Josh Pate’s College Football Show
Episode: Pate State Extra: Big Upsets & Media Rivalries
Date: March 11, 2026
Host: Josh Pate (iHeartPodcasts)
Episode Overview
This "Pate State Extra" episode is a fast-paced, unscripted mailbag session where host Josh Pate tackles an eclectic slate of questions from the show's loyal community. The topics range from the future of conference title games and fan representation in college football, to international games, player value, media rivalries, memorable upsets, and even a bit of storm chasing. As always, Josh maintains his trademark mix of candor, wit, and inside perspective, debating the business and culture of college football with depth and personality.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Are Conference Title Games Here to Stay?
[03:00]
- Listener Question (Scott): Is there a world where conference title games don’t exist, or is the money too good to let go?
- Josh's Take:
- The money is the main reason conference title games will stick around for now.
- The only thing that could replace them is a new event (e.g., a "play-in" weekend) that generates more revenue.
- Big Ten’s floated "play-in" weekend idea wasn’t the worst but is mixed with many poor ideas.
"Until proven otherwise, tend to believe those conference title games will be around. But I will tell you how they would disappear... only if something takes the place of the conference title game... making more money." — Josh Pate [04:30]
2. Fan Representation in College Football Decisions
[06:50]
- Listener Question (Preston): Is there a fair but semi-realistic way for fans’ interests to be directly represented in decisions?
- Discussion:
- Josh describes recent feedback from his listeners, realizing fans feel disconnected from high-level decisions around media rights, congressional bills, etc., since they don’t profit from them.
- He has made an effort to focus more on fans’ interests—since fan support is the sport’s true ecosystem and value.
- While he doesn’t know what an official system for fan representation would look like, he advocates for some form of fan voice at the decision-making table.
"You guys are so focused on the opposition, getting your bills... you’re forgetting who makes it all possible... the fans." — Josh Pate [08:45] "College football’s platform... is that fan interest, massive public interest, is what drives the value." — Josh Pate [09:20]
- Action: "It’s time to call up Congress. It's time to get our own lobbyists. The Pate State lobbyists will spend the majority of spring and summer figuring out how to get fan representation." [11:10]
3. International and Neutral Site Games
[11:32]
- Listener Question (John from Charlotte): As future commissioner, will you ban international and neutral site games other than the Red River Shootout?
- Views:
- Josh is opposed to neutral site games, except for a few iconic exceptions (Red River, Georgia-Florida).
- He is firmly against international college football games.
- NFL international games work because the NFL is a “TV studio product”—copy-and-paste-able.
- College football’s value is its pageantry, traditions, and campus culture, which can't be exported.
- International audiences often don’t understand the allure—they see it as a minor league.
- College football "has a ceiling" and doesn’t need to be forced to globalize.
"College football extends beyond the field. That’s the big difference... the game on the field is only the beginning." — Josh Pate [13:35] "It’s okay to admit there’s a certain ceiling on the potential growth of college football." — Josh Pate [16:05] "Why don’t we worry about maximizing the game in the United States before we play a game in Sri Lanka?" — Josh Pate [16:50]
4. Best College Town Eats
[20:15]
- Listener Question (Will from Peachtree Corners): Do you check out a college town’s staple restaurant?
- Josh’s Experience:
- Often short on time, spends most of his visits at facilities.
- Highlights Two Brothers in Starkville, MS as possibly his best meal last year.
- Light-hearted moment: jokes about a staff member’s brief food poisoning but affirms meal quality.
"Two Brothers was possibly the best meal I had last year... They did a great job. Highly suggest anyone in Starkville check them out." — Josh Pate [21:15]
5. What Drives Value: Players vs. School Brands
[22:20]
- Listener Question: Should college players’ pay ever reach NFL economics? How do you assign value to the school brand?
- Insights:
- Attachment to college teams is about the brand and university, not just players.
- Player value in college is often overestimated compared to the NFL, where fans far more often follow players than team logos.
- The “market” is still sorting out college player value, but school brands likely matter more, and coaches bring greater relative value in college.
"The attachment to the brand is way different. If you live in Laredo, Texas, your attachment to Texas A&M is far greater than the quarterback of that team." — Josh Pate [24:10]
6. Media Rivalries and “Competition” in 2026
[29:55]
- Listener Question (Archeus, Hamilton, GA): Do you interact with your media competitors?
- Discussion:
- Josh doesn’t view other college football media as competition. The on-demand world lets people consume multiple shows.
- He frequently collaborates and talks shop with other podcast hosts/producers.
- Competition is about self-improvement, not beating others.
"I don't view competition the way most people do... In the on-demand world, one plus one equals three... or seven if you play it right." — Josh Pate [31:10] "We're not changing the show or messing the show up in any way. Rest easy." — Josh Pate [34:42]
7. Biggest Upsets in College Football History
[34:55]
- Listener Question (Mark): What’s a college football upset you still think about today?
- Josh’s Picks:
- Pitt over West Virginia (2007): The most consequential upset. West Virginia, as a 3-TD favorite, needed only a win over Pitt to play Mizzou for the title. They lost 13-9; instead, LSU (with two losses) played Ohio State for a title.
- Argues if WVU-Mizzou had happened, it might have accelerated the adoption of a playoff system.
- Stanford over USC (Harbaugh beats Pete Carroll): A 40+ point underdog win that changed Harbaugh’s career trajectory.
"The most consequential upset... Pitt over West Virginia in rivalry week 2007... that was a bombshell upset, absolute bombshell." — Josh Pate [36:19] "If we’d gotten West Virginia-Missouri for the national title, the BCS might have ended years sooner." — Josh Pate [36:55]
8. Impact of the College Football Video Game’s Return
[40:56]
- Listener Question (Four Verticals Podcast): Thoughts on the college football video game and its impact since its return?
- Josh’s Perspective:
- Admits he isn’t the expert—he doesn’t play video games frequently anymore.
- Thinks the game probably has a positive impact but isn’t deeply involved.
- Shares a light story about how he disliked having to re-learn new games each year and how this led him to eventually quit video games.
"I don't really know what impact the game being back has had. I'm sure it’s had a net positive impact. You guys can tell me." — Josh Pate [41:18] "I'm either going to be good at something or not play it at all... that's why I don't play golf." — Josh Pate [42:50] (lighthearted)
9. Josh’s Storm Chasing Stories
[43:15]
- Listener Question: How many tornadoes have you witnessed? Highest rating?
- Stats:
- 13 tornadoes personally witnessed.
- Highest-rated: EF4 in Beauregard, AL (March 3, 2019).
- Discusses the emotional duality of chasing storms for scientific and personal passion, while acknowledging the real-world impact of tornado disasters.
"It rubs people the wrong way when you experience excitement for something most correlate with terror... trying to balance that." — Josh Pate [44:00]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Upsets and the BCS:
"No postseason structure in college football is built to crown the little guy champion... the purpose, by the very nature of the architects, is for the big boys to have their day." — Josh Pate [37:40]
-
On Fan Representation:
"Before you start making any changes, might you first want to take into consideration... fans are what created this entire ecosystem." — Josh Pate [09:10]
-
On the Limits of Growth:
"College football is like the dude who’s told when he’s 6 foot 8, hey, that's as tall as you're going to get, bud... you're plenty tall enough. It’s okay." — Josh Pate [15:50]
-
On the Culture of College Football:
"To experience college football is not to experience the highest level of football played in the country. That's played in the NFL... The reason is because of pageantry. It's because of the environment, the snow globe that surrounds that game." — Josh Pate [14:50]
-
On Media “Competition”:
"I hope everybody gets listened to or gets consumed... one plus one can equal seven if you play it right." — Josh Pate [32:00]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [03:00] — Conference Title Games' future & possible alternatives
- [06:50] — The importance of fan representation in decision-making
- [11:32] — Strong opposition to international college football games
- [20:15] — Starkville’s Two Brothers & college town eats
- [22:20] — College vs NFL player/school brand value
- [29:55] — Media “competition” and the future of digital sports media
- [34:55] — Biggest upsets: Pitt over WVU (2007), Stanford upsets USC
- [40:56] — The return of the college football video game: Josh’s (limited) thoughts
- [43:15] — Josh’s storm chasing experiences
Tone & Style Notes
- Conversational, sharp, occasionally self-deprecating and playful
- Deeply invested in the sport and community—transparent about opinions and biases
- No “hot takes”—Josh seeks thoughtful, grounded discussion instead
If you missed this episode, you missed classic Pate: a range of issues tackled with clarity, humor, and a sense of what matters most about college football—its fans, its absurdity, its traditions, and its community.