PMT DB
PMT DB
CFB Quarterfinals Recap, Week 18 Picks, and Jerry O’Connell’s Exit Interview
Happy New Year and welcome to 2026. The blue bloods are officially dead, or at least they’re out of the College Football Playoff, and Big Cat and PFT couldn't be happier. The quarterfinals gave us a slate where Ohio State, Alabama, and Georgia all went down in the same 24-hour window, leaving us with a Final Four of Oregon, Indiana, Ole Miss, and Miami. It’s a hater’s paradise, and the energy in the studio was electric as the crew processed the seismic shift in the sport.
The Red Bloods Go Down
Miami absolutely bullied Ohio State on New Year's Eve, and Big Cat is convinced that Ryan Day’s obsessed focus on beating Michigan has finally cost him everything else. The Buckeyes got the monkey off their back against the Wolverines, but they looked physically overmatched against Mario Cristobal’s squad.
Big CatMichigan officially broke Ryan Day and the Ohio State program
It actually is my, my weird take here is that Michigan did it again. They broke 'em. Ryan Day had spent so much energy to beat Michigan this year, after they beat Michigan, it was over.
While the Buckeyes are heading home to ponder their future, the Hurricanes are looking like a legitimate threat to take the whole thing. The defense was violent, the offensive line was dominant, and the U feels like it has that old-school swagger back at the perfect time.
Big CatThe U is officially back and Miami can win the national title
The U is back. The U is so back. Absolutely win the title. So yeah, that was, that was New Year's Eve, which it wasn't like the most exciting game, but it was exciting to see a team dominate Ohio State the way they did.
Then there was the Rose Bowl, where Indiana didn't just beat Alabama; they emasculated them. Kurt Cignetti has turned the Hoosiers into a machine that doesn't make mistakes and punishes teams physically. Big Cat noted that if you swapped the jerseys, Indiana would have been a two-touchdown favorite because they are simply the better team top to bottom.
Big CatIndiana is definitively a better football team than Alabama
My theory going into it was Indiana is better than Alabama in every single facet of this game. In a seven point spread was so disrespectful to the type of team... No, Indiana's turned it... they're just better than Alabama. Like their dudes are better top to bottom.
Beyond the X's and O's, PFT is ready to put Cignetti in the pantheon of history’s greatest hires. Forget sports; we’re talking about the biggest wins in human history.
PFT CommenterCurt Cignetti is one of the best hires in the history of any job ever
I think he goes on the Mount Rushmore of just best hires for any job ever. Is he the best hire ever? Yeah. For any job ever done. I would say Michelangelo, when he painted the Sistine Chapel, I think they nailed that one. Oppenheimer to build the atomic bomb. Okay. Mission accomplished... but outside of that, yeah. I think he goes on the Mount Rushmore.
Week 18 Chaos and Incentives
Transitioning to the NFL, Week 18 is upon us with its usual mix of high-stakes elimination games and meaningless incentive hunting. The standout game is Niners-Seahawks on Saturday night, a matchup with massive Super Bowl implications. Big Cat believes the winner becomes the immediate frontrunner to represent the NFC.
Big CatThe winner of Seahawks-Niners will be the favorite to win the Super Bowl
This is such a massive game. 'cause it does feel like the winner of this game is going to have, they, they, they will be the favorite to go to the Super Bowl from the NFC. That's a fair statement. Right? I think so. They only have to play two games. They get to play at home.
Elsewhere, the crew is keeping an eye on the quarterback carousel. Between the Packers claiming Stefan Diggs on waivers and the Dolphins potentially looking for a new signal caller next year, the future is already creeping into the conversation. PFT is already looking ahead to how the ownership ranks might change with some familiar faces.
PFT CommenterTom Brady will be a 'meddling' NFL owner who makes common mistakes before finding success
I think it's gonna be Tom Brady... any guy that comes from a successful background... they all go through the same process... we try to get a bunch of players that used to be good and coaches that used to be good, build a fantasy team, and then we think it's gonna work out and it doesn't. And then you realize the mistakes. And then you start to meddle again. And then you realize, okay, now I've really learned my lesson... that's when you get good at football.
In New England, the vibes are surprisingly high for a team at the bottom of the division. Drake Maye has looked like the real deal, and even with some off-field distractions involving Stefan Diggs and Christian Barmore, the consensus is that the Patriots have found their cornerstone.
Big CatDrake Maye is going to win the NFL MVP
Congratulations. It, it feels like Drake Maye's gonna win the MVP. It does. It, it definitely feels that way. Yeah. Matthew Stafford's Monday Night Performance kind of cemented it.
Jerry O'Connell’s Contentious Exit Interview
Jerry O’Connell joined the show for a high-stakes exit interview after the PMT fantasy team finished as runners-up. It was a rollercoaster of an interview that touched on everything from tree trimming costs to a "vote of confidence" from Adam Schefter. Jerry was defensive about the Jaden Daniels pick and particularly heated about Saquon Barkley’s performance in the championship game.
Jerry O'ConnellSaquon Barkley 'fucked' the fantasy team and wasn't clutch
We're never drafting an Eagle ever again. Max. It's over Saquon. Hey Max. Saquon fucked us hard this season. He fucked us real hard. He was our first pick... Championship game. Championship game... He fucked us so hard. Max so hard.
Jerry didn't just recap the failures; he laid out a bold vision for the 2026 season. He’s abandoning the old-school running back strategy in favor of a modern approach that prioritizes elite wideouts. He’s also keeping a close eye on the coaching carousel, specifically how certain hires could turn a struggling franchise into a fantasy goldmine.
Jerry O'ConnellIf Clint Kubiak is hired by the Giants, every Giant is a must-draft in fantasy
I think their head coach is gonna be Clint Kubiak. And if that's the case, every single giant becomes a must draft in next year's fantasy world. Because Bowles is not gonna be there. Right?
Despite the heartbreak of the second-place finish, Jerry is already projecting greatness for some of the league's younger stars and certain divisions. He believes the power center of the NFL is shifting, and he’s ready to draft accordingly.
Jerry O'ConnellThe 2026 NFL Super Bowl will go through the NFC West
Isn't it amazing how this Super Bowl is definitely gonna go through the NFC West? It's just crazy how that, that that division... Arizona, I mean, I guess Coach Gannon is coming back... Seattle... how good is Brock Purdy? Yeah, it's really good.
The episode wrapped up with a legendary Fyre Fest of the Week, highlighted by Hank’s realization that a bad overhead light can make a 33-year-old man look like he’s 60. But the biggest news of all? Memes finally hit the Lottery Ball on the first show of the year, signaling that 2026 might just be his year.
If the first two days are any indication, 2026 is going to be the year of the hater and the year of the Hoosier.
