Macrodosing Podcast Summary

Episode: The College Football Playoffs Are Set
Hosts: PFT Commenter (A), Arian Foster (E), Big T (B), Mad Dog McKenzie / D, Others
Date: December 9, 2025

Overview

This episode centers on the announcement and controversies surrounding the 2025 College Football Playoff (CFP) lineup, the implications for smaller programs, the often-maligned selection process, and a wide array of cultural topics—from Pantone’s “Color of the Year” to Netflix’s Hollywood merger chaos. Power dynamics in college football, playoff expansion, bowl traditions, and general sporting culture all get their moment, as do riffs on pop culture, tech, and some classic Macrodosing tangents.

Table of Contents

1. College Football Playoff Selections and Controversies
2. Odds, Outrage, and Small School Dreams
3. Bowl Game Gifts & Declining Traditions
4. Identity, Travel Mishaps, & Losing Things
5. World News: FIFA, Trump, and the World Cup Draw
6. Pantone Color of the Year—Rage Against “Cloud Dancer”
7. Freedom of Speech: UK’s Joey Barton Sentencing
8. Pop Culture: The Taylor Swift Era(s) Never Ends
9. Cultural Sidebars: Tech, Theaters, & the Streaming Wars
10. Prediction Markets: What's the Deal?
11. Jeff D. Lowe on the Netflix/Warner Drama
12. Other Notable Quotes and Moments

1. College Football Playoff Selections and Controversies <a name="cfp"></a>

• Main theme: James Madison (JMU) and Tulane, both Group of Five teams, making the Playoffs is historic and controversial. The hosts dissect perceived snubs, strange ranking logic, and the backroom alliances that guide the process.
• "We are playing by the rules that... we were told at the start of the year. If you're mad, blame the system." (A, 04:52)
• The rankings are widely viewed as arbitrary and reverse-engineered to fit committee narratives.
  • “All the rankings before the last one mean absolutely nothing.” (B, 06:37)
• Head-to-head logic only applies when convenient:
  • "They just wanted Miami and Notre Dame side by side to justify their pick." (A, 06:44)
• The ACC’s influence (via ESPN) and how TV deals shape who gets in.
• Notre Dame’s reaction (“take our ball and go home”) by refusing to play a bowl game after snubbing.

2. Odds, Outrage, and Small School Dreams <a name="odds"></a>

• Point spreads: JMU massive underdogs to Oregon (from 21.5 to 20.5).
  • "I immediately bet on JMU at 21 and a half points. That's a lot. Does JMU keep it closer with Oregon than Tennessee did with Ohio State last year?” (A, 08:53)
  • “I would pick Oregon to win by more than 25." (B, 09:23)
• Physical mismatches between Power Four and Group of Five.
  • "It's going to be a physical mismatch and that's okay." (A, 09:56)
  • “One of these days, a Group of Five team will upset a Power 4 team in the playoffs.” (A, 11:24)

3. Bowl Game Gifts & Declining Traditions <a name="bowls"></a>

• Nostalgia for bowl-game gift bags (PSPs, gift cards, branded gear).
  • “Thanks for making us millions, here’s a video game…and a blooming onion.” (A, 16:37, group riff)
• Changing attitude: More teams now skip bowls when slighted.
  • “10–15 years ago, players just wanted that gift bag!" (A, 15:15)
  • "Now, they're opting out and I agree with them." (F/Mad Dog, 15:15)
• Funny anecdote: Arkansas’s Jeremy Sprinkle suspended for shoplifting at Belk during the Belk Bowl gift run (B, 16:46)

4. Identity, Travel Mishaps, & Losing Things <a name="identity"></a>

• The hierarchy of most stressful things to lose: Phone, keys, wallet, dog.
  • “Phones first. Then...keys, then wallet.” (E, 18:03)
• Travel anxiety: PFT’s adventure getting ‘red carded’ by TSA for lack of Real ID.
  • “I got red carded going through TSA security...felt kind of cool.” (A, 21:50)

5. World News: FIFA, Trump, and the World Cup Draw <a name="fifa"></a>

• Trump receives inaugural FIFA Peace Award—created seemingly for him.
  • “It was invented for him. Are they going to give it to somebody else next time?” (A, 25:42)
• FIFA’s excessively long draw show.
  • “This all could have been done in 10 minutes—took three hours.” (B, 23:59)
• Notable story: Iran vs Egypt in the “Pride Match” in Seattle—ironic and controversial given both countries’ stances on LGBTQ rights (27:00 onward)
• “Soccer” as a British word and linguistic pet peeve.
  • "The word ‘soccer’ is their fault." (B, 25:13)

6. Pantone Color of the Year—Rage Against “Cloud Dancer” <a name="pantone"></a>

• Pantone’s Color of the Year: Pantone 114201 “Cloud Dancer” (a neutral white).
  • "It's a neutral white that brings calm clarity and creative breath in a noisy world." (A, 31:32)
• Twitter/social outrage over picking a “colorless” color.
  • “Hey Pantone, you’re fired. You really chose white in these times?” (Katie Rogers, via B, 33:09)
• Debate about whether anyone is actually upset, or if it’s just for clout/social media points.
  • “If you know somebody upset about the Pantone color of the year, refer them to a hospital.” (A, 36:04)
• Group riff on preferred colors and streamer lighting vibes.
  • "Ghost purple...it's just a beautiful, like, metallic, bioluminescent-esque color." (E, 34:33)

7. Freedom of Speech: UK’s Joey Barton Sentencing <a name="joey"></a>

• Former soccer player Joey Barton given a suspended prison sentence for offensive social media posts.
  • “I'd say it's about a third as bad as a daily Barstool comment section.” (B, 36:58)
• Discussed the difference between UK and US free speech laws.
  • "I don't think you should be allowed to call people pedophiles online...That's defamation." (A, 38:24)
• Barton called others a ‘nonce’—explained as British for ‘sex offender.’ (39:01)

8. Pop Culture: The Taylor Swift Era(s) Never Ends <a name="swift"></a>

• New Swift Eras Tour behind-the-scenes docuseries; enthusiasm and light ribbing toward the endless ‘drops.’ (48:50–51:44)
  • “She’s just dropping. I will eat drop after drop after drop.” (A, 52:14)
  • Mad Dog McKenzie (D) excited to see Taylor and Travis [Kelce]’s relationship.
  • Debate on how much Swift content is too much, and parallels to sports docuseries.

9. Cultural Sidebars: Tech, Theaters, & the Streaming Wars <a name="culture"></a>

• Netflix rumored to buy Warner Brothers, leading to speculation about theatrical windows and media consolidation.
  • “What if Netflix did pop-up locations for movie releases?…giant screens, full service.” (A, 62:12)
  • Group shares amusement at the possibility of Netflix opening ‘theaters’ in five years.
• Movie theater upgrades and the luxury experience trend.
  • “Upgrade the film aspect…maybe like the Vegas Sphere.” (E, 64:13)

10. Prediction Markets: What's the Deal? <a name="markets"></a>

• Introduction to prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket, where users bet on real-world outcomes with money.
  • “I think we’re going to be going in a strange, dystopian direction.” (A, 65:45)
  • Noted absurd result: Antonio Brown inexplicably leading Polymarket’s odds to be next New York Giants head coach (A, 76:40)

11. Jeff D. Lowe on the Netflix/Warner Drama <a name="jeff"></a>

• Jeff D. Lowe breaks down the Netflix/Warner deal:
  • Suspicion Warner is setting up a deal to fail for a “breakup fee.” (C, 68:47)
  • Paramount Circle (Ellison family) poised for a hostile takeover.
  • “The biggest concern: Netflix would shrink theatrical windows, killing movie word-of-mouth and box office.” (C, 70:21)
  • Warner owns enormous IP: Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, DC, etc.—not just studios but the content backbone of Hollywood (C, 71:53)
• Jeff’s Holiday Movie Picks:
  • “Jingle All the Way—an underrated holiday staple.” (C, 73:44)
• Knives Out opinions, and an absurd endorsement for a ping pong movie starring Kevin O’Leary (“Mr. Wonderful”) (C, 74:47)

12. Other Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments <a name="quotes"></a>

• On losing things:
  “Wallet’s really taken a drop over the last ten years…” (A, 18:13)
• Arian’s proposal:
  “If you’re talking shit about someone online, you get to challenge them to a Gulag…government funded, straight fists in an octagon.” (E, 40:16)
• On sports documentaries vs pop music:
  "Documentaries about the Chiefs era...then an album about the book about the movie about the era." (A, 48:29)
• Tech Nostalgia:
  "David Bowie pretty much predicted the entire Internet." (A, 55:05)
• Pantone, parodying outrage:
  “If you know somebody that is upset about Pantone the year…drive them to a hospital.” (A, 36:04)

Notable Timestamps

• 03:38: First mentions of CFP snubs, JMU in the Playoff (system talk)
• 08:51: JMU as 20+ point underdogs—odds breakdown
• 15:47: Bowl game gift nostalgia—PSP stories, Outback gift cards
• 21:50: PFT’s TSA “red card” story
• 27:00: Pride Match—Egypt v. Iran
• 33:09: Pantone outrage begins
• 39:01: Joey Barton court case (“nonce” explanation)
• 48:50: Taylor Swift 30-for-30 banter
• 62:12: Netflix theaters satire
• 65:35: Preview of episode on prediction markets
• 68:13: Jeff D. Lowe on Netflix/Warner deal
• 73:44: “Jingle All the Way” as a holiday classic

Overall Tone

• Conversational, humorous, and irreverent as always; the group toggles between sincere sports analysis and tongue-in-cheek commentary on cultural absurdities. The mood blends deep-dive knowledge with banter and playful skepticism.

FINAL THOUGHTS

For CFP fans: this is the essential irreverent post-selection episode, with big laughs, sharp criticism, and a heavy dose of “the system is rigged.”
For everyone else: come for the football, stay for satire on colors, crypto, culture wars, and conspiracies.