The Bill and Doug Show: "Around the Shoe"

Episode: Ohio State at the NFL Combine; Best Buckeye Transfer Addition; Was Troy Snubbed?
Date: February 23, 2026
Host/Guests: Doug Lesmerises, Bill Landis (Blue Wire), Dave Biddle (Bucknuts), Chuck (Chuck on Bucks, Buckeye Huddle)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into five major Ohio State football topics, centered around the imminent NFL Combine and legacy Buckeye debates. Doug, Bill, and guest experts Dave Biddle and Chuck engage in spirited conversations about the Buckeyes’ NFL talent, transfer portal impact, snubs in all-time rankings (especially Troy Smith), and look ahead to spring practice. The crew combines insight, big-picture perspective, humor, and a healthy dose of Buckeye passion throughout.

Key Discussion Points

1. NFL Combine—Buckeye Talent vs. Championship Outcome

• Premise: Despite elite NFL talent (four projected Buckeyes in top-12 picks), Ohio State didn’t repeat as national champions. Why?
• Disappointment, Not Disaster
  • Dave Biddle (02:54):

    “Disappointing is the word I came up with... because they did lose to the two best teams in the nation... Definitely disappointing to not win it all with all that talent, but... not too surprising.”

• Heightened Disappointment Due to Tease
  • Chuck (04:04):

    “What makes it hit the hardest? To me, it's when it teases you... Now all of a sudden, you got the most accurate quarterback in the country in history. And it's like, wait a minute, we can actually do this... I feel like it was just a, a lot of stubbornness in, in coaching that led to the demise of a team that could have won it all.”

• Two-Year Perspective
  • Bill Landis (06:11):

    “I tend to think of it more as a two-year window... if you can look at these players as a collective... these guys left Ohio State as national champions and then I think that's worth celebrating.”

Timestamps

• Discussing the word/phrase for the Buckeyes’ season: [02:54 – 08:52]

2. NFL Combine Storylines—Who Needs to Shine?

• Most Intrigue Beyond the Top
  • Chuck (13:23):

    “We all want to see the freak shows Arvel, Sonny, Caleb can put on... but I want to go down the board... Kaden Curry. What he turned into was just... I think there’s probably a lot of NFL boards... looking to see some really good agility out of him.”

  • Bill Landis (14:55):

    “Most interested in Lorenzo Styles Jr. I'm not sure that he's going to get drafted... if he puts up a low 4.4 or high 4.3, I think he's obviously going to help himself... maybe a core special teams guy for a long time.”

  • Dave Biddle (17:51):

    “I'm gonna go with IGB, Denzel Igbinosun, because I feel like he's a little bit of a wild card. He went from 14 penalties to four, he really cleaned that up. He's physical, he's long...”

• Styles Brothers as Combine Athletes
  • Chuck (19:26):

    “Two players on the team showed up on five of [the Woody’s top-10 testing] boards... Lorenzo Styles, Reese Stockdale. Lorenzo Styles is going to dominate this combine!”

• Memorable exchange:

  “Are you also saying Lorenzo Styles?”
  — “I am not. I thought, okay, guys, we're gonna steal my pick.” (Biddle & Landis, 17:51)

Timestamps

• NFL Combine “who to watch” picks: [13:23 – 20:10]

3. Ryan Day NFL Draft Era—Ultimate No. 1 Buckeye

• Who is the Top Draft Pick of the Ryan Day Era (2020-2026)?
  • Bill Landis (21:03):

    “I am picking Sonny Styles... He is the perfect modern linebacker... I just have a really difficult time seeing him not becoming a star... because he's so young too.”

  • Doug (25:06):

    “I would take Chase Young. What he did in 2019... what Miles Garrett has been in the NFL, that's what I thought Chase Young was going to be. If he hadn't gotten hurt, that isn't what he would have wound up being.”

  • Dave Biddle (26:28):

    “The guy I'm going with is Caleb Downs... He is the safest pick in this draft. I take him number one... the smartest football player I’ve ever covered.”

  • Chuck (28:51):

    “To me, it was absolutely Chase Young. I was wrapped up in it... he was a different type of monster... the Predator. He was the dude.”

Notable Quote

• Landis on Sonny Styles (21:03):

  “Perfect modern linebacker… best linebacker in the NFL… for like eight years.”

Timestamps

• “Ultimate Ohio State NFL Draft pick of the Day era”: [20:58 – 33:41]

4. Was Troy Smith Snubbed in All-Time QB Rankings?

• Context: ESPN/Bill Connelly ranked Troy Smith 40th on their top-100 CFB QBs of the 2000s.
• Consensus: WAY Too Low
  • Doug (35:59):

    “Troy at 40... He’s behind Diego Pavia? What are we doing?... Troy Smith at 40 is too low.”

  • Dave Biddle (36:44):

    “Troy should be in the top 20 in my opinion… He was 3-0 vs Michigan, won the Heisman, and always played really really well...”

  • Chuck (37:46):

    “There’s been a total whitewashing of his career based on that one game [2006 title loss]... The guy was just a total stud.”

  • Landis (39:59):

    “There are 12 Heisman winners on this list, the only one ranked lower than Troy is Eric Crouch… logic seems lacking.”

• Barrett, Other Buckeyes in Rankings
  • Landis on Barrett:

    “Maybe JT is not better than 75th best, but there are a few guys ahead of him that probably shouldn't have been.”

  • Chuck on fanbase split:

    “He was a lightning rod towards the end of his career... Looking back... there's like all the warm and fuzzies now that there weren't that last maybe a year and a half.”

Notable Quotes

• Chuck (38:56):

  “A total stud at a time when Ohio State needed a total stud quarterback. Michigan slayer, beautiful ball, numbers great for back then.”

• Doug (39:26):

  “Not some under the radar guy—Troy Smith and Ohio State in 2006 was a gigantic national story.”

Timestamps

• Troy Smith as “snub” in all-time rankings: [33:56 – 43:21]

5. Top Transfer Portal Addition for 2026

• Unanimous Pick: Safety Terry Moore (from Duke)

  • Dave Biddle (43:45):

    “I'm gonna go with Terry Moore... very productive at Duke in 2024. Second team All-ACC... more of a Jordan Fuller type... I think that being the first injury he’s suffered, Terry Moore is going to be the biggest impact player.”

  • Chuck (45:23):

    “This is Terry Moore all day... a million dollar player type of guy... absolute dog. All the intangibles, total stud.”

• Other Potential Standouts

  • Chuck (45:23-46:53):

    “Hunter Welsing [TE] is a dog, can be a legit tight end... Pretty excited about John Walker too.”

  • Bill Landis (47:31):

    “Terry Moore and Dr. Wilson were my top two... For the sake of naming someone new, Quay Russo could climb the list. He broke his foot, but traits are there.”

• Doug’s Wildcard

  • Connor Hawkins, Kicker (48:56):

    “Going to potentially provide two of the defining moments... when he makes the first 50+ yard field goal for Ohio State since 2019... then misses and people will have to self-examine... kicker position has been so fraught.”

Memorable Moment

• Chuck on fanbase (51:54):

  “This guy’s going 18 for 18 this year. President Carter’s jacked up about this, man... That’s how big a deal this is.”

Timestamps

• Transfer portal additions: [43:45 – 52:36]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Chuck (On the pain of missed opportunity, 04:04):

  "...the fact that they were so close to Miami and Indiana doesn't make me feel better, makes me feel worse."

• Bill Landis (On NFL perspective, 06:11):

  "...these guys left Ohio State as national champions and then I think that's worth celebrating more than it is... lamenting..."

• Dave Biddle (On Caleb Downs, 26:28):

  "He is the safest pick in this draft... might be the smartest football player that I've ever covered, maybe that I've ever watched."

• Doug (On Buckeye kicker trauma, 48:56):

  "...the first time he makes a 50 yarder, everybody's gonna christen him and then he's gonna miss a field goal. Here we go again."

• Chuck (On Troy Smith, 37:46):

  "There's been a total whitewashing of his career based on that one game. And it infuriates me."

• Multiple on Terry Moore (45:23-47:31):

  Repeatedly called a “dude,” “dog,” “total stud”—a rare moment of unanimous praise.

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------|------------------| | Buckeye Combine disappointment | 02:54 – 08:52 | | Who to watch at the NFL Combine | 13:23 – 20:10 | | Ultimate Ryan Day Buckeye draft pick | 20:58 – 33:41 | | Troy Smith QB rankings discussion | 33:56 – 43:21 | | Best transfer addition (Terry Moore, etc.) | 43:45 – 52:36 |

Tone and Style Snapshot

• Lively, passionate Buckeye talk—mix of analysis, exasperation, and pride
• Banter and friendly ribbing, especially over fan and media narratives
• Analytical but always fan-centered, keeping big picture and details in focus
• “We love these guys, but we can be real about what happened.”

Summary

This episode captures the highs and lows of recent Ohio State football: the pride in producing elite NFL talent, the disappointment at not cashing it in for a title, ongoing debates about Buckeye legacy, and the ever-turning wheel of transfer portal hope. The hosts and guests break down what sets players like Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs, and Terry Moore apart, while lamenting undervalued legends like Troy Smith. The show balances expert insight with a fan’s heart, providing both catharsis and optimism for Buckeye Nation.