The Bill and Doug Show: Ohio State Football Talk

Episode: ESPN's Embarrassing James Franklin Interview; Fired Coaches Relegation; Alabama Smugness: Rants
Date: October 21, 2025
Host: Doug Lesmerises (solo; Bill Landis off this episode)
Source: Blue Wire

Episode Overview

Doug Lesmerises steers this solo episode through several passionate rants on the state of college football media—including ESPN's treatment of fired coach James Franklin, the nature of coaching changes (including a mock "relegation" system), and his ongoing battle against the media's perceived Southern (SEC) bias. Using recent events, analytical stats, and a healthy dose of humor, Doug deconstructs the myths and narratives orbiting college football’s biggest personalities and programs, especially those outside the Midwest.

1. ESPN’s Embarrassing James Franklin Interview: “Coaches Are Not Victims”

Timestamps: 02:26–15:47

Key Points

• Doug critiques ESPN’s tone and approach during the College GameDay interview with James Franklin (just fired by Penn State).
• He emphasizes the over-the-top deference, seeing it as “propaganda” and “puffery” rather than actual journalism.
• Doug’s central thesis: “Fetishization of coaches” distorts college football coverage, making coaches appear as victims instead of highly compensated public figures.

Notable Quotes

• “This was propaganda, this was puffery... The fetishization of coaches in college football.” — Doug (03:10)
• “Coaches are the third most important group in college football. The players put their brains and bodies on the line. The fans make it a billion-dollar industry.” — Doug (08:22)
• On Saban calling Franklin’s firing unfair:
  “To pretend that a coach with a $50 million buyout, that this is... unfair as hell... There are people all over the place losing their jobs. Why is this different? Because we have to kiss the butt of coaches.” — Doug (06:40)
• On the interview’s tone:
  “It's embarrassing. It was embarrassing what ESPN and GameDay did to James Franklin. There's no reason to treat him like that. Be an adult.” — Doug (13:09)

Memorable Moments

• Doug repeatedly struggles with the word “fetishization,” lampooning media’s coach-worship:
  “Fetishiz— no, fetishize. Dang it. Why did I start saying the F word again?” (13:51)
• Recurring theme: “Coaches are fine. They're handsomely compensated. Should they be publicly berated? No. But let's stop playing them as victims.” (13:20)

2. Fired Coaches & The “Relegation” Riff: Is This the Real Relegation?

Timestamps: 18:19–24:10

Key Points

• Doug analyzes the recent spate of coaching firings (11 openings, including Florida, Penn State, Arkansas, etc.) and draws a parallel to the concept of relegation from European soccer.
• Argues that with player movement via the portal and NIL, fired programs are effectively “relegated” already due to roster attrition and rebuilding.
• Proposes a tongue-in-cheek “firing requirement”: bottom 11 Power 68 teams automatically lose their coaches, bringing “term limits” to college coaching.
• Notes that this constant turnover could prevent the rise of “coaching cults” and personalities.

Notable Quotes

• “If you think of it that way, there's 68 [Power Conference] teams. 11 move up, you’re in the playoff. 11 get fired. That's your relegation.” — Doug (19:55)
• “The firing requirement. If we did that enough, you would not build up these coaching cult personalities because you’d be cycling dudes out every now and then.” — Doug (22:39)
• “We have term limits for president. Should probably have ‘em for coaches, too.” — Doug (22:47)

Memorable Moments

• Practical joke: “Want to make people watch late-season games between lousy teams? The firing requirement!” (21:37)
• Acknowledges some coaches get only a “half vote of confidence” (e.g., Luke Fickell, Mike Norvell)—shows how unstable the job is even at high levels. (21:18)

3. Alabama Smugness & SEC Media Puffery: Caution Flags for Bama

Timestamps: 26:34–38:05

Key Points

• Doug addresses his pre-season take comparing Alabama’s new coach Kalen DeBoer to Rich Rodriguez—admitting he’s been (very) wrong so far.
• Cautions listeners: “Not so fast on the Bama smugness”—stats tell a less dominant story.
  • Alabama is only 31st in offensive success rate, 73rd in defense among FBS teams.
  • Bama’s turnover margin (plus-9) masks deeper issues; luck plays a big role.
• Challenges SEC fans and media for narrative switching:
  • SEC previously wanted to ignore “bad losses” but now uses them to attack other conferences.
  • If Ohio State and Indiana were dominating from the SEC, media would frame the season differently.

Notable Quotes

• “I would just hold off on the smug Bama takes just a little bit longer. Because if this thing still goes south for Bama, I’m never gonna stop talking about it.” — Doug (27:08)
• “When I look at the success rates, I still see a team that has a chance to lose some games.” — Doug (28:08)
• On SEC’s shifting arguments:
  “Are SEC people officially acknowledging that bad losses hurt you? Can we get this in the public record?” — Doug (33:48)
• “The facts are on my side... There's a puffery to the SEC that does not exist for northern teams in the Big Ten. And right now the Big Ten teams are better.” — Doug (37:21)

Memorable Moments

• Doug details a series of Twitter back-and-forths with SEC writers, playfully calling out their selective arguments. (32:45–36:42)
• Reframes the season’s media narrative: “Find me somewhere... the overall view is Ohio State and Indiana are dominating. If they were SEC teams, would the media be talking about it the same way?” — Doug (36:24)

4. Final Rants and Takeaways

Timestamps: 37:00–38:05

Key Points

• Doug openly admits his misses (“I get stuff wrong all the time”) but insists on strong, evidence-based opinions.
• Reaffirms his crusade against SEC media puffery, positioning himself as a voice for fairness and northern programs.
• Teases upcoming coverage and thanks listeners for riding along.

Summary Table of Notable Quotes & Highlights

| Timestamp | Topic/Quote | Speaker | Context | |-----------|-------------|---------|---------| | 03:10 | “This was propaganda, this was puffery... The fetishization of coaches in college football.” | Doug | On ESPN’s Franklin interview | | 08:22 | “Coaches are the third most important group in college football...” | Doug | Reordering CFB priorities | | 13:09 | “It's embarrassing... what ESPN and GameDay did to James Franklin.” | Doug | Calls out media deference | | 19:55 | “11 move up [to playoff], 11 get fired. That's your relegation.” | Doug | Satirical “relegation” system | | 22:39 | “...you would not build up these coaching cult personalities because you’d be cycling dudes out...” | Doug | On benefits of rapid coaching changes | | 27:08 | “Hold off on the smug Bama takes just a little bit longer...” | Doug | Post-Alabama Georgia win caution | | 33:48 | “Are SEC people officially acknowledging that bad losses hurt you?” | Doug | Tweaking SEC’s shifting narratives | | 36:24 | “Find me somewhere... that the overall view on college football this season is Ohio State and Indiana are dominating...” | Doug | Exposing bias in media narratives | | 37:21 | “There's a puffery to the SEC that does not exist for northern teams...” | Doug | Closing the episode’s argument |

Tone and Style

• Conversational, irreverent, and deeply opinionated.
• Doug delivers long, thoughtful riffs interspersed with self-deprecating asides, wordplay (especially around “fetishization”), and Twitter call-outs.
• Balanced between humor and sincerity, aiming to inform, challenge, and entertain.

For Listeners Who Missed It

This episode puts a spotlight on how media narratives—and not just on the field action—shape the culture and business of college football. Doug’s frank, data-driven takes challenge long-standing assumptions about coaching importance and conference supremacy, while defending fan and player priorities. If you love blunt truth-telling mixed with the fine details of CFB discourse, this solo show is a must-listen (especially if you're tired of Southern football media’s “puffery”).