The Bill and Doug Show: Ohio State Football Talk

Episode: Indiana lessons; Ohio State respect and regret; final Buckeyes transfer portal view: Around the Shoe
Date: January 20, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of The Bill and Doug Show dives deep into the aftershocks of an unprecedented college football season where Indiana, led by head coach Kurt Signetti, captured a national title. Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis are joined by Andrew Gillis (cleveland.com) and Blake Biscardi (The Silver Bulletin) to unpack lessons from Indiana’s run, Ohio State’s own season of respect and regret, and a final review of Ohio State’s activity in the transfer portal. They also talk about the changing dynamics of the Big Ten, which now features Indiana as a legit contender, and look ahead to future marquee matchups and the next possible national champion from the Big Ten not named Michigan, Ohio State, or Indiana.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Lessons from Indiana’s National Title Season

(Starts ~02:00)

• Coaching and Culture Above All

  • Andrew Gillis compares Kurt Signetti to Ted Lasso for his transformative effect:

    “Kurt Signetti might just be Ted Lasso... I think coaching is going to matter way more. And I think coaching is the be all, end all of this.” (02:28)

  • Special teams emphasis: Indiana under Grant Kane blocking 8 punts in 2 years shown as an example of meticulous coaching focus.

• Culture and Brotherhood in Modern CFB

  • Blake Biscardi credits Indiana’s locker room culture for their success, remarking how NIL and the transfer portal make team cohesion harder—but Indiana nailed it:

    “You saw these guys in Indiana just believe in each other... seeing their interactions and how much they actually loved each other and just the fun they were having... it was almost tangible.” (07:50)

• The Death of the Pure Blue-Chip Model

  • Bill Landis declares:

    “The blue chip ratio is dead. Margins and coaching are now the separator in college football.” (09:11)
    Indiana flipped a game they were outplayed in via special teams and a bold QB draw call—a detail-driven, well-prepared approach.

• Parity, Player Movement, and Talent Evaluation

  • Doug Lesmerises self-reflects on underestimating G5 uptransfers:

    “For a long time I have disrespected the lower levels of college football... The best 8 or 10 or 12 players [from a top G5] might be as good as almost any Power 4 team.” (13:41)

2. Ohio State: Respect vs. Regret After Indiana’s Run

(Starts ~15:00)

• Balancing Respect for Indiana vs. Regret for OSU’s Own Shortcomings

  • Blake Biscardi sets the tone:

    “I think the respect is at 30, the regrets at 70. But that’s not to take anything away at all from Indiana... Ohio State didn’t lose playing their best.” (15:21)

  • Bill Landis is even harsher:

    “I think it could be 99% regret and 1% respect, just based off what was at stake for Ohio State this season.” (18:55)

• Doug Advocates for More Respect

  • Doug Lesmerises flips the narrative, giving 70% respect, 30% regret:

    “Indiana just had more of that winning juice. So I’m 70% well done, Hoosiers.” (19:08)

• Andrew Gillis: It’s About Indiana Making Plays

  • For him, it’s 80% respect, 20% regret:

    “It wasn’t like Ohio State just kind of gift wrapped the game for them... Indiana also made those plays.” (21:41)

• Notable Team Differences

  • Emphasis on Indiana’s bold calls vs. Ohio State’s conservatism (“Was Ohio State kicking the field goal?... Indiana was like, we can make this field goal, but we’re going to go for the win.”) (23:09)

3. Ohio State Transfer Portal: Final Review

(Starts ~27:24)

• Portal Grade: Generally Positive, Cautions Remain

  • Bill Landis: “I’d give it like an 80, which is like a B-minus... They rebounded nicely... but probably left a little bit of meat on the bone.” (27:57)
  • Doug stresses, “The ins are fine, and the outs are not as bad as maybe people initially reacted to.” (29:55)
  • Andrew Gillis slightly lower at 77, focusing on lack of star/‘wow’ additions:

    “I don’t think you got anybody out of the portal that was like, whoa... But maybe Ohio State raised its floor pretty significantly.” (32:30)

  • Blake gives 82, spotlighting the addition of kicker Connor Hawkins:

    “We may have a kicker who may feel like Mike Nugent the first time he makes a 50-yarder.” (35:06)

• The Portal Approach: Moneyball vs. Betting on Upside

  • Doug/Andrew joke about the "Money Portal" philosophy—trading high-ceiling rookies (e.g., Aaron Scott, Fahim Delane) for experienced, older, but perhaps lower-upside contributors.

4. Looking Ahead: Ohio State at Indiana, October 2026

(Starts ~37:34)

• Big Ten’s Marquee Matchup?

  • Doug: “Is it possible that Ohio State–Indiana could do a bigger rating than Ohio State–Michigan?” (38:13)
  • Bill: “No. Ohio State–Michigan got 18 million viewers. The next closest game was 13 million.” (39:36)

• Thematic Takes: Old Money vs. New Money

  • Andrew Gillis:

    “Old money vs. new money. It works in two ways. Obviously the old guard of Ohio State... Indiana’s the worst literal program as of two months ago. And now they’re at this level.” (40:29)

• Which Roster Construction Model Will Win Out?

  • Blake opts for “unwritten”:

    “There is a new story to write for both of these programs... can Indiana maintain this or will Ohio State reassert themselves?” (42:50)

• Game Stakes: Consequential

  • Bill warns against overhyping, but:

    “It does feel a bit consequential. If Indiana gets Ohio State again in Bloomington... then it starts to become a more serious conversation.” (44:46)

• Rivalry/Animosity Potential

  • “If Indiana beats Ohio State again... we see animosity going forward, because now we’re going to create a little bit of a rivalry here like it was with Michigan State.” (Blake, 49:09)

• Doug’s Wild Card NIL Suggestion:

  “If Ohio State has like $3 million in NIL sitting around, I got a way to spice this thing up... Alberto Mendoza, Ohio State Buckeye.” (49:09)

  • Bill & Andrew mock-scheming about bringing in Fernando Mendoza’s younger brother from the portal.

5. Big Ten’s Next National Champion: Who’s Next (Non-OSU/UM/Indiana)?

(Starts ~50:01)

• Oregon: The Overwhelming Consensus

  • Andrew:

    “I think it’s Oregon... They are in that lump of teams that have the most pressure on them in the sport.” (50:01)

  • Blake agrees, noting their buildup and the “if-not-now-when” situation with Dante Moore at QB and favorable schedule.

• Penn State: The Contrarian Pick

  • Bill Landis:

    “My answer is Penn State. I think Matt Campbell’s a great coach... if you’re in the field and you’re a Power Four team, I think we now have to keep an open mind.” (54:07)

• Doug’s Lurkers, Always Ready

  • Jokes about throwing in five-to-seven teams (favorably mentioning Wisconsin, Northwestern, Washington), underscoring new parity and unpredictability:

    “If Indiana can do it, I actually think you can go through the Big Ten and say—maybe they could catch lightning in a bottle too.” (59:47)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Indiana’s Impact:

  • “Kurt Signetti might just be Ted Lasso... We’re all better for it.” — Andrew Gillis (02:28)
  • “The blue chip ratio is dead. Margins and coaching are now the separator.” — Bill Landis (09:11)
  • “You saw these guys in Indiana just believe in each other... the love, it was extremely evident right there, and it was almost tangible.” — Blake Biscardi (07:50)

• On Ohio State’s Season Reflection:

  • “If Ohio State, Indiana played 10 times, who would win? Maybe six.” — Blake (26:17)
  • “Indiana just had more of it, just had more of that winning juice.” — Doug (19:08)
  • “It wasn’t like Ohio State just gift-wrapped the game. Indiana also made those plays.” — Andrew (21:41)

• On Transfer Portal Moves:

  • “Money Portal. You’re writing Money Portal. We could make that into a movie.” — Doug, joking about Ohio State's approach (32:07)
  • “May have a kicker who may feel like Mike Nugent the first time he makes a 50-yarder.” — Blake (35:06)

• Looking to the Future:

  • “Old money vs. new money. I think that’s really fascinating.” — Andrew (40:29)
  • “If Indiana then beats Ohio State again in Bloomington—then we create a little bit of a rivalry here.” — Blake (49:09)
  • “My answer is Penn State... Matt Campbell’s coaching chops won’t allow them to dip.” — Bill (54:07)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Indiana’s National Title Lessons: 02:00–14:12
• Respect vs. Regret—OSU’s View of Indiana’s Run: 15:21–27:24
• Ohio State Transfer Portal Review: 27:24–37:08
• Ohio State @ Indiana 2026 Preview: 37:34–49:09
• Next Big Ten National Champion Not Named Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana: 50:01–60:00

Tone and Highlights

The conversation is lively, analytical, and playful—replete with inside jokes, teases about making movies out of transfer strategy (“Money Portal”), and honest, sometimes self-critical assessments of Ohio State’s approach in a new era where the stuff that used to guarantee dominance (accumulating raw blue-chip talent) doesn’t necessarily work anymore.
Bill and Doug, along with their guests, sound energized by Indiana’s win—not just for the novelty, but for the way it signals a tectonic shift in what matters in college football: coaching, culture, margins, and adaptability.

For Ohio State fans, college football obsessives, and Big Ten watchers, this episode is both an autopsy of a missed season and a sketch of exciting, uncertain years ahead.