The Bill and Doug Show: Ohio State Passing Game Lets It Rip as Buckeyes Beat Minnesota

Podcast: The Bill and Doug Show: Ohio State Football Talk
Hosts: Doug Lesmerises & Bill Landis (Blue Wire)
Date: October 5, 2025
Game: Ohio State 42, Minnesota 3

Overview: Dominance and “Letting It Rip”

This episode recaps the Buckeyes’ comprehensive 42-3 win over Minnesota on a night filled with upsets and weirdness across college football. Doug and Bill praise Ohio State’s ability to address lingering criticisms by "letting it rip" in the passing game, showcasing offensive versatility and defensive suffocation. The conversation takes a big-picture view of Ohio State’s maturity and competitiveness, especially in comparison to past Buckeye squads. The hosts also share insights on key performances, scheme wrinkles, special teams creativity, and the impressive emergence of new stars.

Episode Highlights & Key Discussion Points

1. Setting the Scene: A Statement Win

• [01:20] Doug Lesmerises: Sets the recap, joking about the game's score (“42 to 3. I thought they had 10.”).
• [02:10] Doug: Frames the win as Ohio State "trolling" doubters by answering every critique with on-field answers (e.g., special teams, deep shots, fullback use).
• [03:14] Bill: Notes that Ohio State strategically chose this game to break tendencies and showcase new looks, given the upcoming Penn State clash.

2. The "Perfection Challenge"

• [06:28] Doug: Discusses how, on a wild day in college football, simply surviving upsets is noteworthy—but OSU did more, dominating effortlessly.
• [08:30] Doug: “Ohio State’s defense is saying, 'we're going to dare you to be perfect and we're going to make you be perfect. The moment you're not, you're dead.'”
• Ohio State flips the script offensively – when opponents force perfection, OSU delivers; when OSU demands perfection, opponents crack.

3. Passing Game Explodes

Deep Shots and Scheme Variety

• [12:08] Doug: Emphasizes timing—knowing when to “let it rip.”
• [13:43] Doug: Breaks down a sequence: fullback handoff to Donaldson → moonshot to Carnell Tate → quick strike to Jeremiah Smith = explosion sandwich on “fullback bread.”
• [19:42] Doug: Praises the creativity and effectiveness of “12 personnel, under center, play action, deep shot” with Jeremiah Smith motion.
• [20:52] Bill: Marvels at defenses overreacting: “I don't know that I've seen that many people bite that dramatically and wrongly on a play action fake before.”

Quarterback Play: Julian Sayin’s Growth

• [22:43] Doug: Debunks criticisms of Sayin’s willingness to throw deep (“Julian Sayin was 9 of 9 on passes of 20+ yards coming in. He’s 11 for 12 now.”).
• [25:48] Bill: Explains that charts don’t tell the whole story; Sayin takes his shots when they’re there and avoids unnecessary risk.
• [26:53] Doug: “He’s solving problems now…That’s a sign of maturity.”
• [27:57] Bill: Highlights Sayin’s ability to hang in and deliver under pressure: “You could see the moment where Sayin realized he was going to get hit...and hung in anyway.”

4. The Emergence of Carnell Tate and Receiver Hierarchies

• [29:29] Bill: “Is Carnell Tate the second-best receiver in the country?”
• Both agree Tate’s leap in year two redefines expectations, especially as teams overload on Jeremiah Smith.
• [31:33] Doug: Shrugs off concerns about distributing touches to others: “Tate and Smith are enough to counterbalance each other and tie defenses in knots.”
• Max Clair emerges as a third option.

5. The Run Game: Roles Crystalize

• [34:25] Bill: “Jackson is clearly RB1...Peoples gives him a breather, Donaldson in short yardage.”
• Suggests 13–15 touches is the ideal workload in these games, saving Jackson for bigger opponents.

6. Defensive Evolution: Stifling Adaptation

The Perfection Model

• [38:25] Doug: Drops a favorite stat: “Drake Lindsey on the first drive 7 of 9 for 64 yards; rest of game, 8 of 17 for 30 yards.”
• [40:45] Bill: Compares defense to AI learning in real time, adjusting script to script and removing opposing game plans piece by piece.

Scheme and Impact Players

• [43:18] Doug: Explains how Ohio State weaponizes Arvell Reese against 12 personnel: “It’s like a punishment… you have to block the ghost and the real Arvell Reese.”
• [44:29] Bill: “[Reese] is the boogeyman… I don’t know that I’ve seen a guy cause as much confusion or worry with opposing offenses… maybe since Chase Young.”
• The simulated pressure concepts—combining Reese, Curry, and other rushers—lets OSU disguise and hound the QB without overcommitting.

Non-Boxscore Domination

• [49:04] Bill: Sacks are down (only one officially), but the constant pressure forces quick throws and uncomfortable checkdowns, which are functionally as effective.

Personnel Notes

• Zion Grady got snaps and looked promising; C.J. Hicks was absent from defense (potential redshirt?). Will Smith flashed inside.

7. Special Teams & Situational Playcalling

• [53:53] Doug: On trying a 53-yard FG: “Did Ryan Day want to see if Jaden Fielding could make it for a future data point?” Both agree it’s as much a live tryout for future decisions as about the Minnesota game itself.
• [72:07] Bill: On the throwback punt return to Lorenzo Styles: “Cool, but I don't think it's a sign of things to come. Not worth risking disaster—just be average on special teams.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Exchanges

• Doug [08:30]: “You want to make somebody be perfect and they're not? You win. If someone else makes you be perfect and you are? They eventually give up.”
• Bill [20:52]: “Sprinkle a second run fake on top of it to the best player in the sport… Carnell [Tate] spun him around and just waited… as he walks into the end zone while the rest of the Minnesota defense was preoccupied with Maya Smith.”
• Doug [26:53]: “He’s solving problems now, which again is like… you don’t have to do it by running and putting your shoulder into somebody.”
• Doug [38:25]: “Drake Lindsey on the first drive 7 of 9 for 64 yards... rest of the game, 8 of 17 for 30 yards. Wow.”
• Bill [44:29]: “He [Reese] is the boogeyman, right?... Everyone they play is truly terrified of what that man is capable of and what he might be doing.”
• Bill [70:17]: “They have to attack [short yardage] from a variety of ways… The more things defenses have to prepare for, the more likely you are to convert.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:10] - Ohio State “trolling” the critics (special teams, deep shots, fullback)
• [06:28] - Big-picture view: surviving college football carnage
• [08:30] - The ‘perfection’ offensive and defensive dynamic
• [13:43, 19:42] - Fullback looks, explosion plays: passing game deep shots
• [22:43] - Deep ball discussion and Julian Sayin’s downfield numbers
• [26:53–28:55] - Sayin’s poise and improvisation under pressure
• [29:29] - Carnell Tate’s leap; WR pecking order finalized
• [34:25] - RB rotation and usage
• [38:25–42:26] - Defense adjusts live, stifles Minnesota
• [44:29] - Arvell Reese’s impact and threat simulation
• [49:04] - Sacks versus pressures: method matters
• [53:53] - FG decision-making; bigger picture test
• [72:07] - Trick punt return: worthwhile special teams wrinkle?
• [70:17] - Short yardage diversity: QB sneaks, fullback, Wildcat looks

Tone & Takeaways

The conversation is playful but insightful, balancing joking metaphors (“trolling,” “warm blanket,” “boogeyman”) with high-level tactical breakdowns and real-time adjustment analysis. There’s an undercurrent of appreciation for how the Buckeyes have matured—especially this year’s squad’s purposeful approach to when and how to break tendencies.

Ohio State emerges as a team uniquely comfortable on the national stage, responding proactively to critiques, leveraging a new generation of stars, and blending substance with swagger. Doug and Bill make it clear: this isn’t just a defending champion going through the motions—it’s a team finding fresh ways to seize opportunities, all while keeping fans and media guessing.

Final Thoughts

• Doug [76:00]: “It is appreciating the chance to do something over again while there is not a single part of this that is blase or boring... because it’s so many different people involved.”
• Bill [78:21]: “It’s quite a different energy with this team... the combination of the high level of play and getting to experience a lot of this stuff for the first time... has made this season pretty fun thus far.”

BOTTOM LINE:
On a night where top teams stumbled, Ohio State delivered an emphatic performance. With a quarterback “letting it rip,” a defense that adapts live, and rising stars like Carnell Tate, the Buckeyes look as dangerous and entertaining as ever—answering every critique with style, depth, and dominance.