his analysis with equal parts intensity and ongoing humor (often at his own expense), blending granular football insights, meta-commentary on the changing sport, and frequent shout-outs to listeners/fans from across the country. He consistently rebuffs “hot takes,” advocating for nuance, historical awareness, and skepticism about media narratives.

7. Final Reflection

This episode captures college football at an inflection point — with the transfer portal, NIL, and playoff expansion provoking as many anxieties as opportunities. Pate serves as both analyst and counselor: “If you’re turned off by certain aspects of the sport, just kind of ignore those for a little while… they’re not constants.” ([00:47]) Ultimately, he foregrounds the love of the game, the “12 Saturdays,” and the value of memories over fleeting trends.

Summary compiled and structured by OpenAI
For listeners seeking in-depth understanding, every key storyline and debate was covered — with signature Pate clarity and candor.