The Pat McAfee Show 2.0: Episode 1466 “TOP 5: NFL Week 14 Recap”

Air Date: December 8, 2025
Host: Pat McAfee & Crew (AJ Hawk, Toxic Table, Tone Digs, Ty Schmidt, et al.)

Overview

This episode of The Pat McAfee Show kicks off “Overreaction Monday” with a lively, in-depth dive into the TOP 5 storylines from NFL Week 14 and major college football developments — especially an historic weekend for the Indiana Hoosiers football team. With Pat and the crew’s trademark mix of insider analysis, irreverent banter, and personal anecdotes, they move from college playoff controversies and atmospheres to NFL headline games, playoff picture machinations, and the resurgence of key teams and players.

Key Discussion Points

1. Historic College Football Weekend: Indiana Hoosiers Shock the World

[00:51-03:06, 13:46-21:52]

• Indiana Wins the Big Ten:

  • Major opening segment celebrates Indiana’s first Big Ten title since World War II.
  • Praises head coach Kurt Signetti for turning around a dormant program:

    “Kurt Signetti has an entire off-season, a full NIL situation, a gym, a city, a state behind them … and they’re the only undefeated team in the country.” – Pat [01:48]

  • Emphasis on transformative NIL money, strategic transfer portal moves, and Signetti’s belief and bravado.
  • Pat lauds QB Fernando Mendoza:

    “Yeah, probably the Heisman winner for good reason. In the Big Ten championship, he had his best game in the fourth quarter.” [02:22]

  • The crew marvels at the emotional fan response, euphoric atmosphere at the championship game — powerful stories of long-suffering supporters.

    “Last year they go into Columbus and take on Ohio State … They crumbled a little bit … Then they reload … boom, let me get that … Indiana’s for real.” – Pat [01:35]

  • Notable on-site antics: Pat stripping his shirt in front of the Ohio State section, Paul Finebaum’s “least important #1 vs #2 game” comments critiqued, and Ty Schmidt’s reflections on how expectations for Indiana have permanently shifted:

    “Now there is no doubt … this is not the last time we’re going to win the Big Ten championship.” – Ty Schmidt [22:24]

• Game Recap & Player Highlights:

  • Discusses the toughness of Indiana, next-man-up mentality after injuries.
  • Shouts out star moments by wideouts, heroic play by Mendoza returning after injury.
  • Applauds the defense:

    “That defense … two best defenses in the country … getting after Julian Sands’ ass … this is the best coaching job I know that I’ve ever seen in my lifetime.” – Crew [20:09]

• Impact on CFP Seeding/Playoffs:

  • Indiana enters as the #1 seed — “college football playoff world has to be worried about facing Indiana at the Rose Bowl.” [02:57]

2. College Football Playoff (CFP) Controversy & Selection Chaos

[03:06-13:44, 23:11-24:15]

• Timing & Transparency Critique:

  • Committee’s decision to reveal playoff bracket during NFL slate gets roasted:

    “Do this on Tuesday … make it its own damn day. There are so many implications …” – Pat [05:02]

• Snubs and Bubble Drama:

  • Notre Dame’s exclusion draws ire—discusses AD Pete Bavacqua’s premonition and disappointment:

    “Pete Bavacqua told us … we need to be compared to Alabama … Then suddenly, Miami jumps us. It’s like, what happened here?” – Pat [07:10]

  • BYU and Vanderbilt also highlighted as aggrieved parties, with a breakdown of selection inconsistencies.

• Group of Five Teams vs Blue-Bloods:

  • Tulane & James Madison “steal” playoff spots, crew debates the merits and need for future system tweaks.

• Playoff Expansion Debate:

  • Some panelists nostalgic for four-team format, positing that only a handful of teams have a real shot annually, while others argue NIL is closing the talent gap:

    “With NIL, teams are getting a lot closer. There’s a lot more parity … it’s not a bad thing.” – Crew [12:44]

• Memorable Quote:

  “I love when a coach just takes ownership. Like hey, it was in our control, we lost it.” – Crew [09:44]

3. TOP 5 NFL Storylines: Week 14 Recap

#5: “It’s Josh Allen Season” – Bills’ Clutch Win in the Snow

[26:47-29:27]

• Josh Allen delivers a signature performance in snowy Buffalo, drawing comparisons to Rodgers in Green Bay:

  “He’s the quarterback you build on Madden. He can make all the throws, make all the runs.” – Crew [27:35]

• Bills’ defensive big plays—Christian Benford’s pick six.
• Emphasis on how Allen’s playstyle perfectly suits Buffalo.

#4: Green Bay Packers Are for Real!

[29:27-32:03]

• Packers win a physical, playoff-type duel against the Bears; growing confidence in QB Jordan Love.

  “Undefeated against Ben Johnson … for the first time since they won the Super Bowl, you feel like the defense is going to go out there and stop whoever’s across from them.” – Ty [30:23]

• Chicago’s resilience despite missed opportunities.
• Packers’ defense praised for shutting down explosive Bears’ run game.

#3: NFC Playoff Race: “We Can All See It, Right?”

[32:03-33:18]

• NFC landscape: Eagles, Packers, Seahawks, and Rams/LA as favorites.

  “Green Bay, Seattle, and LA all seemingly very, very, very good at football.” – Pat [32:08]

• Upcoming Eagles-Chargers MNF game positioned as litmus test.
• “Positivity bunny” introduced as Eagles locker room meme.

#2: Texans’ Defense – “Prime Time Problem”

[33:18-35:59]

• Houston’s defense dominates, creating miserable experiences for home crowds:

  “If they’re playing in your stadium, you’re going to be booing your team by middle of the second quarter … they are a problem.” – Pat [34:26]

• Chiefs’ offensive struggles, but also key drops noted.
• Texans’ rapid turnaround noted after 0-3 start; C.J. Stroud’s promise.

#1: AFC Playoff Picture & Lurkers

[36:19-END]

• Broncos, Patriots, Jaguars highlight shifting AFC hierarchy.
• Colts, Ravens, Chiefs, Bills, Chargers, and Texans—all “lurking” for playoff spots.
• Shout-out to Colts’ Daniel Jones playing through injury, emotional farewell.
• Jacksonville Jaguars getting respect, “for real.”
• Crew darts into upcoming storylines, matchups, injury news, and X-factors for Week 15.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Indiana’s turnaround:

  “They came into the Big Ten and created a football program. That’s literally what they did this year.” – Pat [01:26]

• On the CFP Committee:

  “I saw their setup. We all did. It’s ass. They need a little bit better setup … maybe some wings. I didn’t see any wingies.” – Pat [05:15]

• On Josh Allen’s Play:

  “It’s just like it feels like Josh Allen is at his best whenever there is snow on the ground, it’s cold as hell, and he’s out there just doing stuff nobody else can do.” – Pat [27:08]

• On playoff expansion:

  “If we look at it now … those four teams we all feel like probably, out of those four, is going to become the national champions.” – Crew [09:59]

• On the Texans’ defense:

  “Possibly the greatest defense in the history of football. I mean, it’s amazing to watch.” – Crew [35:50]

• Atmosphere at Big Ten Championship:

  “It was loud for the Hoosiers … the pyro, the light show, everything … it felt big, like a national champion.” – Pat [13:56, 14:23]

• Pat being Pat:

  “I was shirtless with a hole in my jeans, looking like a douchebag … pretty jacked though, I must say.” – Pat [14:39]

Memorable Segments (with Timestamps)

• Indiana Hoosiers Story and Signetti Praise:
  [00:51-03:06, 13:46-21:52]

• CFP Bracket Controversy and Notre Dame Snub:
  [05:27-08:50, 23:11-24:15]

• Historic Playoff Expansion/NIL Impact Debate:
  [11:01-13:44]

• Big Ten Championship Atmosphere:
  [13:46-15:00]

• Josh Allen “Snow Game” MVP:
  [26:47-29:27]

• Green Bay’s resurgence vs Bears:
  [29:27-32:03]

• Texans Defensive Dominance:
  [33:18-35:59]

Final Takeaways

• Massive praise for Indiana’s Cinderella story celebrates everything magical about college football.
• College Football Playoff committee is under fire—format, transparency, and blue-blood biases are hotly debated.
• NFL weekend saw rising power in Green Bay, Buffalo’s return to form, and Houston’s defensive emergence.
• Widespread agreement: Playoff races (both college and NFL) are wide open and crazier than ever.

Listen if: You want peak sports radio chemistry with a balance of humor, insider commentary, and rowdy, relatable fan energy covering wild weekends in both college football and the NFL.