The Bill and Doug Show: Ohio State Football Talk

Podcast Host: Blue Wire
Episode: College Football Playoff picks: Will Ohio State repeat as according to Doug and Bill?
Date: December 12, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode is dedicated to breaking down the 2025 College Football Playoff, with a special focus on Ohio State's chances of repeating as national champions. Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis—veteran beat writers with over 30 years covering the Buckeyes—discuss playoff picks, analyze every first-round matchup, debate the national media consensus, and walk listeners through their full bracket predictions, all with their signature blend of sharp football insight and tongue-in-cheek humor. They challenge prevailing narratives, highlight big-picture storylines, and, as always, put Midwest fans first in the national conversation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The National Championship Pick Landscape

• Opening Stat: Doug surveyed 25 national writers/pundits regarding their national championship picks.

  • Ohio State: 11 picks
  • Indiana: 4
  • Georgia: 8
  • Texas Tech: 2 (no one picked Oregon)
  • (03:02) “Get yourself a Roback right there. Forget the mailman. Nailed it. 11.” – Bill Landis

• Georgia Hype: Both hosts question the basis for continuing faith in Georgia, noting unimpressive performances and a less dominant defense compared to previous years.

  • (04:19) “I think there was a notion that Georgia had started to figure some stuff out... but maybe this is more or less the same team I thought they were all year, which is... kind of a flaw team.” – Doug
  • (06:18) “Yeah, I think you're stretching on Georgia if you're picking them to win it all because... Georgia just is not as disruptive defensively as usual.” – Bill

• Playoff Odds (06:33):

  • Ohio State: +195
  • Indiana: +300
  • Georgia: +600
  • Oregon & Texas Tech: +850
  • Large gap to next tier (e.g., Texas A&M; Miami)

First-Round Game Picks and Analysis

Alabama vs. Oklahoma (at Oklahoma)

• Bill: Picks Oklahoma, doubts Bama's legitimacy, lampoons their repeated mediocrity.
  • (08:48) “I think I would rather beat myself to death with this Stanley mug than pick Alabama.” – Bill
• Doug: Picks Alabama, expecting fewer mistakes than in the regular-season loss.
  • (09:07) “Oklahoma’s defense is very good... but I’ll just assume that they won’t make as many mistakes again and I think they can win a close one.”

Oregon vs. James Madison

• Both agree: Oregon wins handily; Doug doesn’t see a G5 upset beginning here (12:30).

Texas A&M vs. Miami

• Both pick Miami, but neither is confident; both criticize the limited offensive upside of either squad and note questionable QB play.
  • (14:46) “I’ll pick Miami too, primarily... I think [Carson Beck] is at the very least playing much better than Marcel Reed has played lately... I'll take Miami and not feel great about it.” – Doug

Ole Miss vs. Tulane

• Bill calls the upset for Tulane, noting Ole Miss’s coaching drama (Lane Kiffin’s departure) and increased motivation for Tulane.
  • (18:42) “Give me Tulane. ...Let’s have some comeuppance for this chaos because I feel Lane Kiffin leaving Ole Miss was the number one story in college football and now he’s gone.” – Bill
• Doug would take Tulane with the points but ultimately sticks with Ole Miss due to FBS roster depth.
  • (19:55) “I think their offense could look quite clunky and this could be close, but I think I'd still pick the team with the deeper level of FBS talent.” – Doug

Quarterfinals and Semifinals

Indiana vs. Alabama/Oklahoma

• Both hosts have Indiana advancing, regardless of their opponent.
  • (22:44) “Alabama has not impressed me all year. And Indiana is at the very least the second best team in the country. Maybe the best.” – Doug

Oregon vs. Texas Tech

• Oregon advances in both brackets.
  • (23:35) “This is my don’t forget about Oregon warning and I’ll take Oregon.” – Bill
  • (25:43) Both note Oregon’s health and emotional edge after last year’s letdown.

Ohio State vs. Miami

• Both pick Ohio State, but note that Miami’s defensive line could present challenges, especially if OSU’s O-line struggles as it did vs. Indiana.
  • (29:06) “If it plays the way that it played up front against Indiana, it can lose to Miami. I don’t think it will.” – Doug

Georgia vs. Ole Miss/Tulane

• Both take Georgia moving forward, but Bill is underwhelmed by the Dawgs’ draw.

Final Four & Championship Picks

Semifinal Matchups

• Indiana vs. Oregon

  • Both pick Oregon, with injuries on Indiana’s defense cited as the turning point.
  • (33:16) “I kind of think, like, Oregon’s going to do to Indiana what Ohio State did to Oregon last year—not win by that margin necessarily, but just sort of like avenge a regular season loss in the playoff.” – Doug

• Ohio State vs. Georgia

  • Both select Ohio State, referencing its dominant defense and the “revenge” angle after the 2022 Peach Bowl loss to Georgia.
  • (34:50) “I am picking Ohio State to be Georgia and avenge its 2022 Peach Bowl loss.” – Doug

National Championship Game: Ohio State vs. Oregon

• The hosts note that no national writer in Doug’s survey picked this exact matchup.

  • (35:18) “None. A couple people had Oregon in the national championship game, but both people who did had them against Georgia... So you can think that we share a brain, but we're not sharing it with anyone else.” – Bill

• Both pick Ohio State to repeat as National Champion

  • (38:03) “Yeah, so did I. It's really honest. It's just like it's the defense, right? Like, I don't think Ohio State will see a better offense the rest of the way than the one they just played against Indiana.” – Doug
  • (39:46) Bill rattles off the defensive points allowed all season (7, 0, 9, 6, 3, etc.), reinforcing belief that “If the Ohio State offense can get to 20, they're in pretty darn good shape.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• (03:02) Bill Landis (on Doug guessing the media picks):
  “Get yourself a Roback right there. Forget the mailman. Nailed it. 11. You win a row back.”

• (08:48) Bill Landis:
  “I think I would rather beat myself to death with this Stanley mug than pick Alabama.”

• (09:52) Bill (dog-walking tangent on Oklahoma catching Bama’s mistakes):
  “Have you ever seen the people... catch it like soft serve ice cream right out of their chute... Please let us know how and why you do that.”

• (18:42) Bill (calling Tulane’s upset):
  “Give me Tulane. I can’t... Let’s have some comeuppance for this chaos because I feel Lane Kiffin leaving Ole Miss was the number one story in college football and now he’s gone...”

• (33:16) Doug (on Oregon avenging regular season):
  “I kind of think, like, Oregon’s going to do to Indiana what Ohio State did to Oregon last year—not win by that margin necessarily, but just sort of like avenger regular season loss in the playoff and take it to the national championship.”

• (35:18) Bill (on their unique title game pick):
  “None. A couple people had Oregon in the national championship game, but both people who did had them against Georgia... So you can think that we share a brain, but we're not sharing it with anyone else.”

• (38:03) Doug (on Ohio State’s true test):
  “It's the defense, right? Like, I don't think Ohio State will see a better offense the rest of the way than the one they just played against Indiana.”

Important Segment Timestamps

• [02:48] – Doug and Bill guess how national writers are voting in CFB Playoff
• [06:33] – Review of betting odds for title contenders
• [08:48] – First round picks (Alabama/Oklahoma, Oregon/JMU, etc.)
• [18:42] – Bill calls Tulane to upset Ole Miss
• [22:14] – Quarterfinal bracket breakdowns
• [27:37] – Ohio State vs Playoff Quarterfinal Opponents
• [32:24] – Indiana vs. Oregon: History and injury implications
• [34:50] – OSU avenging 2022 Peach Bowl vs Georgia (National Semifinal)
• [35:18] – The “no one else has this” title game: Ohio State vs. Oregon
• [38:03] – Both pick Ohio State to repeat; Confidence in defense

Tone & Style

Doug and Bill keep things light, sardonic, and irreverent (see: “beat myself to death with this Stanley mug” and dog poop metaphors), but always grounded in deep football knowledge and respect for their audience’s intelligence. They mix statistical rigor and film study notes, but never at the cost of momentum or relatability.

Takeaway for Listeners

If you missed the show, here’s what you need to know:

• Doug and Bill are bullish on Ohio State, believe Georgia is overrated, and expect Oregon to be the “overlooked” dangerous team.
• They aren’t afraid to make unconventional picks, call out committee decisions, or question media groupthink.
• Their final: Ohio State over Oregon for the national title, with defense and depth as the key factors.
• They provide thoughtful analysis of upsets and bracket chaos, showing an appreciation for humor and humility along the way.