Baton Rouge — Let’s talk about the man who’s convinced himself he’s the godfather of college football commentary, Josh Pate. If you tuned in expecting razor-sharp insights, you got snake oil and slick PR. Pate basks in the spotlight, acts like he invented Saturdays in the South, and doles out pronouncements like gospel—yet time after time his takes flop, his ego wins, and the sport laughs behind his back.
Don’t get me wrong: I get it. We all love a guy who can spin something bold, ride hype, and look the part. But Pate’s performance has evolved from niche college-football commentator into full-blown PR machine. The merch. The podcast monologues. The self-anointed “commissioner of college football” aura. Meanwhile, the substance? Thin. The track record? Patchy at best.
Let’s check the receipts. Pate has hyped players and programs relentlessly—like when he called Brian Kelly a home-run hire for the LSU Tigers (after Kelly’s time with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish). He claimed Kelly would soar at LSU; promising bowls, playoff runs, dominance. Yet what happened? LSU fired Kelly in October 2025, four years into his ten-year deal, after a 5-3 start, 2-3 in the SEC and a home loss to Texas A&M Aggies (49-25) exposed the thin veneer. So much for the infallible “I told you so” guru.
And here’s the kicker: while Kelly’s tenure cratered, the Fighting Irish—whom many chalked up for decline after Kelly left—rallied anyway. So Pate’s bold “Kelly departure = ND collapse” narrative? Wrong. His confident takes have zero weight when the results don’t back him.
At times, it’s hilariously transparent. He’ll audibly pause his livestream when news breaks (yes — the man who claims to “know the game better than most” discovered Kelly’s firing on air). He’ll sneak in dramatic lines about portals and culture, yet half his pronouncements read like sales copy for his own brand. Meanwhile, he’s peddling predictions, best-bets (hello, sportsbook tie-ins), and bold proclamations that make “influencer” look modest.
Look: I’ll give Pate props—he’s got marketing chops. He built a brand, built an audience, leveraged platforms, and got eyeballs. But sport-analysis isn’t just eyeballs. It’s accountability. It’s truth. It’s being willing to go on record when you’re wrong. Pate’s seldom wrong publicly, because he’s rarely held to account by his own show. His ego thrives on “I called this” narratives, but the “I missed that” moments are buried.
See, we’ve got a pattern: big personality. Loud voice. Firm conviction. Weak result. Take his wildly bullish pick of DJ Lagway at Florida to the playoff and insufferable love for James Franklin and Mario Cristobal. Pate declared him a top-quarterback in the country and had the Gators in the playoff with the toughest schedule in America. Great for the hype machine. But hype ≠ value. And where’s the follow-through?
He labels himself a know-it-all, yet knows no ball. That’s the fun part—the truth. He acts like he’s the commissioner of the sport while renting time in a studio. If you’ve watched his “boldest predictions” or “team to beat” segments, you’ll see the pattern: confident build-up, dire stakes, then… meh.
Remember those Miami is untouchable takes? How about the Georgia isn’t a contender ones after the Dawgs lost to Alabama.
Oh, Pate. Even when you’re wrong, you’ll find a way to act like you were right.
So yeah, Pate—you type of guy who dresses for success and gives speeches from a podium you bought yourself. You’re a self-loving pundit turned corporate shill for whatever brand or sportsbook wants your face (yes, I’m aware of the FanDuel connection). You shine in PR, you flounder in substance. You “act like you invented the game,” but you can’t even reliably call it.
To the listeners: love the passion, love the voice, but don’t confuse marketing for mastery. If you’re going to swear by someone, make sure they’ve earned their scoreboard. Because bravado and hashtags don’t win championships; fundamentals do.
So here’s to Josh Pate—thanks for the bold promises, the branded merch, the plum segments. Now hand over the mic to someone who actually stakes their credibility on results, not just rhetoric.
Because in college football, you either deliver on the field or you look like a clown in pinstripes. And right now? Pate’s pinstripes are shining, his results are not.
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