Pardon My Take – CFB Quarterfinals, Week 18 NFL Preview, Jerry O’Connell Fantasy Recap & Fyre Fest of the Week

Podcast: Pardon My Take
Hosts: Big Cat, PFT Commenter, et al., Barstool Sports
Date: January 2, 2026
Episode Theme:
A loaded episode kicks off 2026 as the PMT crew recaps wild college football quarterfinals—highlighting the upsets of Georgia, Alabama, and Ohio State—previews a chaotic NFL Week 18, conducts a fantasy football season exit interview with Jerry O’Connell, and wraps up with Fyre Fest of the Week, resolutions, and the lottery ball segment.

Main Themes & Episode Overview

• College Football Quarterfinals Recap: Major “blue blood” programs go down in spectacular upsets, setting up a completely fresh semifinals.
• NFL Week 18 Preview: A breakdown of meaningful games, playoff implications, and shenanigans around incentive bets and quirky stats.
• PMT Crew Roundtable: The crew discusses New Year’s resolutions and personal anecdotes.
• Exit Interview with Jerry O’Connell: A hilarious but contentious season wrap-up of their fantasy football team, including rehashing mistakes, league antics, and plans for next year.
• Fyre Fest of the Week: The gang’s personal grievances and mishaps to close out the holiday season.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. College Football Quarterfinals Carnage

[01:43–22:26]

• Shock and Jubilation: None of the usual powers (Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State) make the CFP semifinals.
  • “If you're a regular fan…let's call us haters. What a start to the new year. Because we watched in 24 hours Ohio State, Alabama and Georgia all lose.” – Big Cat [01:43]
• Miami Dominates Ohio State:
  • “Miami just absolutely manned up Ohio State. It was shocking, but also not shocking…Mario Cristobal coached a perfect game.” – Big Cat [02:24]
  • Julian Sayin's pick-six and Miami's physicality are dissected.
  • Michael Irvin and Ray Lewis's sideline antics: “It was belt to ass.” – PFT [05:09]
  • “The U is so back." – PFT [05:59]
• Oregon Over Texas Tech:
  • Unremarkable game, defensive showcase.
  • Oregon’s ‘Young Concrete’ earns nickname love.
• Indiana Destroys Alabama:
  • “Absolute belt to ass…Indiana is better than Alabama in every single facet of this game.” – Big Cat [09:07]
  • Coach Kurt Signetti's ‘psycho’ energy and fashion choices lampooned. Indiana’s offensive line MVP shoutout.
  • “Is he the best sports hire ever?” – PFT [11:37]
  • QB Mendoza becomes a PMT favorite for post-game energy and LinkedIn obsession.
• Ole Miss Edges Georgia: Ole Miss wins an instant classic, despite a coaching change.
  • “If Ole Miss wins the national championships, it would be the funniest outcome possible.” – Big Cat [19:57]
  • Lane Kiffin’s buyout and bonus drama discussed; the “orphan Steve Jobs” motivation analogy.
• SEC Down, NIL Tree Blooms:
  • “All of the coaches that are coaching in the Final Four are Nick Saban disciples. Alabama currently has a coach that is not a Nick Saban disciple.” – Big Cat [17:20]
• Other Surreal Storylines:
  • Herb Kirkstreet’s ‘Nepo Dog’ Pete the Snuggles Director segment receives the PMT roast treatment ([23:36]).

2. NFL Week 18: Picks, Preview & Incentive Talk

[54:44–109:35+]

• NFC South Madness:
  • Panthers-Bucs Saturday: “Better than the Bucs, I just can’t quit Baker Mayfield.” – Big Cat [56:12]
  • “If the Bucs win…is it like college basketball March Madness, they all get together in their jumpsuits?” – PFT [56:47]
  • "How long can we go where we're just like, this team just sucks?" – Big Cat [57:51]
• Saturday Night Showdown:
  • Seahawks at Niners for the top NFC seed—heavy on uniforms and home-field stakes: “Winner of this game is going to be the favorite to go to the Super Bowl from the NFC.” – Big Cat [62:31]
• Shuck Mania:
  • Tyler Shuck lauded as a culture changer in New Orleans; rookie of the year talk. “Tyler Shuck has also turned around that Saints defense too.” – PFT [67:42]
• Stat Fun & Contract Incentives:
  • Sterling Shepherd, Stefon Diggs, James Cook, and others highlighted for bonuses within reach—a running theme for betting lines.
  • Discussion of coaches' attitudes towards new kickoff rules—Todd Bowles “just gave up on it.”
• QB Musical Chairs:
  • Packers/Vikings may start rookies (J.J. McCarthy, Malik Willis, Clayton Tune), with rookie/backup showcase potential.
• Fan Angst:
  • Bears-Packers potential playoff matchup weighs heavy on Big Cat: “If the Bears lose to the Packers, this entire season is…not fun.”
• Patriots & MVP Debates:
  • Drake May emerging as the favorite, with Stafford and others in the conversation. “I think it’s Drake’s [Drake May’s] and it’s well deserved.” – Hank [31:51]

3. Crew Roundtable—Resolutions & Life

[37:42–54:44]

• New Year’s Resolutions range from ziplining, learning Spanish, Jiu Jitsu, getting on TRT, and becoming “ice bath guys.”
• “I like to do New Year’s resolutions I can actually do. Drink more apple juice.” – Big Cat [42:17]
• Light-hearted banter about gym, diet struggles, and holiday temptations.

4. Fantasy Football: Jerry O’Connell’s Exit Interview

[114:57–174:32]

• Jerry enters defensive after runner-up finish: “Runner up, how much better can we do? We did not have to pay that substantial entry fee. This exit interview should be nothing but grateful coming from both of you.” – Jerry [116:41]
• PMT calls out QB and Saquon decisions, goes deep into failed trades and group text drama.
• Jerry blames fantasy chaos ("Jaden Daniel's elbow went like…this"), Max and PFT grill him on waiver wire and draft errors.
  • "Did we ever think about picking up Tyler Shuck?" – Max [124:30]
• Adam Schefter’s video pep talk—followed by Jerry’s tongue-in-cheek retort.
• Plans for next season involve going “all in”—but Jerry warns, “Don’t know how much more in I could have been.”
• Extended, rambling recap of his fantasy strategies, mistakes, and what he’d do differently. Poetic, self-roasting “ode” to YouTube closes the segment.
  • “It's an hour of me counting money…a new air conditioning system.” – Jerry [164:17]

5. Fyre Fest of the Week

[175:10+]

• The team shares their personal “unfortunate events” as the holiday season closes.
  • Hank’s “old man” selfie and Instagram panic.
  • PFT’s failed attempt to annoy Hank (by planning to pay $50K in quarters).
  • Big Cat’s pool anecdote: being trolled with a Duke basketball photo and “pool poop horror story,” which he “Joe Pa’d” by reporting but not claiming.
  • Zach’s wild rideshare with “spider woman”—which turns into a PMT-style rom-com riff.
• Random holiday poop admissions, travel complaints, and air conditioning superiority in the US over European public restrooms.

6. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Upset Bliss:

• “The U is so back!” – PFT [05:59]

Roasting Blue Blood Falls:

• “We watched Ohio State, Alabama and Georgia all lose…the Red Bloods.” – Big Cat [01:43]

On Miami’s Sideline Scene:

• “It was belt to ass.” – PFT [05:09]

Indiana Praise:

• “He goes on LinkedIn…reads the post from Silicon Valley founders…That's probably where he gets his material for postgame speeches!” – Big Cat on Mendoza [14:06]
• “I think Mendoza is AI.” – PFT [13:14]

Coaching Trees:

• “All of the coaches coaching in the Final Four are Nick Saban disciples.” – Big Cat [17:20]

Ole Miss Revolution:

• “They’re all pissed off. It’s like Steve Jobs was an orphan and he founded Apple – he had something to prove.” – Big Cat [20:45]

New Year’s Resolution Gold:

• “Drink more apple juice. I had apple juice like, three times. Crushed it.” – Big Cat [42:17]

Todd Bowles' Kickoff Philosophy:

• “He's got a lot on his plate. Just kick it out of the back of the end zone—that’s one less thing I have to worry about.” – PFT [60:03]

Fantasy Football Self-Assessment:

• “I'm not sure how much more I have to give…I'm still on the Bengals.” – Jerry O’Connell [166:23, 167:22]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• College Football Quarterfinals Recap: 01:43–22:26
• Week 18 NFL Preview & Picks: 54:44–109:35+
• Resolutions & Crew Roundtable: 37:42–54:44
• Jerry O’Connell Fantasy Exit Interview: 114:57–174:32
• Fyre Fest of the Week: 175:10+
• Lottery Ball Segment / Wrap Up: 196:56–End

Summary Takeaways

• This is a monster PMT episode—fast, loose, packed with bar-stool humor and inside jokes, but loaded with thoughtful analysis of both football worlds.
• The college football landscape is upended—no traditional powers in the semifinals, and new names and coaches become cult icons overnight.
• NFL Week 18 is wild, with multiple games having knockout implications, rooting interest fights, and contract incentive mania.
• Humor and self-deprecation play throughout—from pool pooping to fantasy league ego battles—with Jerry O’Connell’s segment serving as a hilarious, absurdist postseason audit.
• The guys love stats, chaos, and camaraderie: “Let’s crush 2026, huh?” sets the tone for the new year in classic PMT style.

“When the U is back…football is fun.” —Big Cat ([05:59])

“You gotta dig and dig and dig and find your cope.” —PFT ([15:19])

“Pressure makes diamonds.” —Big Cat ([123:46], on fantasy defeats)

“Let’s get to Jerry O’Connell…” —Big Cat, [114:57]

For Listeners New and Old

This episode is classic PMT: sports analysis laced with irreverence, bits, and inside jokes, but balanced by real takes and sharp observational humor. Even if you’re new to the show, this is a perfect crash course on sports chaos, fantasy despair, and why this show remains wildly popular in 2026.