The Bill and Doug Show: Ohio State Football Talk

Episode: College Football Playoff Rankings: Which teams could be knocked from playoff spots in rivalry week?
Date: November 26, 2025
Hosts: Doug Lesmerises & Bill Landis
Podcast Network: Blue Wire

Overview

In this episode, Doug and Bill break down the newly released College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings going into Rivalry Week. They discuss which teams have the most at stake, how upsets might impact the playoff picture, and offer their own projected playoff fields. Their trademark blend of analysis and good-natured sarcasm keeps things lively as they dissect potential chaos scenarios and contemplate the implications for Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, and the many teams on the playoff bubble.

Main Themes & Episode Purpose

• CFP Rankings Reaction: Real-time discussion of the latest CFP rankings and what it means for playoff contenders.
• Rivalry Week Outlook: Which games could produce big upsets and shake up the playoff field.
• Chaos Scenarios: Outlining how certain results could dramatically alter the postseason landscape.
• Prognostication: Doug and Bill offer their own predicted playoff rankings based on anticipated upsets.
• Fun with Fans: Reminding listeners that the heart of CFB is unpredictability and chaos, and inviting fans to embrace it.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Gripes with TV Scheduling & ESPN (00:24–02:18)

• The hosts vent about ESPN forcing the playoff rankings reveal between "meaningless" college basketball games, poking fun at broadcast priorities.
  • Doug: “If I go to the wrong place, it’s going to be watching the last 90 seconds of a meaningless December November college basketball game that takes 24 minutes. This is hell on earth.” (00:28)
• ESPN’s “power” to shape fan experiences is critiqued in a lighthearted rant.

CFP Rankings & Bubble Teams (02:18–10:47)

• Rivalry Week: The unique number of close spreads (Alabama-Auburn, Georgia-Georgia Tech, Oregon-Washington, Ohio State-Michigan) sets up for potential chaos.
  • Doug: “To me, it’s proof of Alabama midness… There are just enough games like that this week… certainly could be Ohio State Michigan.”
• Doug lists unbeaten, one-loss, and two-loss Power 4 teams, noting the interplay between head-to-head tiebreakers and CFP rankings—especially in the American Athletic Conference.

Notable Quotes:

• Bill: “I think we’ve been saving up all the energy for this last week and we’re gonna get... there is a pathway... for this to get quite chaotic.” (04:08)
• Doug: “There are three undefeated power conference teams as it stands right now: Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M. Five one-loss teams… nine two-loss teams.” (04:49)

Conference Championship & Playoff Math (10:47–18:52)

Big 12, ACC & Waiting-on-Chaos Squads

• Miami, Utah, Vanderbilt identified as "waiting for chaos"—teams not in control, needing multiple results to go their way.
  • Doug: “Miami, Utah and Vanderbilt are probably not going to be in conference championship games, but are going to sit there potentially at 10 and 2 and hope…”
• Lane Kiffin’s future and mid-season coaching moves’ impacts discussed, comparing Ole Miss' instability to North Texas' situation with their coach leaving for Oklahoma State.

Notable Quotes:

• Bill: (On Lane Kiffin) “I don’t… It’s not having your head coach a reason to leave a team out of the playoff?” (11:08)
• Doug: (Satirical) “I didn’t hear any stories about going to yoga with Eric Morris or… his agent held up any teams at gunpoint for more money. So what Lane Kiffin is doing right now, it doesn’t have to be this way.” (11:20)

Playoff Rankings Top 12 & Bracketology (14:18–17:49)

• Top 5 CFP Teams:
  1. Ohio State
  2. Indiana
  3. Texas A&M
  4. Georgia
  5. Texas Tech
• Doug draws possible bracket matchups, gets excited about Oklahoma-Notre Dame and Oregon-Texas A&M, and notes Oregon’s moved to #3 in betting odds.
  • Doug: “Oklahoma-Notre Dame would be a cool first round game. Alabama Ole Miss … I couldn’t give two squats about that game. But that SEC showdown would then play Indiana. That’s cool.” (14:18)

Pac-12 Chaos Potential

• If Washington, previously stung by a loss to Wisconsin, beats Oregon, it could shake up the bracket but probably not be enough for a playoff bid. Oregon, with one or two losses, could still compare favorably to other at-large contenders.

Key Games to Watch & Surprising Spreads (18:52–27:00)

• ACC: Miami at PIT, Virginia Tech at Virginia, SMU at Cal—all have major championship implications.
• Big 12: Central Florida at BYU, Texas Tech at West Virginia—heavy favorites, but upsets possible.
• Big Ten: Ohio State at Michigan, Oregon at Washington—both double-digit spreads but potential for rivalry shockers.
• SEC:
  • Texas A&M at Texas (A&M favored by 2.5)
  • Alabama at Auburn (Bama favored by 5.5)
  • Georgia at Georgia Tech (favored by 13.5)
  • Ole Miss at Mississippi State (Egg Bowl; Ole Miss favored by 7.5)
• Doug: “With those four SEC games, Bill... I think something’s going to happen in there.” (26:56)
• Chaos in the SEC could have massive trickle-down effects for playoff at-larges.

Projected Playoff Fields (Predictions) (28:11–35:25)

Bill’s Predicted Field:

• Assumes: Georgia beats Georgia Tech, Bama loses to Auburn, A&M loses to Texas, Ole Miss loses Egg Bowl.
• Projected Top 6:
  1. Ohio State (Big Ten champ)
  2. Georgia (SEC champ)
  3. Indiana (Big Ten runner-up)
  4. Texas A&M (SEC)
  5. Texas Tech (Big 12 champ)
  6. Oregon
• Oklahoma, Notre Dame, BYU, Miami, Virginia, North Texas round out the field.

Doug’s Predicted Field:

• Ohio State at #1, Texas A&M as undefeated SEC champ at #2; Indiana #3, Texas Tech #4, Oregon #5, Georgia #6, followed by Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, BYU, Pitt, Tulane.
• Doug (on the process): “I did a bad job on the show. I’m all over the place... I just wanted to get Nard Dog to Athens.” (35:06)

Fun with First-Round Matchups

• Bill loves Doug’s notional “Nard Dog going up against the dogs [Georgia],” and a potential “classic Notre Dame-Oklahoma.” Both highlight how chaos would produce fresh, interesting games.

Memorable Moments & Banter

• Extended, tongue-in-cheek debate about the merits and drawbacks of watching Rivalry Week during Thanksgiving break:
  • Doug: “Can you imagine if we could just all invest every ounce of our energy into Rivalry Week like it was a normal week?” (37:50)
  • Bill: “Friday schedule is pretty sweet... having Thanksgiving and just sitting on your couch while you’re still in your tryptophan coma...” (39:03)
• Running joke about “robust quarter zip and hoodie surveys” at Thanksgiving tables to sneakily collect holiday gift data (28:11).
• Recurring theme: rooting for the most fun, chaotic outcomes rather than straightforward “chalk” playoff advancement.

Notable Quotes

• “I think we’ve been saving up all the energy for this last week and we’re gonna get... there is a pathway... for this to get quite chaotic.” – Bill (04:08)
• “There are three undefeated power conference teams... Five one-loss teams… nine two-loss teams.” – Doug (04:49)
• “To me, it’s proof of Alabama midness…” – Doug (02:55)
• “It would be a heck of a thing to lose the Iron Bowl to an interim coach when you’re on the precipice of making the playoff.” – Bill (22:59)
• “What we’re really projecting is some chaos, because we could have just gone chalk... and that’s not what we’re saying.” – Doug (34:47)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:24–02:18 – Opening banter, complaints about basketball interruptions and ESPN
• 02:18–06:13 – First breakdown of rivalries and potential upsets
• 10:47–13:11 – In-depth on “waiting-for-chaos” teams (Miami, Utah, Vanderbilt), coaching drama
• 14:18–18:52 – Full breakdown of the top 5 CFP teams and possible playoff bracket matchups
• 18:52–27:00 – Rundown of key rivalry/games and what’s at stake
• 28:11–35:25 – Hosts make their wild, chaos-fueled playoff predictions and discuss the best hypothetical matchups
• 37:50–39:25 – Rivalry Week, Thanksgiving, and why this week is so unique for fans

Tone & Style

• Sarcastic, irreverent, and passionate—Doug and Bill riff on the absurdities and awesome potential of college football's chaos.
• Deeply engaged with game details, but always including fans in the fun: “Let’s give the people what they want.”
• Strong Midwest-centric (read: anti-Southern CFB bias) stance.

Summary

This episode captures why college football is beloved for its unpredictability. Doug and Bill, blending sharp analysis and humor, walk through this week’s CFP rankings and build-out what might happen if Rivalry Week goes haywire.
They stress that after a quiet previous week, fans should brace for some shocks—and the playoff picture is anything but settled. The hosts’ predicted fields for the playoff are loaded with “what if” outcomes, acknowledging just how many teams are one upset away from the playoff or heartbreak.

Ultimately: If you love drama, rivalry, and the stakes of college football, this is the week to watch, and this episode is the perfect, fan-first preview.