what they’re saying is playing in the room, etc.

For the "playing in the room" comment, an important word there is "how"

Baiters don't know How it's playing in the room.

I'm assuming baiters are some people who are trying to "bait" (annoy or rile up) some people.
The baiters are saying things they hope will get to the listeners and make them react, giving the baiter attention. In other words, a troll.

However, the listeners might not be bothered by what is being said, or realize the baiter is just trying to annoy them, etc. It's not playing well, or, going as the baiter expected.

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You're correct about "easy pickings"

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Asleep at the switch just means not paying attention when they should be. A similar expression is "asleep at the wheel"

Q1: "Playing in the room" means how what is being said is being interpreted by the people listening. You tell a story that you think is funny, but no one laughs because it wasn't playing well.

Q2: "Asleep at the switch" means not paying attention.

Q3: "Easy pickings" means easily taken advantage of.

Q4: In the US, each state has a large, public university, often two. There are good natured, in-state rivalries and rivalries with adjacent states. The two universities you asked about are adjacent state rivals.

Heh, I missed that one about the rivalry. Funny since I live in a Texas and seen some people take it very seriously.

Thank you both very much for your help.
- Is "easy pickings" idiomatic?

- Is "asleep at the switch" idiomatic? What does "switch" literally refer to when it means "attention"?

- I missed a question about "beyond drunken". Does "beyond drunken" mean the person is very drunken, either in a state of stupor or almost losing all her/his senses? Is it idiomatic?

- Do most Americans have a very strong affinity to the state where they belong to?
I heard about Americans often move from one state to another for job, study, or whatever. I guess such an emotion generally happens to the people who were born there and live there most of their lives, correct?

Would any of you give me a hand again about the questions above?

Easy pickings refers to picking the low hanging fruit on a tree that's ripe. In other words, not much effort is needed.

The phrase "asleep at the switch" goes back to train engineers. A train has to switch tracks at times to avoid colliding with other trains. In the past, this had to be done manually by someone by them using levers to move the track. If you were not attentive, "asleep at the switch" you would cause the train to crash into another.
Same with asleep at the wheel (of a car). If you're not attentive, disaster.

I've never noticed the expression "beyond drunk", but it's meaning is clear.

People don't belong to a state, they live in that state.
Yes, people do move around, sometimes from state to state, going far distances sometimes, across the country.

Although this does happen more often than in past decades/centuries. It's not something that the vast majority constantly do. We move when there is a good reason.

Some people move from their state of origin and maintain a close feeling to that state.
Others move to a new place and over time prefer that place.

It's an individual thing, a persons nature. I'm sure no different than people are wherever it is you live.

Thank you very much again!