Pardon My Take (Barstool Sports) – Episode Summary

Episode: Indiana Wins The Natty, Adam Thielen On Retirement, Paddy Pimblett Ahead Of UFC 324, Coaching Carousel + Listener Pardon Your Takes
Date: January 21, 2026
Hosts: Big Cat, PFT Commenter
Special Guests: Adam Thielen, Paddy "The Baddie" Pimblett

Overview

This jam-packed episode celebrates one of the most improbable college football championships ever—Indiana Hoosiers' first national title. The crew dives deep into the “craziest story in college football,” analyzes coaching carousel updates, previews Championship Sunday in the NFL, and welcomes Adam Thielen (freshly retired) and UFC contender Paddy Pimblett. Along the way, classic PMT banter, stats, and sharp-witted debate abound.

Main Segments & Timestamps

• [00:39] Show rundown & sponsors
• [02:28] Recap: Indiana wins college football natty
• [21:45] Big picture impact: How Indiana changed college football
• [34:33] Coaching decisions, plays, & game breakdown
• [44:00] NFL Coaching Carousel updates
• [51:00] Championship Sunday preview (Patriots/Broncos)
• [96:46] Adam Thielen interview: NFL retirement, behind-the-scenes stories
• [135:21] Paddy Pimblett interview: UFC 324, English insults, weight cuts
• [151:30] Listener-submitted “Pardon Your Takes” and show wrap-up

Indiana’s Incredible National Title Run

[02:28–34:33]

Game Recap & Key Plays

• Indiana Hoosiers upset Miami for their first football national championship.
• Game was tight; Miami staged a furious second-half comeback. Key plays:
  • Back-shoulder throws to Charlie Becker were “unguardable.”
  • Fernando Mendoza’s 4th-and-5 goal-line run was “the Vince McMahon meme in real life.”
• “Indiana went for it with balls...the balls on Signetti. Quarterback draw, hadn’t run Mendoza all night, and it was incredible.” – Big Cat [06:44]

Iconic Moments & Characters

• Malachi Tony (Miami): “He’s going to break one eventually...he did. He scored a touchdown.” – PFT [05:56]
• Miami’s sideline: “You had Abella Danger, Michael Irvin, Ray Lewis threatening to kill Carson Beck if he throws an interception. Full Miami.” – PFT [04:55]
• Special Teams: Indiana’s blocked punt TD described as the “play of the game.” [06:41]
• Stats: “Indiana didn’t lose a single fumble over its last 15 games—1,047 plays, no lost fumbles. That’s pretty incredible.” – Big Cat [09:04]

Program Turnaround & Signetti Hype

• Hoosiers: 16–0, first team since Yale in 1894.
• “Kurt Signetti just did the two best coaching turnarounds ever, only it took Bowden/Calhoun a decade—Signetti did it in two years.” – PFT [10:09]
• “First playoff, first bowl, first Rose Bowl, first time beating Alabama, first Heisman, first title, all in two years. It’s playing dynasty mode on freshman.” – Big Cat [17:16]
• “He’s the best coach in college football—talent evaluation so far ahead of everyone.” – PFT [17:54]
• Notable Quote:
  • “Signetti is the best person to be hired for any job ever. Took Michelangelo eight years to paint the Sistine Chapel—it took Signetti two.” – Big Cat [21:57]

Indiana’s Win: Ripple Effect on College Football

[21:45–34:33]

• “It’s the most incredible story ever. It’s the best and meanest thing to happen to college football…you used to say 'We’re not Alabama/Georgia/Ohio State.' Now, if Indiana can do it, anyone can!” – Big Cat [13:20]
• “But actually not really, because you don’t have Kurt Signetti.” – PFT [14:10]
• NIL Angle:
  • “Interesting—Signetti implied their NIL budget wasn’t what people thought. It was significant but not Texas Tech-level.” – PFT [14:38]
  • Alumni support: “Largest living alumni base in the US—helps a little.” – Big Cat [14:50]
• Analogy:
  • “It’s like the Harbaugh off—you want to be on his side.” – Big Cat [29:32]

NFL Coaching Carousel & Championship Preview

[44:00–56:00]

Coaches on the Move

• Sean McDermott (Bills):
  • Fired after the playoff loss; Brandon Beane promoted.
  • “It was time. Good for the franchise, need a hard-ass head coach now.” – Big Cat [41:01]
• Robert Saleh (Titans):
  • “Memes” (PMT staff) fact-checks Ian Rapoport—Saleh isn’t just “getting his first QB” in Tennessee, says he had Darnold with the Jets [45:05].
  • “He wowed them. Couldn’t let him leave the building.” – PFT [47:22]
• Jeff Hafley (Dolphins DC):
  • “Good defensive coach, has Packers’ FO synergy, but the worst haircut in the NFL—according to Steve Cheah (who has the same haircut).” [47:45]

Championship Sunday – AFC Focus

• Patriots-Broncos:
  • Hank (Patriots fan) downplays Stidham; Max and PFT troll him (“Say Stidham can beat Patriots without smiling.”) [51:27]
  • Discussion on how hard it is for “greatest franchise ever” to win in Denver; recurring inside jokes about Hank’s anxiety, $50k wagers, Disney World planning, etc. [53:04–54:48]
  • Big Cat: “You’re afraid of the altitude.” [54:19]
  • Stats Guy: “There’s no stats to draw about Stidham…” [54:31]

Interview 1: Adam Thielen on Retirement, Steelers, & NFL Stories

[96:46–134:16]

Thielen’s Transition

• “Right now, it doesn’t feel too different. It’ll set in when OTAs start…played old-man pickup basketball for the first time in years.” – Adam [96:47]
• On golf: “I can’t wait...already have a tournament next week. This is my job now.” [98:21]

Steelers Experience & NFL Culture

• Steelers chaos: “Such a blessing…To be with Coach T for a few weeks, you see why he’s a leader. Aaron Rodgers' process—he has a whole system outside the system. I’ve never been so stressed in practice.” – Adam [100:09]
• Tomlin’s standard: “Uh, I don’t know exactly what the standard is. Standard is the standard?” [103:47]
• Tomlin exit meeting: “Emotional. He felt like he wasn’t good enough, let guys down. You’re like, ‘No, I didn’t do enough.’” [104:19]
• On possibly un-retiring: “If Aaron [Rodgers] doesn’t retire…I might come out of retirement. But probably not—I’m worn out.” [102:14, 110:32]

NFL Teammates & Young Stars

• On Bryce Young: “Full-fledged member of BRYCES. So proud how he handled everything, how he bounced back. He’s gonna be alright.” [111:00]
• On Justin Jefferson: “He’s got an intensity—when he steps across the line, he’s different…He’s the best player I’ve played with.” [113:10, 116:49]
• Daniel Hunter: “Strong, quick, unblockable, doesn’t say much but disrupts everything.” [118:08]
• CJ Ham: “Best of the best—played against him in HS/college, then together in NFL.” [119:38]
• Brian Flores’ Minnesota D: “He’s addicted to blitzing...doesn’t know a world without it.” [121:50]
• On soup/forks/spoons/Pro Bowler prophecy tweet: “Had never heard of that—fantastic.” [132:37]

Interview 2: Paddy "The Baddie" Pimblett – Fight Week, Translating Scouse, Haters

[135:21–150:16]

Fight Prep & Mindset

• Down to 169 lbs; expects to weigh-in at 155, enter cage at 180–185 [136:16]
• On training: “Best camp ever—no injuries, lowest weight, feeling unbelievable.” [137:00]
• “Fighting for my twins—working harder than ever, hardest I’ve ever worked.” [140:48]

English Insults Glossary

• “Helmet”: tip of your penis
• “Mushroom,” “Sausage,” “Dog,” “Ass” – various British insults [145:08]
• On Arman Tsarukyan: “Absolute helmet. Not a real fighter, always pulls out with injury.” [140:00]
• On Gaethje: “He can’t make it to championship rounds. He’ll get finished in the first three.” [143:47]

Paddy’s World

• On being “most hated man in UFC”: “Loved or hated, people tune in. All that matters.” [139:18]
• Post-fight plans: “Weight’s going up to 200 pounds and all the cheesecake I want.” [136:47]
• American v. British dog insult: “Dog is bad in the U.K.; means you’d run from a fight.” [144:54]
• On Liverpool: “Playing shocking at the minute. We’ll get through it.” [142:13]
• On food: “Love a milkshake. Peanut butter & chocolate, post weigh-in. Milkshakes and sweets.” [147:01]

Listener Pardon Your Takes

[151:30–163:40]

• NFL goalposts “magnetized” since ball-chip technology—“doinks” way up. [152:10]
• Watching games old v. new: “2009 games now look like camcorder shots—someone’s making the feed worse.” [155:04]
• Would you want to know if your team ever wins a title again? Most say no. [155:44]
• Who among staff would you be happiest for if their team won a Super Bowl? The consensus: memes (Jets)—he’d become “insufferable.” [161:59]
• Happy birthday shoutouts (Jake Elliott, Jake “Smelliot”; missed Joe Flacco’s birthday—Big Cat apologizes) [158:07–159:56]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “It’s the best story in college football maybe ever.” – Big Cat [21:48]
• “When teams win, usually because they’ve got the most five-star recruits…It’s what Mendoza did for Indiana that’s most impressive.” – Big Cat [12:28]
• “If you don’t have Kurt Signetti, you don’t have hope.” – PFT [15:45]
• “The wheel is on. The blob is back. Negative 14 degrees this weekend.” – Big Cat [77:42]
• “He’s the best coach in college football—the snarl, the scowl, a little Harbaugh off.” – PFT & Big Cat [29:32]
• “If you owe someone money, you don’t owe them money anymore if there are aliens.” – Big Cat [80:48]

Final Thoughts

This episode delivers classic PMT: rapid-fire sports analysis, irreverent humor, insightful and candid guest interviews, and a deep-dive celebration of college football’s wildest Cinderella story yet. Indiana’s historic run sets a new paradigm for “hope” in sports; Thielen and Paddy provide thoughtful, funny perspectives from their worlds. Meanwhile, the gang’s bets, stats, and locker room banter never let up. Essential listening for sports fans and PMT diehards alike.