The Recliner vs The Barstool: How We Rate Games
Our Proprietary Game Rating System
Every week, we rate Big 12 games on a 1-10 scale. But here’s the thing — we rate them completely differently.
Mike uses 🛋️ The Recliner. Jake uses 🍺 The Barstool. We almost never agree. That’s the point.
🛋️ The Recliner (Mike’s Rating)
What it measures: Is this game worth studying? Worth taking notes on? Worth rewatching?
The Recliner rating is about football quality — matchups, scheme, execution, and what the game tells us about both teams going forward.
How Mike Scores It:
9-10: Elite football. Championship-level matchup. Both teams executing at a high level. Film study gold. The kind of game you reference for months.
7-8: Quality football. Good matchup with meaningful implications. Worth watching closely. Probably worth rewatching key drives.
5-6: Average Big 12 game. Some interesting elements but nothing special. Watch it if it’s on.
3-4: Below average. Sloppy execution, bad matchup, or meaningless stakes. Background noise.
1-2: Unwatchable. Two bad teams playing badly. Change the channel.
What Mike Considers:
– Strength of both teams
– Schematic matchups (offensive line vs. defensive front, secondary vs. receivers)
– Stakes and implications (playoff race, bowl eligibility, rivalry)
– Quality of quarterback play
– Coaching chess match potential
– Recent form and trajectory
“I’m looking for games that teach me something. Games where I’ll learn about who these teams really are.” — Mike
🍺 The Barstool (Jake’s Rating)
What it measures: Is this game worth watching at a bar? Will it be entertaining? Will there be chaos?
The Barstool rating is about entertainment value — drama, scoring, upsets, and the potential for something memorable to happen.
How Jake Scores It:
9-10: Must-watch. Rivalry game, huge upset potential, or two offenses that are going to put up points. The kind of game you organize your Saturday around.
7-8: Appointment TV. Good matchup with entertainment potential. Worth prioritizing.
5-6: Watchable. Might be good, might be boring. Keep it on the secondary screen.
3-4: Probably skip it. Might check the score. Probably won’t care.
1-2: Hard pass. Two boring teams playing a boring game with boring stakes. I’d rather watch paint dry.
What Jake Considers:
– Upset potential (big underdogs are exciting)
– Over/under (high totals mean points)
– Rivalry/hatred factor
– Chaos potential (will something weird happen?)
– Narrative (revenge game, coach’s return, playoff elimination)
– How drunk the crowd will be
“I want drama. I want points. I want the chaos where you look at your friends and say ‘are you seeing this?'” — Jake
How the Ratings Work Together
When we preview the weekly schedule, you’ll see both ratings for every game. Here’s how to interpret them:
| 🛋️ Recliner | 🍺 Barstool | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| High | High | The best kind of game. Quality football AND entertaining. Don’t miss it. |
| High | Low | Good football but might be boring. Think low-scoring defensive battle. |
| Low | High | Bad football but entertaining. Chaos, upsets, shootouts between mediocre teams. |
| Low | Low | Skip it. Bad football and boring. Life is short. |
Example Ratings
Texas Tech vs. BYU (Big 12 Championship)
🛋️ Recliner: 9/10
“Two top-15 teams. Elite defenses. Championship stakes. The matchup of Tech’s front seven against BYU’s offensive line is fascinating. This is the kind of game that defines seasons.”
🍺 Barstool: 10/10
“CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. TECH IS PLAYING FOR A TITLE. I’ve been waiting 31 years for this. If you’re not watching, I don’t know what you’re doing with your life.”
Houston vs. Oklahoma State (Late Season)
🛋️ Recliner: 3/10
“Two struggling teams with nothing to play for. The football quality will be poor. I don’t want to watch this, but I will because it’s my team.”
🍺 Barstool: 4/10
“Bad teams, but there’s some chaos potential. Maybe Houston covers? Maybe OSU’s interim staff pulls something weird? Probably not. But maybe.”
Iowa State vs. Kansas State (Farmageddon)
🛋️ Recliner: 8/10
“Two physical, well-coached teams. The running game battle will be fascinating. Both defensive coordinators are excellent. This is old-school Big 12 football.”
🍺 Barstool: 5/10
“Respect to both teams, but this is going to be a 24-17 slog. The under is hitting. The excitement is not.”
Why Two Ratings?
Because “good game” means different things to different people.
Some people want to watch two elite teams execute at a high level. Some people want chaos and points and unexpected outcomes. Some people want both.
We’re not going to pretend one perspective is right. We’re going to give you both and let you decide what matters to you.
Mike thinks football quality matters most. Jake thinks entertainment matters most. We’re both right. We’re both wrong. That’s football.
Where You’ll See These Ratings
– Weekly Game Previews: Every game rated on both scales
– Power Rankings: Season-long ratings for each team
– Team Hub Pages: Historical ratings and trends
– Betting Previews: Ratings inform our picks
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