Josh Pate is the host of the very popular Late Kick podcast and the companion YouTube show, “Late Kick Live.” He has a lot of interesting, fresh, and well-formed insights on college football. His popularity has been earned, not given. He isn’t a Skip Bayless-style carnival barker who tries to get a rise out of listeners. He cares about college football, and fans really see that in his analysis. Again: His rise has been earned, not given.
However, he made some really crazy conference championship picks for 2023. He sincerely thinks this season is going to get wild, so that’s not something anyone can really hold against him. Maybe he senses a 2007-style vibe in the air. (Remember 2007? Kansas won the Orange Bowl. South Florida, Boston College, and the Cal Golden Bears were all ranked No. 2 at one point in that season. That was an insane year. Missouri versus Kansas was a top-five showdown in late November. Maybe more anarchy awaits us and Pate is feeling it.)
Nevertheless, Pate really did pick UCLA to face Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Reaction to that and other picks — such as Oklahoma State making the Big 12 Championship Game — was swift and pronounced, as you will see below: