← The Bill and Doug Show: Ohio State Football Talk
The Bill and Doug Show: Ohio State Football Talk
Ohio State's 2026 football schedule revealed: Predicting wins and losses for the Buckeyes
01:02:25
Ohio State's full schedule for the 2026 season was revealed on Tuesday night, including a back-to-back against USC and Oregon as part of a difficult back half of the schedule.
Loading summary
Transcript228 lines
- [00:00]
Commercial Announcer
There's about a bajillion ways to get fit from take this to don't eat that.
- [00:04]
Bill Landis
It can be a lot.
- [00:05]
Commercial Announcer
At Anytime Fitness, we keep it simple. It starts with a body scan and your coach builds a custom plan just for you. No fads, just real results. Join Anytime Fitness Today.
- [00:31]
Grainger Advertiser
If you're the purchaser manager at a manufacturing plant, you know having a trusted partner makes all the difference. That's why hands down, you count on Grainger for auto reordering. With on time restocks, your team will have the cut resistant gloves they need at the start of their shift and you can end your day knowing they've got safety well in hand. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.
- [01:01]
Taco Bell Advertiser
How do you make chicken nuggets like 7,000% better? Short answer, you let Taco Bell make them. Long answer. Start with all white meat chicken nuggets, bread them in crunchy tortilla chips and serve them with Hidden Valley Diablo Ranch. Yep, that's Hidden Valley Ranch mixed with Taco Bell Diablo sauce. It's exactly what it sounds like and somehow even better. Simple math, spicy results. Crispy chicken nuggets from Taco Bell. A brand new classic at participating US Taco Bell locations for a limited time only while supplies last.
- [01:41]
Bill Landis
Welcome back to the Bill and Doug Show. Doug Lamoris and Bill Landis. Thanks for joining us here. The schedule has been revealed. I never know if I finally reveal or unveiled. What's a better, what's a better word?
- [01:57]
Doug Lamoris
I like unveiled.
- [01:58]
Bill Landis
Yeah because it's like unveiled is more ta da. So we have Ohio State schedule on the back half is a banger. Landis. Last year there was like this four block at the beginning of the season, right? Washington, Illinois at Wisconsin, Wisconsin, Minnesota. That was like oh and I remember thinking like I just think someone's gonna get him in there. That's what I predicted. I think somebody's gonna get him in there. This is the back half. I looked@NCAA.com among we talked about this the other day all the different way too early top 25s that people do. I just grabbed one. It was ncaa.com and but they're by their rankings and it's, it's similar. It's just consensus how people think. Ohio State plays four ranked teams in their last six. So they have Indiana then they're by then they play USC and Oregon back to back and then they have Michigan at the end of the year and those teams are all ranked and so like some other places rank Iowa there in the be the first half of the schedule for Ohio State. Texas is clearly ranked, but by just, let's just ranking, Ohio State plays one ranked team in the first six games and four ranked teams in the back six games. The point is the back half of this schedule is going to be the test for Ohio State.
- [03:08]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah, I did, you know, there was only so much help Ohio State I think was going to get given sort of how loaded we all thought the schedule was going to be.
- [03:17]
Bill Landis
Yeah.
- [03:17]
Doug Lamoris
But then it did. It did. I think, yeah. Get a little bit backloaded. Like you can only spread these teams out so much. But it's a heck of a stretch from mid October till the end of the season.
- [03:28]
Bill Landis
Yeah. So let's run through it real quick. Thanks again to everybody who's here. If you're listening back in a pod, if you're listening back on a YouTube show, feel free to also join us over on the sub stack. Billanddouggosu substack.com I have a quick little story up there about this and we're going to keep doing shows and writing about Ohio State throughout the fall off season. Ohio State's 2026 schedule September 5th, home against Ball State. September 12th at number four Texas. This is again just by somebody's early list. September 19th, Kent State and the Big Ten opener. September 26th at home against Illinois. October 3rd at Iowa. Of course not overlooking that. October 10th, home Maryland. So those are the first six. Right. And you know there's a couple non conference gimmes in there. And then it gets real. We knew this already. October 17th in Bloomington, Indiana against the defending national champs at number six Indiana. Then the bye week, a single bye week in 2026, the previous two years because of the calendar, because of the real calendar, the Gregorian calendar. What is the name of the. Who made, who made the calendar? We did this one time.
- [04:34]
Doug Lamoris
Greg did.
- [04:35]
Bill Landis
Greg did. Greg's calendar because of Greg's calendar. And just the way like dates fell and where Labor Day fell and Thanksgiving fell. There were two bye weeks in 2024 and 2025. There's a single off week this year for Ohio spot. It's like right after this gigantic Indiana game. So they'll play seven and then they'll be off. Then October 31st at number 12 USC. Home. November 7th against number 2 Oregon. November 14th Northwestern at home. November 21st at Nebraska. Finish the season on November 28th against number 13 Michigan at home for the Buckeyes. Bill, we'll talk specifically by the way, we're going to go through and make our picks. You are getting Bill and Doug's first guesses at Ohio State's 2026 record. And this is one of those things, talk radio. It's like you get the schedule, you play the schedule game. It's the dumbest, silliest, bestest thing in the world. It's why talk radio has been playing the schedule game. Talk radio, they'd get three, three hour long segments out of this. We're gonna do it in like 15 minutes. But when you get a schedule, you got to play the schedule game and go through the whole 12 game schedule, right?
- [05:44]
Doug Lamoris
Absolutely. Yeah. We're. And, and this is. We're going to be held to it. We can never change our minds between now and September 5th.
- [05:50]
Bill Landis
So, like, you're the one who's been thrown out, like 9 and 3 Ohio State. Could Ohio State possibly go 9 and 3? I'm curious. When.
- [05:58]
Doug Lamoris
When was I throwing that out? When did that happen?
- [06:02]
Bill Landis
You've said it at least three times in the off season. Like people might have to get accustomed to Ohio State going 9 and 3 because my ears perk up at 9 and 3 every time I hear it. And you're like, you're Bill Landis. You're nine and three Landis now. You took the mantle from me.
- [06:16]
Doug Lamoris
No, that is, that is not at all what I have said, though. I think, I think you're Miss Misrepresented. I have certainly said nine and three, those words, but I've never said I think they're going nine and three. Strap in. That is not. It's not been my date.
- [06:30]
Bill Landis
Okay. Okay. Because 9 and 3, that's the, that's the record that shall not be named for me. I don't say that word anymore. So I'm either going 120 or I'm going 7 and 5. There's no in between for me for Ohio State in 2020. Before we get into our actual picks about things, let's talk about some of the things that maybe stand out. And it's all like, what's that? You knew the opponents. What's the big freaking deal? Well, the biggest deal is fans are planning their lives. Fans are planning road trips. Fans are calling their family and friends and saying like, oh, man, we really wanted to go to Iowa this year. I was hoping it wouldn't be on this weekend because I have a thing like, that's what matters the most. People can now set up their lives and that. That is a wonderful thing. We understand there are There are weddings that are planned, there are family festivities. Like we get it, like this is what really matters. But the other thing that matters is who's got an off week before a tough game, who's got a road trip before a tough game. And they were talking about on the Big Ten network and I think John, I saw John Wilner who covers the west coast team so well talking about tweeting about that today that like they went out of the way I think to be more. To think more about what they're doing to the west coast teams and who's got to buy before something and who has a long trip before something. And the only reason they would think about that Bill, is because they do believe that buys and travel affect the football. And they're tr. I think specifically trying to be more quote fair about that this season.
- [07:57]
Doug Lamoris
And I think even like drilling down more it seems like for the west coast teams going east. Right. I've actually noticed I've not dug into all that yet. It's probably worth now that we have two years of it looking into what exactly those records are and those records against the spread. But, but just sort of anecdotally it does seem like the, the east, sorry the west coast teams traveling east is, is more of an issue. And also those seems like end up just having to do it more because of the way the league. League is set up. So I, you know, I, I think it makes sense right. If you're gonna have a, if you're gonna have a coast to coast league like the Big Ten has, try to offer some modicum of fairness with the way you put the schedule together. So I don't, I don't have much of an issue with, with them taking that into account as they put this.
- [08:39]
Bill Landis
Together where you, you noted that at least three teams are playing Ohio State, Michigan or Michigan. Ohio State back to back weeks. That's kind of a thing.
- [08:47]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah, that, that definitely jumped out to me. So I don't know.
- [08:49]
Bill Landis
We, we.
- [08:50]
Doug Lamoris
We started going live as soon as they unveiled Iowa schedule. So we didn't see everyone's. But Iowa plays Michigan first and then Ohio State back to back. Indiana plays Ohio State and Michigan back to back and Oregon plays Ohio State and Michigan back. So like the Ohio State, Oregon, Indiana, Michigan, little foursome there all playing each other and, and Indiana and Oregon having to do back to back games could be quite interesting because I don't think Michigan's going to be a bottom of the league team next year.
- [09:18]
Bill Landis
Okay, so let's talk about some of the games as it relates to Ohio State, you look at some of these big games, what do you have the week before? We'll start with Iowa. That Iowa trip, it's the second road trip for Ohio State. It's the first Big Ten road trip. On October 3rd, Ohio State plays Illinois at home. And I just think it's going to be the expectations around Illinois are not going to be at the level the expectations were going into 2025. Right. So going into that Iowa game, you know, Brett Bielen is going to place physical, that kind of thing. Kinnick can always be a really tough place to play. But your point here, Iowa is doing what the week before it plays Ohio State?
- [09:55]
Doug Lamoris
Going to Ann Arbor to play Michigan. So there's no, honestly, like all the teams that Ohio State has to go play on the road, Iowa might be the one you worry about the most having like extra time to prepare just because they're always such a well coached team. So not only, not only do they not have extra time to prepare, but they got to play a real banger against Michigan before they play Ohio State.
- [10:14]
Bill Landis
Yeah. So that's, that's a little bit of an edge for Ohio State. And we just like, we don't know how good Michigan's going to be. But Kyle Whittingham's a good coach. They're a talented, physical team. And it's not, it's just the expectation is different than it would be for Maryland or Rutgers or UCLA or Northwestern or Purdue or a team that's like, okay, that you, you, your game plan, your how fresh your players feel going into that game. You know, I was going to have, have to play a physical game against, against Michigan. Then October 17, Ohio State goes to Indiana. Ohio State gets Maryland the week before Indiana, which is kind of a nice little like prep before you go play the defending national champs. Who does Indiana have? I had to.
- [10:59]
Doug Lamoris
They are at Nebraska the week before.
- [11:01]
Bill Landis
Okay, okay. At Nebraska, which again, like, which is more difficult. And this is one of those. Well, it's like, well, you get the home game. So a lot of like Indiana's home. So they're going to be on the road the week before Ohio State has to go to Indiana. So they're going to be at home the week before. But I think I'd probably play. I mean, Mike Washington, famous last words. True freshman starting quarterback for Maryland last year. Who knows what he's going to be in year two. We assume Anthony Calandria is going to be the starting or it could be TJ Latif for Nebraska, who took over as the quarterback after Dylan Mariola was hurt. But they brought in Anthony Calandry at Nebraska, excuse me, who had been the quarterback at Virginia and UNLV previously. But maybe not an easy trip. Maybe, maybe not an easy trip. Like, it's. At least it's got to keep Kurt signal these attention a little bit. Going to go into Lincoln.
- [11:43]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah. Although I think we thought that when Nebraska and Indiana played two years ago, Indiana was like 52, three or something like that. So I think, you know, having to go on the road to play a team with a pulse is a good thing that Indiana has to do. That I think is a good thing for. For the Buckeyes. Again, like, Ohio State does not have Indiana's undivided attention for two weeks before that game.
- [12:07]
Bill Landis
And then Ohio State is off the week after Indiana. So their buy comes right in the middle of the season. It's after seven games. They're off Oct. 24, and then they go to USC on Oct. 31. It's that Halloween game that traditionally, more often than not, has been a Penn State game. Ohio State, as we know, this is not news. Ohio State and Penn State aren't playing each other the next two seasons, but the Big Ten slotted in a banger for the Buckeyes on that Halloween night. Right. Whatever Halloween is that weekend. Right.
- [12:35]
Doug Lamoris
So, like that it's Halloween night. Right. The 31st, technically.
- [12:38]
Bill Landis
Oh, happy, happy Halloween to everybody. I don't know if. Does LA do Halloween big? Is that a big thing? It's probably all those actors and stuff.
- [12:44]
Doug Lamoris
Probably have every day is Halloween in Los Angeles.
- [12:46]
Bill Landis
Look at you. Look at you, you, you East Coast Midwestern boy. You're just like, you going to that game. You're like, I'm not going. I'm not going to hang out with those people out there in La La Land that trip. The idea that Ohio State is off the week before, I'll be really curious about their travel because Ohio State and a lot of Big Ten teams this year, like, traveled a day early to me. But they're going to be able to get their routine set. However they're gonna whatever they need to do to be prepared to fly to Los Angeles and then play Jade Maeva and a talented USC team. Ohio State, that's a great spot for the buy. Meanwhile, USC is at Wisconsin the week before Ohio State, which is like Luke Fickle. I have. I am. This is like our picks today are. Yeah, it's January. What are you gonna do? Like first blush kind of Picks. I have not dug in on anybody. I just have this thing in my head of like, is Wisconsin gonna make a leap this year? I just, I don't. It's. They got this, they got this transfer quarterback. Everything has gone so wrong for them, the entire fickle era. And their schedule's easier. I'm just. And they, they showed life in the back half of the schedule. I'm just waiting for maybe Wisconsin to show some life. So I don't think that's an easy trip for usc, but to go to Madison and then go home and have the Buckeyes coming in, I actually think that's a pretty difficult double dip.
- [14:12]
Doug Lamoris
Lincoln Riley has showed us in two years that an easy Big Ten trip does not exist for usc. So, like, they typically do not play well. And who knows, like that, that late in the year you could be getting into some weather territory as well, maybe. So, yeah, that's a tough, a tough trip, I think, for, for Ohio State. Again, that's another, like, there was a way this could have broken for Ohio State that would have been like, oh boy, that's. This is going to be a bear. And I think like some of these things, and especially the fact that OSU is off before playing usc and USC has to go on the road, which historically does not farewell is something that probably broke Ohio State's way here.
- [14:48]
Bill Landis
We have to do the Sun Card 19 says, hey, is this week a good week to do a follow up on our crunchy gordita rap research? I don't remember what that is in reference to, but it sounds like something we would have discussed on this show. I, you know, I, I had a crunchy rap that I definitely enjoyed and I think research is probably the right word. We'll get to it. We'll definitely get to it. USC might be dead by the time Ohio State gets to them. And so this is another one of these things again. Sometimes you look at a schedule, it's like, man, is Ohio State going to be going to 5, 0 USC right where they're going to have attention, they're going to have spotlight, they're going to have momentum, whether that's good or bad. But before Ohio State gets to la, USC has to play Oregon, Washington and at Wisconsin. And so again, is that all in.
- [15:36]
Doug Lamoris
A row.
- [15:39]
Bill Landis
The Oregon Washington is back to back? I think it might be all in a row. But like, like, I just, like it could be because, like, you look at this and I think most people are perceiving USC right now as a top 15 team and I think rightly so. As much as I make fun of Lincoln Riley and USC sometimes they just hired Gary Patterson, longtime head coach at tcu, very successful, who had taken a couple years off to be their defensive coordinator because our defensive coordinator Danton Lynn had been very good. Who they had stolen from UCLA went back to his alma mater, Penn State. Like I just. I think it's reasonable to think USC might be pretty good. But I like USC could have two losses by the time Ohio State gets there. It doesn't mean that it's a gimme win for Ohio State, but it might. You could have looked at the schedule, right? We did that in years past. Ohio State, Nebraska. Could it be a matchup of 5, 0 teams? Right. I think we said that a couple years ago. I don't look at USC schedule and think that with what they have before Ohio State gets there.
- [16:40]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah, I don't, I don't really know what to make of USC to be honest. I don't. Not downgrading the trip obviously on January 27th, but I do think maybe by the time that game rolls around, it doesn't look quite as daunting as it might look right now. But. But even like it's placement in the schedule makes it difficult to between Indiana and Oregon.
- [17:01]
Commercial Announcer
If you, your parent or spouse served in the military, you could join our family. Our members saved an average of $70 a month on auto insurance when they switched. Tap the banner or visit usaa.com join today to check your eligibility restrictions apply.
- [17:16]
Angel Soft Advertiser
Try angel stuff for your tushy. It's made by angels soft and strong budget friendly. The choice is simple. Pick up a pack today.
- [17:28]
Rakuten Advertiser
Angel soft.
- [17:35]
Bill Landis
Listen, so this is the schedule for USC officially before that usc they still have to find. They got. I guess I'm gonna have a game in Week 0. Maybe they think because they dropped the Notre Dame game so they have to find a non conference opponent. But anyway. Sept. 5 Fresno State. Sept. 12 Louisiana. But Sept. 19 at Rutgers at Sept. 26 Oregon. Oct. 3 Washington. Oct. 10 at Penn State. Oct. 17 by Oct. 24 at Wisconsin Oct. 31 Ohio State. They could have three losses by the time Ohio State gets there. Yeah, like I think Penn State. We're not doing a lot on Penn State right now because Ohio State and Penn State don't play each other. Like Penn State's gonna be competitive. I think. Don't you think they.
- [18:18]
Doug Lamoris
They got a nice schedule too? I think. Yeah, I think, I think the schedule sets up nicely for them to have a good year in year one under Matt Campbell.
- [18:24]
Bill Landis
Yeah. And like that USC has to go there. It's like trip off trip Ohio State. That. That does not set up well for usc where you could have spun this a different way and really thought that that would have been a difficult spot for Ohio State. Instead, they'll go at USC and then home against Oregon on November 7th. Oregon plays home against Northwestern. Right. The week before.
- [18:47]
Doug Lamoris
Correct.
- [18:48]
Bill Landis
That is maybe one where it's like, okay, Oregon's got what seems like an easier home game, although as you pointed out, it's the Chip Kelly back to. To Eugene game. He had done it before when he was at ucla. But now the offense, Northwestern and Ohio State. Right. So it's not like, you know, they've already done. They've done the statue unveiling, revealing. Unveiling. There's a statue of Chip in Eugene. Yes. No. There is.
- [19:10]
Doug Lamoris
No, I don't think so. No.
- [19:11]
Bill Landis
No. But that might be the one where it pops up a little bit of like Oregon, no offense. Northwestern might be able to. Game plan ahead a little bit while Ohio State's flying to la, playing USC and then coming home to get ready for the Ducks.
- [19:23]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah, potentially. And I also think like we. So we've now seen Ohio State make two of these West coast trips. Right. 20, 24, they went out to Oregon and lost and then they came back, I think off of a buy and played Nebraska and did not play very well. And then last year went to Washington, played well one came back the next week, played Minnesota, blew their doors off. So like, I. We don't know exactly. Maybe the, the fact that they don't have a week off, they got to come back and get right back into it.
- [19:51]
Bill Landis
Will.
- [19:51]
Doug Lamoris
Will put them in a better spot to play their best against Oregon. But yeah, that sort of scenario, I do think favors. Favors the Ducks there.
- [20:01]
Bill Landis
Yeah. And it does feel like it seems like I'm reading Ryan Cartier, who's the USC beat writer for the LA Times. He's saying USC is going to play that Week 0 game. So they have two buys. But again, because after they play Ohio State, they have a buy, then they play Indiana. So they have. They have to go to Penn State, Wisconsin and Indiana on the road for usc. And they squeeze in like a home games against Oregon and Ohio State in between. Like, this is one of those where I think USC might be talented. USC might go six and six.
- [20:28]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah.
- [20:28]
Bill Landis
Like, again, welcome to the Big Ten. Congratulations to Lincoln Riley on. On being part of the toughest conference in America. Depth, not just top depth. Lincoln and everybody Else, Right? Yeah, that's great. But, but that, but as you look at this still, that USC Oregon double dip stands out as the toughest two week stretch on this schedule, right?
- [20:50]
Doug Lamoris
Yes. Yeah, I think without a doubt that's the toughest two week, toughest two week schedule. Although. Okay, and I know you're going to mention this, the last, the last, the last two get can be tricky.
- [21:00]
Bill Landis
Okay, so then they get Ohio State gets Northwestern at home on November 14th after Oregon. Then it's at Nebraska on November 21st and home against Michigan on November 28th. It certainly is not unusual for Ohio State when they are hosting Michigan to be on the road the week before. But I just double checked this and I, it's like you know this sort of anecdotally in your head, but this really hit me a little bit. Bill and I put it in our substack story. The last four times that Ohio State has played on the road the week before it played Michigan. Now they blew out Michigan State in 2020 the week before they were supposed to play Michigan in the COVID year but then they didn't play Michigan so I didn't count it. But at the time when they were playing Michigan State, they thought they were playing Michigan the next week. So it's still sort of like the same kind of thing of like are you distracted? Are you trying to game plan ahead, whatever, you know what I mean? So like that was a blowout. But I'm not counting this for in, in this thing because here's what's happened the last four times that Ohio State has played a road game and what they never do, they, I don't think they ever do it that the, the Ohio State Michigan game, the team that's on the road for the game plays on the road somewhere else the week before. I don't think they ever make Ohio State and Mission or Michigan play road game, road game to end the year at least. Like I went back like 10 years. All right. I keep dropping on caveats. The last four times that Ohio State was on the road before they actually played Michigan, 2012 at Wisconsin, they won an overtime. 2016 at Michigan State they won 17:16 because Michigan State scored in the final five minutes, went for two and didn't get it. 2022 or 2018 they beat Maryland in overtime and 2022 they beat Maryland 43, 30. But Ohio State was trailing at the half and that was a one score game. The entire fourth quarter, the entire second half, it like, was it like Ohio State would score that Maryland would Score like Maryland had the ball on a drive to try to drive to win at the end of that. Then like Ohio State score on the last play of the game to make it a two score game. It wasn't a two score game. So anyway, 12, 16, 18, 22, the last four times that they've been on the road before they played Michigan like they barely won and they have to go to Nebraska for this. So it's like yeah, is Nebraska. Because like those Maryland teams weren't particularly good, right? That Michigan State team that year wasn't particularly good.
- [23:30]
Doug Lamoris
I don't think Michigan State game was like a real, like a real windy game, wasn't it?
- [23:34]
Bill Landis
Yeah, I think that's right. I think the Wisconsin team in 2012 was decent. But like the point is I don't like trap game discussions but like the schedule matters, which is the point of why we're having a conversation. We already knew the opponents and all we just found out today was the order. We've talked about this in the past. Like the, the one year that Ohio State had to play Penn State the week before they played Michigan. The year in 2015. The year in 2015 when they had Michigan State at home and lost the week before Michigan. Like there have been certainly have been times, Bill, where Ohio State's had. Well I'll just read this. Let just, I'll read them all real quick. Okay. Since, since they went to legends and leaders in 2011. Here's the teams, here's Ohio State's game games the week before Michigan Penn State at Wisconsin Indiana, Indiana when Indiana stunk Michigan State in 2015 at Michigan State in 20162017 Illinois 2018 at Maryland 2019 Penn State 2020 at Michigan State 2021 Michigan State 2022 at Maryland 2023 Minnesota 2024 Number 5 Indiana. The Kurt Signettian visit was the week before Michigan. 2025 ruckers. Right. So like this, this, this past season they had an easy one before it. But like in a world where the SEC plays that non conference game right in the weird spot there to give all their teams a break before rivalry week. The Big Ten doesn't do that. They often make you play a real game and Nebraska is not at the top of the list. It's not Oregon. Right. It's not Indiana. But like Nebraska at Nebraska is just right in the zone. Given this recent history of that could be a tough trip.
- [25:12]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah, like good, good enough that they should probably have your attention. Right. Like and yeah, that's. I'm trying to Think, like, even I think the last time Ohio State went to Nebraska, it was kind of like a weird game, like a lower scoring game where the offense looked kind of clunky and like Nebraska wasn't very good that year either. They've had some other games where they, where they've really blown Nebraska out in the Scott Frost era when they, when they played in Lincoln too. But yeah, I think that's a, it's a bit of a tricky one. Like, it's not, I'm not, you know, double circling it in red pen or anything like that saying like, watch out, you might lose this game. But given the track record just kind of against even below average opponents sometimes pre Michigan, yes, it is. It is a game that, that I don't think you'd take lightly or just sort of gloss over as you're looking at the schedule and thinking about where Ohio State could win and lose and.
- [26:00]
Bill Landis
Michigan has UCLA at home that week, the week before the game. And again, it's one of those things. It's like, oh, ucla. And it's like, well, I don't know, Bob Chesney and year two of Nico and Westwood. And like, I don't, I don't know.
- [26:14]
Doug Lamoris
I think Michigan's track record pre Ohio State's about the same. Wasn't there a year like Michigan almost lost their record before they played Ohio State?
- [26:20]
Bill Landis
Oh, yeah, that's right. That's right.
- [26:22]
Doug Lamoris
Like, I think, yeah, if you dug into their record, I bet it looks pretty similar to Ohio State's.
- [26:28]
Bill Landis
All right, you want to play a schedule game?
- [26:30]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah, let's do it.
- [26:31]
Bill Landis
The Natty next year is in Vegas. Sun Card. Sun Card's asking where's the game where the national championship game is being played? It is being played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. All right, Bill, let's do this. We are doing this for fun. But it doesn't mean that we don't mean it, but it just means that we mean it now without spring football, without research, without other things. Those are the main two things. We're going to gather more information in the spring. We'll gather more information in August. And we certainly reserve the right when we do our final Ohio state picks, whenever, September 2nd or something, that they might not look like the picks on January 27th. But this is what we actually think now, right? This is what we actually think now.
- [27:21]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah, yeah.
- [27:21]
Bill Landis
We're not trolling people like, why wouldn't we say what we think? We always say what we think. At any moment it might be wrong. And it might change, but it's what we think for now. The schedule, game. Ohio State for 2026, September 5th. Ball State. The Ball State Ballers. I want to say. Is that right?
- [27:41]
Doug Lamoris
Cardinals? I do see. Saw somebody say that. Because now you can do the. The advertisements on your jersey. The Ball State should just put a B and then the Allstate logo across their chest.
- [27:53]
Bill Landis
Oh, wow, that's really good. And then they should wear khaki uniform pants.
- [28:00]
Doug Lamoris
Now that's State Farm.
- [28:03]
Bill Landis
That's embarrassing.
- [28:06]
Doug Lamoris
Get your insurance companies right, bro.
- [28:10]
Bill Landis
That's always one of those where it's like, if I. If I know the bit, but I'm not exactly sure who it's for. Maybe the ad's not that great. You know what I mean? Like, I know that guy. I know the guy in the pants. I just wouldn't know. It's like, I just went and bought Allstate Insurance. I'm like, hey, guys, love your pants. And they're like, nope, those are the other guys. But you already bought it from us Ball State ballers. I'll say it's probably like a 41 1/2 point spread. I'll say Ohio State. Yeah.
- [28:38]
Doug Lamoris
TV and Sinclair, two touchdowns. Ohio State wins.
- [28:40]
Bill Landis
Yeah. September 12th at number four, Texas. A year ago, I picked Ohio State to lose to Texas. And that was wrong.
- [28:48]
Doug Lamoris
I. I think it was a game where maybe I picked. I think I picked them to lose in some iteration of our record prediction. But then we got to the game. I think I had to pick Ohio State to win.
- [28:58]
Bill Landis
Yeah, I think. I'm pretty sure you did. And this is interesting because this is. Yeah. I don't know. Like, I. I like that Ohio State and Texas are doing this. I like that they've done it before. Right. That it's kind of like, you know, that this is just like a really cool cross sectional rivalry. But last time they did it, it was also in Columbus, first in 2005, and then it was at Texas the next year in 2006, and Ohio State lost in Columbus. And then it was like, okay, now you're gonna go get your revenge here. And it's just, like, interesting. Like the. The Ohio State Oklahoma series in 16 and 17. Both teams won on the road. Right. So it's not like you're. I mean, Texas wants to beat Ohio State no matter what. Ohio State wants to be Texas no matter what. But Ohio State actually getting this done at home last year. I'm going to pick Texas.
- [29:56]
Doug Lamoris
I. Yeah, I go Texas right now, too. They're. I Mean, they're, they're at the moment, like, the rosters look pretty similar. Texas is gearing up for, for a national title run again, obviously. Ohio State always is in, in Austin, probably at night. That would be my guess. I'll go long corns right now, too.
- [30:16]
Bill Landis
And this is just one of those. And again, we reserve the right to change it. And like, I bet you I, I don't know if there's an early spread on this game. I bet you Texas would be favored by like 2 1/2 or something. Right. In a game like this, it's probably a coin flip game.
- [30:30]
Doug Lamoris
But it was this past season, wasn't it?
- [30:32]
Bill Landis
Was.
- [30:32]
Doug Lamoris
It didn't like flip back and forth through like one.
- [30:34]
Bill Landis
And I think that's right. Like, who's the maddest about this game going into this game? Who will be the maddest? Arch. They blew up his, they blew up his Heisman campaign before it started. They embarrassed him. Matt Patricia embarrassed Arch.
- [30:45]
Doug Lamoris
He embarrassed Sark too. Yeah. Right. Kind of depends them.
- [30:49]
Bill Landis
Yeah. Yeah. So, so like, let's see how Ohio State progresses. Let's see how their offensive line looks in the spring and in August. Let's see how they fill out the receiver positions after Jeremiah Smith. Let's see how it looks like, you know, some of these transfer defenders are, are, are impacting and like, you absolutely could see Ohio State going down and. But we'll both take Texas for now. The Kent State Kenters in week three. I'll take Ohio State.
- [31:18]
Doug Lamoris
I will also take Ohio State. By the way, as we talk right now, Ohio State and Notre Dame still have the best national title odds on FanDuel and Texas and Indiana are tied for the second best odds.
- [31:30]
Bill Landis
Okay, okay. Okay. But no, like, super, super look ahead lines for the second week of the season on the betting apps right now.
- [31:38]
Doug Lamoris
No, I don't see that. I don't. Not where I can look.
- [31:40]
Bill Landis
No. Yeah. All right, so Illinois, September 26th. I was so high on Illinois last year and, and a lot of the reasons to be so high on them have left. And so I don't think Illinois is going to come in here and win this game. So I'll say Buckeyes.
- [31:55]
Doug Lamoris
I will also say Buckeyes. I think Illinois probably takes a slight step back.
- [32:00]
Bill Landis
So both three and one at Iowa on October 3rd. I asked you this question the other day. I did not do any research to look it up. Who is Iowa's quarterback? We still, we think it's Hank Brown or, or Jeremy. Jeremy Hicklinski. Okay. Cody Haddad just went there. The Ohio State Young Safety Transfer. They always have good safeties at Iowa.
- [32:25]
Doug Lamoris
And I'm here to be named later in the trade for Leroy Roker a couple years ago.
- [32:28]
Bill Landis
Oh yeah, how about that. We I, I think it's fun to think about stuff like that.
- [32:34]
Commercial Announcer
If you, your parent or spouse served in the military, you could join our family. Our members saved an average a month on auto insurance when they switched. Tap the banner or visit usaa.com join today to check your eligibility restrictions apply. If you're an H Vac technician and a call comes in, Grainger knows that you need a partner that helps you find the right product fast and hassle free. And you know that when the first problem of the day is a clanking blower motor, there's no need to break a sweat. With Grainger's easy to use website and product details, you're confident you'll soon have everything humming right along. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.
- [33:22]
Bill Landis
Just so people know I don't hate Iowa. Like I don't when I talk about Iowa. What I hated about Iowa is that they were a good football team being submarined and torpedoed by nepotism and they were destroying themselves on one side of the ball when they were so good on the other side of the ball because a guy wanted to employ his kid and that kid is no longer employed. And I'm kind of all about Iowa anymore. Like I like Iowa does a lot, right? And I like, I am sort of, it would be really interesting. And they didn't quite get there in 2025 in part because like I, I thought I was going to have a step back here because you looked at their schedule and they had like Penn State, Indiana and Oregon all like three playoff teams from the year before were all going to Kinnick. And it's like, okay, well if you don't beat playoff teams at home, right? And then like a lot of your toss up games are on the road and now they're on the road. It's like this could get away from you. And then they beat Penn State and they gave Indiana and Oregon all they could handle and they had a great year. So I respect Iowa here but Ohio State has typically gone and handled this business even when it's close. And Kinnick, they had the 2018 game, 2017 game, the 2017 game, when it.
- [34:35]
Doug Lamoris
That'S the last time they played there. Right?
- [34:37]
Bill Landis
I think that might be right. Like after because there was a coveted game that got canceled, I think at Iowa. But like after that, there's a physical Penn State game and they had to come back and they won. And then J.T. barrett threw a bunch of picks and Iowa threw their tight ends and the linebackers couldn't cover them. So you've got to be on alert for this. But there's not something at the moment not quite understanding exactly what I was going to do offensively that would make me pick the Hawkeyes at the moment.
- [35:01]
Doug Lamoris
I'm, I'm with you. I, I would pick Ohio State in this game and also get ready for 45 minutes of Kate Peeper versus Edric Houston talk when that game comes around.
- [35:11]
Bill Landis
The I saw somebody, I think it was Chris Lowe at On3, his early preseason All American team. Kate Peeper, first team Iowa.
- [35:18]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah, it looks like Iowa's moving on the center.
- [35:20]
Bill Landis
Oh, for real? Okay. You were peeping on that. You were peeping when nobody was beeping. You peeped the earliest on Kate Peeper. That's right. All right, Maryland. Any reason to think that Maryland's going to come in on October 10th and give Ohio State a game?
- [35:35]
Doug Lamoris
No. And Ryan Day hates my Mike Loxley, so they'll be sure to put the rest before.
- [35:39]
Bill Landis
That's right. I'll be curious to see how Malik Washington progresses. Right. Like that's like to watch these young, highly rated quarterbacks who got a chance to play early. Right. They still have a couple good recruits over there. So that gets us to five and one in the first half of the season for Ohio State at Indiana on November 6th. No, on October 17th. They're number six. I looked at no. 6 on my document and thought that meant November 6th, October 17th in Bloomington. I, I, they brought in a lot of good players Right in the portal again. Nick Marsh from Michigan State, Josh Hoover as the quarterback from tcu. I am Carter Smith at left tackle. Staying in college another year was kind of a big deal, right? Tyreek Tucker on the defensive line announced he's staying for another year. They're gonna lose. D' Angelo Ponds are going to lose. Aiden Fisher, Omar Cooper went to the league. But Charlie Becker. I don't know what people thought maybe Charlie Becker was going to do if he was going to transfer or whatever. But like he said, he's back and people made a big deal of that because Charlie Becker is a very good player. They have some like Elijah Hardy's back. Linebacker Fernando Mendoza to Josh Hoover is going to be some kind of step down because I don't think Josh Hoover is going to win the Heisman, but they're going to be good again, aren't they?
- [36:52]
Doug Lamoris
They're gonna be pretty solid. Yeah. And the other thing I think they're going to have is. And it was interesting they mentioned this on the. On the schedule release show. Like this, the. These matchups were made, whatever, like, four years ago, and they tried to adhere to, like, sort of how good you are. And at the time, Indiana stunk. So Indiana, which is now very good, still gets to play the schedule of a team that stinks. So I think that just, like, can, like, imbue a very good team with even more confidence. Like, if they're gonna be rolling. Yeah. October 17th against Ohio State, undefeated. Because they didn't. They, you know, they just haven't played anybody all that good yet. So I think. I think that could matter a little bit, too. But, yeah, like, I don't, you know, do I think they're going to be as good as they were last year? Probably not. Do I think they're still gonna be a pretty good team? Yeah, I do. Like, this. This, to me feels like at like, at the very least, like those old sort of, you gotta go play at Iowa, at Wisconsin games from, like, 10 years ago. I mean, like, you know, that's a solid team that's going to win between eight to 10 games. It can be a pretty tricky road trip at the very least, or it could be something much more than that, obviously, depending on how good Indiana actually is. But, yeah, they should be pretty solid still.
- [37:59]
Bill Landis
Would you buy the argument that Kurt Signetti only has one thing left to do in college football? And that in two seasons, he has accomplished everything else that could possibly be in front of him?
- [38:13]
Doug Lamoris
What's left, Pete?
- [38:14]
Bill Landis
Ohio State.
- [38:16]
Doug Lamoris
He beat Ohio State.
- [38:17]
Bill Landis
Oh, that was really dramatic by me. And I forgot about the Big Ten championship game. He should retire. I was like, remember when he lost Ohio State in 2024? Oh, no. Oh, High State will go win now. I was like, he needs to beat Ohio State to prove himself. It's like, Doug, that's how they got the Big Ten championship. Oh, no, he's done. Oh, no. I think Ohio State's gonna win now. In my fanciful little world, where it's like, this was like, Kurt Signetti sitting in his basement, like, with a dartboard and with Ryan Day's picture on the dartboard, is the last guy I've got to beat to prove I already did it. Thanks to. Yeah, thanks, Jade. Jaden Fielding. Why? Jaden fielding was playing 3D chess to give Ohio State a better chance to win in 2026 by missing that field goal, I think.
- [39:02]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah. And this is also, like. This is the. The.
- [39:06]
Bill Landis
The.
- [39:06]
Doug Lamoris
The dartboard game, I think, for Ohio State this year.
- [39:09]
Bill Landis
Right.
- [39:09]
Doug Lamoris
This is high.
- [39:10]
Bill Landis
State's mad. What am I doing?
- [39:11]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah.
- [39:11]
Bill Landis
God. Brain fart. Yeah. I'll take Ohio State then. If I thought Kurt Signetti. It's the dartboard game. I had the dartboard the wrong way. I had the dartboard in reverse, but this is what Ryan Day wants. Oh, yeah. No, I'll. I'm gonna buy in January. I'm buying Angry Ohio State going to Bloomington.
- [39:30]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah, as am I. I'm picking Ohio State to win that game.
- [39:33]
Bill Landis
This is not doubting Indiana. This is not. I. I'm. I am out on doubting Indiana, and I. I might pick Indiana to go 11 and 1. I don't know.
- [39:42]
Doug Lamoris
But.
- [39:45]
Bill Landis
Ohio State's mad. Do you think anger actually matters? Like, do we overplay the anger sometimes, or do you, like, think anger is a real thing?
- [39:52]
Doug Lamoris
No, I think anger is a real thing. Yeah. Yeah, I watched. I watched the rose bowl in 2024. 2024, when angry Ohio State got to play Oregon.
- [39:59]
Bill Landis
Yeah.
- [40:00]
Doug Lamoris
Anger is a real thing.
- [40:01]
Bill Landis
Yeah, anger's a real thing. Okay. Oh, yeah. Sorry, Kurt Signetti, that you already beat Ohio State, lost your motivation. Six and one for Ohio State into the off week at usc. How I am. The schedule is affecting me for sure. Like, what USC has that Ohio State has the off week. I think this is influencing my view of this.
- [40:21]
Doug Lamoris
It is. And I. I also, for me, is, like, Ohio State has acquitted itself pretty well, and it's two west coast trips so far. Like, I. I think, like, started well again. I know they beat Oregon, but they. It's not like they came out of that gate game slow, and I guess they maybe did start a little slow offensively against Washington, but they were never, like, super in jeopardy of losing that game, so.
- [40:43]
Bill Landis
Yeah.
- [40:45]
Doug Lamoris
And also, no offense to the fine folks in Los Angeles, The Coliseum was not nearly as tough of a place to play. Is Husky Stadium is. Or Alton. So I think Ohio State wins this game.
- [40:55]
Bill Landis
Yeah, it's a tough double dip. The buy really matters. There's a chance that the air is out of the balloon for usc. I think there's a chance that if the UFC has, like, three losses going into this, and if Ohio State beats him, people start wondering if Lincoln Riley's done. Like, that's. That's. I think, how potentially difficult with Wisconsin trips. A Wisconsin trip A Penn State trip. Washington and Oregon at home all before Ohio State. And then you're doing Ohio State bye week. Indiana, that is. I, I think some people are going to view Lincoln Riley and people, some people are going to view justifiably USC as a real playoff contender this year. Which only means that if the schedule gets them, Lincoln Riley might be done.
- [41:47]
Doug Lamoris
Yep, I think you're right. And there's. Because there's not like they, they go through that kind of gauntlet there that you've laid out and then they come home and play Maryland, which is like whatever kind of whatever game. But it could be a situation where like whether or not they beat UCLA at the end of the year might determine his fate, you know.
- [42:05]
Bill Landis
Yeah, yeah.
- [42:06]
Doug Lamoris
UCLA with a new coach.
- [42:07]
Bill Landis
You, you. I mean they're not playing Notre Dame. Like you could, you could spin it. I think you could see a 10 and 2 for them. I think you could see a 6 and 6 for them. So then if we both think Ohio State's going to win that, then they come home and face Oregon. And again Oregon will be playing Northwestern at home the week before. This feels tough. And I do think going to the west coast the week before and then coming back, it'll be interesting. I can like, I'm already like, I can hear like Ryan Day sort of like complaining about it. But I could see for instance like. Northwestern at Oregon being like a Friday night game and then Ohio State at USC being like a Saturday night game. And like. But something with the travel and the schedule. This I like, I would not be. This definitely could be like NBC's big game. Right. To get that nighttime slot that it is. Even if, and maybe even Ohio State.
- [43:10]
Doug Lamoris
Usc.
- [43:10]
Bill Landis
Ohio State. Usc. Sorry. Yeah, I think USD is, is.
- [43:15]
Doug Lamoris
No, it's not going to be, it's not going to be big. Noon, so it's either. Right. CBS330. But I, I bet it's, it's, I mean it's still, you know, if it's the NBC night game, it's still a 4:30 local time kick, but you're getting back pretty late.
- [43:27]
Bill Landis
But that's. We're gonna have Ryan Day coming in on Tuesday saying like we got back at 4 o' clock in the morning. Right. And now we're getting ready to play a top five team. And this is, and this is tough. Right. So I'll take a loss here for Ohio State just like kind of based on how this works out.
- [43:42]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah, me too. It's more about the circumstances honestly than it is like the the matchup, obviously the matchup is, is going to be a tough one, but I think the circumstances probably favor Oregon. You know, the, whatever the, the retribution factor, I think favors Oregon because the last time I played Ohio State, they got embarrassed. So I'll, I will definitely lean ducks right now.
- [44:06]
Bill Landis
And if Dante Moore wasn't back then maybe not. But they have.
- [44:09]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah, probably. Probably not. Yeah.
- [44:12]
Bill Landis
Evan Stewart's going to be like. Evan Stewart's still around. Right? He missed all this year. He's going to stay. Right.
- [44:17]
Doug Lamoris
Actually. So that's the answer to that.
- [44:18]
Bill Landis
Yeah. So. But if you have him back with Decorian Moore and Jeremiah McClellan and I, I. Oregon's gonna be good.
- [44:29]
Doug Lamoris
Evan Sword is coming back.
- [44:30]
Bill Landis
Yeah. This is one of these things where like we keep thinking Oregon's gonna be good and then they, they lose big games, but they beat Ohio State in a big game. But that was at home. Like this would be, this is a real test for Oregon and so there's certainly reason to doubt it, right? There's absolutely reason to doubt Oregon and Dan landing in this spot. And when Oregon came and won in Ohio Stadium, that wasn't Dan Lanning. So.
- [44:53]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah, and this is just like this. I mean, to go at Indiana and then you're off and then like at USC and then come home, it's just like, it's a tough ass a lot. It's just a, it's a bit of a spot, I think, for Ohio State. And Oregon kind of like begins a gauntlet with a trip to Ohio State because they go at Ohio State home against Michigan, back on the road to play Michigan State and then end with Washington in their, and their rivalry game. So like, it's just, it's a little bit of a different circumstance for them.
- [45:20]
Bill Landis
Yeah, I think that's right. Yeah. Good point by you that even though there's a, there's an off weekend there, Ohio State conceivably could be playing, you know, three teams ranked in the top 15 in a row. Okay, so we'll give an Oregon loss as a second loss for both of us. North November 14th versus Northwestern. Man, what are they gonna do? They're gonna give Chip a rocking chair or something. What's this going to be like for Chip Kelly coming back to face Ohio State as the Northwestern offensive coordinator?
- [45:47]
Doug Lamoris
Are they going to do what they did to Jim Knowles where they keep cutting back and forth on the video board between Arthur Smith and Chip Kelly? Ohio State's up by three scores in the fourth quarter.
- [45:57]
Bill Landis
Do you think Ryan Day has say in that like could Ryan Day swing by the video guys room and be like hey, let's not do anything to Chip or do what they want to do.
- [46:07]
Doug Lamoris
No, I think, I think there, there would be like a, like a welcome back Chip Kelly thing in that game.
- [46:14]
Bill Landis
Like a, like a, A pre game.
- [46:17]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah. Or like whatever.
- [46:19]
Bill Landis
National champion Chip Kelly.
- [46:22]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah.
- [46:22]
Bill Landis
The cap on the video board in a way. Did they do that for Jim Knowles? I can't remember. They.
- [46:27]
Doug Lamoris
They sure didn't.
- [46:27]
Bill Landis
Yeah, they did. Okay. All right. So Aiden Chiles, your guy transferred to Northwestern.
- [46:34]
Doug Lamoris
No longer my guy.
- [46:36]
Bill Landis
Okay. Griffin will be back as the leading receiver for Northwestern. Still a big deal. No, no, no. Upset for the Cats coming in.
- [46:44]
Doug Lamoris
All right.
- [46:47]
Bill Landis
Win there for Ohio State gets him to 8 and 2 at Nebraska on November 21st. We talked about just like again the spot here before the Michigan game. We have a history of Ohio State being pushed to the wire here. This is an opportunity for Matt Rule. Someone will tell Matt Rule this. Someone will. Somebody better tell Matt Rule the history of what Ohio State does on the road the week before the Michigan game that they can be vulnerable. Can Matt Rule do anything with that?
- [47:16]
Doug Lamoris
I have my doubts. Yeah. I don't. That they will be. Nebraska will be coming off of back to back road trips against Illinois and Rutgers before that game.
- [47:27]
Bill Landis
Okay.
- [47:29]
Doug Lamoris
So. And those just feel like I don't know when the brass is going to be at Illinois, at Rutgers. To me it feels like games that are really going to matter for Nebraska to make a bowl game next year. So I don't know if like if they're going to have to let it all hang out in those two games, as silly as it might sound before they come home to play Ohio State.
- [47:46]
Bill Landis
I will say if, if somehow we're right and we're not going to be because we're never right. It's not like we're going to go 120 predicting Ohio State schedule in January. If Ohio State takes a second loss against Oregon, it's going to add some anxiety the last three games of the regular season because now you're in a spot where even if they have like a really good win over Indiana, even if they have a good win over usc, and even if there are two losses to Oregon or Texas, are two, two of the five best teams in the country, which might be the case. I think you would believe that Ohio State at two losses is in context of course matters. You don't know that they probably would be the highest ranked two loss team in the country. I would think with how good Those losses are and it's not just how good your losses are. If Indiana and USC and maybe Iowa. Right. Are what we think they might be, they'd have, they'd have some good wins on the resume too. But you'd be getting into the territory of if they take a third loss, they might be in trouble now. They also would be like maybe at the top of the three loss stack. And the SEC was certainly making cases for three lost teams. Right. In, in, in 2025, none of those cases worked. Right. But, but the cases that, like that, like what Texas was trying to say in 2025 we have three losses but hey, one was a non conference game that like we were brave enough to go play and now it'd be the exact reverse for Ohio State, but you wouldn't know. And again it didn't work for Texas. We haven't seen a three loss team get in yet. So you would create a scenario where Northwestern, Nebraska, Michigan is. At least the discussion around whether Ohio State is playing for its playoff life would be part of what we'd be talking about.
- [49:28]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah, I think that's, that's probably true. I would, I know, I don't know that I would. It is hard to say I guess because we haven't seen a three loss team do it. But I, I don't know that I would feel like it's the absolute end of the world if they were to take a third loss.
- [49:42]
Bill Landis
But.
- [49:43]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah, you wouldn't. You, I don't think you want to test those waters. Right. So yeah, yeah, it would be, it would be quite angsty. I think at the end of November, if that were the case, the first.
- [49:51]
Bill Landis
Team to get in the playoff and if it went, if and when it expands, when it expands to 16 or more like then the conversation will change. We'll be talking about whether a five loss team could get in and Tony Petiti's model. But it would look something like this. It would be a blue blood that gets respect in the committee room, that has a bunch of talented players, that has a schedule where they have three losses, but they also have good wins because their schedule was so hard. So that, that Ohio State would potentially be the first three loss team to get in the 12 team playoff. Of course they would be like that's, that's who's going to get in if and when they get in. Texas fell a little bit short this year, but Ohio State's case I think would even be more compelling potentially.
- [50:36]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah, I mean assuming the other problem with Texas I think is that Texas like still wasn't playing well for a long stretch of its season while it was winning.
- [50:44]
Bill Landis
Right?
- [50:44]
Doug Lamoris
So like that you don't. If you're Ohio State in that hypothetical scenario, you'd want to avoid that piece of the puzzle too.
- [50:54]
Grainger Advertiser
If you're the purchasing manager at a manufacturing plant, you know having a trusted partner makes all the difference. That's why hands down, you count on Grainger for auto reordering. With on time restocks, your team will have the cut resistant gloves they need at the start of their shift and you can end your day knowing they've got safety well in hand. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.
- [51:23]
Rakuten Advertiser
Shop with Rakuten and you'll get it. What's it? It's the real deal. Cash back and savings on almost everything you buy. Join Rakuten and start getting cash back at cvs, Instacart, YSL Beauty and other stores you love. You can even stack sales on top of cash back. Just start shopping with Rakuten to save money and get that cash back feeling. Join for free@rakuten.com or get the free Rakuten app that's R A K U t e n rakuten.com.
- [51:55]
Bill Landis
And all of its losses weren't good, right? It had losses to Georgia and Ohio State that were good at a terrible Florida loss. So if we're talking about an Ohio State team that like had a loss to Texas, a loss to Oregon and then say lost to Michigan and it's like all those teams are ranked, like that's different conversation too. So we don't think Matt Rule Nebraska get this done. Even though we acknowledge it's been a tough spot for Ohio State in the past? They haven't lost the game though. I mean like they did lose to Michigan State in 2015, but it's not like they are constantly losing the week before Michigan. But they're playing some bangers.
- [52:22]
Doug Lamoris
They are playing some bangers. It's a pretty like I'm, I feel like the home slate the last couple years, like it's not been like great. So to get to get Oregon and then Michigan in November, it's pretty sweet for, for Ohio State fans.
- [52:37]
Bill Landis
Yeah, that is pretty good. All right, so we'll hop at 9 and 2 going into the game on November 28th hosting the Wolverines. The monkey off the back. Do you have a vibe on the fact that Bryce Underwood stuck around the fact that receiver Andrew Marsh stuck around the Fact that they're bringing in Jason Beck as an offensive coordinator who is like, that's gonna be an upgrade for Michigan, that offensive coordinator. Right. Like Chip Lindsay did. Okay. But like Jason Beck, we. Everyone thinks Jason Beck is pretty good, right?
- [53:09]
Doug Lamoris
The. Yeah. Probably the best OC Michigan's had in my time covering this rivalry.
- [53:15]
Bill Landis
Yeah. And so I do wonder about this with Michigan. So, Jim Harbaugh. How do. I don't know how to. I want to make sure I say this the right way, and I'm probably not going to because I forgot that Indiana beat Ohio State this year. So my brain's not working right now. Jim Harbaugh engaged in nonsense, Right. And as you look at his tenure at Michigan, I think in retrospect, maybe you realized it at the time, maybe you didn't, but I think, like, taking his shirt off and climbing a tree and staying at a kid's house overnight or whatever, like, he was doing outrageous things, I think, to take pressure off of his program while it was trying to grow, because I think he knew that they maybe weren't as good on the field as he wanted them to be, as they needed to be to compete at the highest level of the sport. So he was like, so there's not a spotlight on that that's put a spotlight on me, or he's just nuts. I don't know. But I'm gonna give him the benefit of the doubt there a little bit, probably. Yeah. And then when they got good, right, they still engaged in nonsense with the. The Connor Stallion stuff. But then, like, even the third base thing, and, like, he attacked Gene Smith that one time. Like, he just. He was saying things then, I think, not to distract from his program, but I think to try to give his program an edge. Right. And I think that you could argue it's like the third base thing as much as, like, it. It maybe felt unfair or you understood why Ryan Day might be mad. I think it had the desired effect. I think it did. I think it did get to Ryan Day, and I understand why, but it got to him in a way that I don't think, in the end, like, helped Ohio State. I think it might have helped Michigan. Right. And so, like, whatever that was, it kind of worked. And then all the other Stallion stuff and, like, people are saying now, it's like, is there a debate? Like, you know, Jesse Minter got a head coaching job in the NFL and Mike McDonald got a head coaching job in the NFL, and Jim Harbaugh has a head coaching job in the NFL. Like, guess What? Michigan had really good coaches while they were beating Ohio State. So the Stallion stuff doesn't matter. It's like, no, but if you also thought they only won because they were cheating. Like, they had some really good players and they had some really excellent coaches and they had a guy with binoculars. Right. So, like, they had all of it. But is it possible that. That the nonsense did aid Michigan? You know, because maybe it got an Ohio State's head or whatever and then they hit the point where the nonsense hurt them in 2025.
- [55:45]
Doug Lamoris
You mean the nonsense finally hurt Michigan?
- [55:47]
Bill Landis
Finally hurt Michigan. If. If it was. And I'm not saying that. That both sides don't create nonsense in the, in the game, in the rivalry. That's part of what goes into it. It's not just between the white lines. We understand that. But if Harbaugh had a calculated plan to create nonsense, it was effective and then it like, reached the breaking point and now Michigan's guarding for a flag plant that never comes. Right. And then Sharon Morland completely loses it. So like, all of that, it reached a nonsense breaking point. And so now you bring in a no nonsense guy. And I am very curious and we have an entire off season to discuss this, but I do not think Kyle Whittingham, who has no personal relationship to the rivalry and is not part of the Jim Harbaugh tree or anything, I do not think he is going to engage in nonsense here. So I think maybe for the first time in a while, I think this game's going to be about ball. And you know, there's always more with the game, of course, but there's not that secondary level of like individual coach hatred or individual coach psychology. I think it's like Ryan Day versus Kyle Whittingham. Of course they, of course they both want to win, but I, I think it might just be like, let's see who's better at football.
- [57:07]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah, no, I kind of think it is too. Now. We'll see. Like, you know, we got a whole off season then, then the season before that game for people to say stuff. So we'll see. But I. Yeah, yeah, you. The fact that Whittingham. I kind of cleared house. Right.
- [57:22]
Bill Landis
I know.
- [57:22]
Doug Lamoris
Like, he kept Tony Alford. I think he kept. Maybe he kept Gary Combs and he kept maybe like one or two other assistants. But I think by and large, like, the, the Har Ballness has been really wiped out of that place.
- [57:32]
Bill Landis
Yes.
- [57:34]
Doug Lamoris
So there's, there's not that like, even for like Ryan Day to like, try to Key on either. I think, like, when you're looking for motivation in the game, it sort of, you know, kind of goes back to what it was. Pretty third base comment, I think. Yeah. Which was just about. All right. Which, like, which team is better and I like right now. I think you would. I think Michigan's got a chance to have a pretty good team. But I don't know, like, I, I feel better about where Ohio State is at the moment obviously than there were Michigan is with all the change happening there. But I do think there's a chance that Michigan's pretty formidable by the. The end of next season if everything kind of kind of hits right.
- [58:11]
Bill Landis
Because they did. They did.
- [58:13]
Doug Lamoris
They kept some key pieces.
- [58:14]
Bill Landis
They.
- [58:14]
Doug Lamoris
They brought a lot of kind of what was working best at Utah to add to it. So I don't know. I don't know what to make of it now. You know, like, you know, my lean is probably just with Ohio State because it's in. It's in Columbus. But that's a tough game to get a handle on, I think, in. In January.
- [58:32]
Bill Landis
And it is interesting, I think for Michigan, like right at the point where now it's swinging against them. They're resetting and that, that if it was. If nothing had happened with Sharon Moore and they just had lost that game and now it's like an off season of like, oh, man, like, what's Sharon Moore gonna do now? You know? Oh, they were garden for a flag plant that never came. Like, just like all that. That would. And now just with Kyle Whittingham. It doesn't mean it's not true. It didn't happen. There's still players on Michigan that were part of that, but it's just like, if you, if you try to. If anybody like tries to bring that up, it's like Kai Wood of him. It's gonna be like, I. I don't. That was. That was. I wasn't here then. Man, this is new. That means nothing.
- [59:12]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah.
- [59:13]
Bill Landis
So. Which actually is good for Michigan.
- [59:16]
Doug Lamoris
I think it is good for Michigan. Like, as I, you know, thought about this exercise and what we're doing here, I did consider a little bit the fact that Kyle Whittingham has lost his last three holy wars.
- [59:25]
Bill Landis
Oh, and not nothing. Like, not nothing.
- [59:28]
Doug Lamoris
And you also pointed out that he, like, kind of coached like a maniac in. In the game against BYU this year.
- [59:35]
Bill Landis
Fourth down constantly. And if you would have kicked some field goals, I might have won.
- [59:38]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah. So, like, this is. This is new for him. While the Ohio State rival Michigan rivalry is incredibly intense. Like, it's not one that he grew up in, so maybe. Maybe he won't be sort of, like, coerced into coaching the same way. But he has not put his best foot forward in his team's rivalry games the last couple of years, either.
- [59:59]
Bill Landis
Yeah. So we'll both take Ohio State over Michigan here in January.
- [60:04]
Doug Lamoris
I am taking Ohio State right now. Yeah.
- [60:06]
Bill Landis
Okay. I will do the same. Which means we agreed on every pick because we share a brain. Although sometimes my brain tells me to forget that Ohio State lost to Indiana this year. My God, I wish that wouldn't have been live. I'm not going live anymore. Can we just not go live anymore?
- [60:21]
Doug Lamoris
I was. I was really wondering where you were going with that. I was like, what. What on earth has ignited? Not that he still needs to do.
- [60:31]
Bill Landis
This is my job. This is. I do this for a living. I make money from this.
- [60:35]
Doug Lamoris
Beat Notre Dame, but that's not part of the. The Big Ten schedule.
- [60:39]
Bill Landis
So Ohio State, we have it 10 and two in the regular season. That's two losses. Two losses. And then who knows what would happen in the Big Ten championship game or the playoff. Let me just run through this real quick. I'm just looking at. I'm looking at a stat, so I. I don't say the wrong thing. Ohio State losses, overall losses by year. The last five years. Two. Two. Two, two, two. So, anyway, like, picking Ohio State to lose two games is, like. It's not, like, an outrageous thing. Even though this year it was 12. 0. And then a big team champ. Big Ten championship game loss. Yeah. And a playoff loss. Right. It's like. Well, it's hard to go 16. 0. That's the last thing I would say. So Kurtz. The last thing I would think he would have to do is go undefeated. That would be a great accomplishment for him. That. That's still out there for the Hoosiers. Just to really have that, like, a year, like, with a zero at the end. I hope. I hope Kurt gets there someday.
- [61:33]
Doug Lamoris
I don't think it'll ever happen.
- [61:34]
Bill Landis
It's impossible. So, like, in. In the world where everything's flattened out, everybody got better to stare at an Ohio State schedule. I think a lot of Ohio State fans might look at a schedule that includes Right now, five teams ranked in the top 13 of this particular poll and say that Ohio State's going to go 10 and 2. I. I think is where a lot of people are probably landing right at this moment. I don't know that you can stare this down and go 12 0. But I also, again, it's one of those, the schedule's tough. There's like five toss up games. But it's like do you think they're going one and four and the tough game, own five in the tough games it goes seven and five also like.
- [62:19]
Doug Lamoris
We don't know like, you know, I think at this time last year Ohio State was staring at I think like four top 15 games or four top 20 games and won all of them and a couple of them ended up not being at like nearly at all what they thought they were going to be. So there's. Oh there's, there's that dynamic here too. So like we want to of course leave the door open to that. But yeah, I don't, I've never thought like as there's been a lot of discussion like, boy, look at actually your schedule. It's tough. Like, yeah, it's tough but never once did I think like it's tough and they're going to lose all the tough ones. Yeah, just like, you know, famous last words, I suppose. But that, that'll be something that needs to happen before I get worried about or certainly predict it. Yeah.
- [63:00]
Bill Landis
And it's one of those again was like, I don't want to overestimate teams, but it's like they're not playing Washington and Demond Williams is back and I'm curious to dig into Washington, how good they might be. I just fixated for, on Wisconsin for some reason. But like they're not playing Wisconsin. They're not playing Matt Campbell in Penn State in year one of Matt Campbell and for all the baggage that James Franklin had, like Matt Campbell's not going to have any of that. And like they have, they're squishing together Iowa State and Penn State this year. Like I just. Penn State, Penn State could, could flip this quick and be pretty competitive. So like for Ohio State that they do have like no offense but like the Northwestern game, the Maryland, I, I just don't know how good, you know, Illinois is going to be. I mean it is a very tough schedule but I think it's like you can see where the tough parts are. You know what I mean? And like again get back to us when Iowa gives them a fit in Kinnick. But, but they've handled their business in Kinnick more often than not.
- [63:54]
Doug Lamoris
So.
- [63:55]
Bill Landis
Okay, 10 and 2 and 10 and 2. You feel okay about it?
- [63:58]
Doug Lamoris
Yeah, I feel, I feel pretty good about a 10 and 2.
- [64:02]
Bill Landis
Okay.
- [64:02]
Doug Lamoris
And like, you know, I think they could go 12 0. I'm just not a, you know, homer. Who's going to pick that? But, you know, I didn't, I didn't maybe think they were going to go 12, 0 coming in the last year. They did. So anyone can pull it off against the schedule. I think it would be the team that wins more than almost anybody.
- [64:18]
Bill Landis
So, yeah, it really is. Like road trips to Texas and Indiana and USC and then Oregon and Michigan. Like that. That is like, if that's. That'd be a 12. 0 for the ages. Like that would.
- [64:30]
Doug Lamoris
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [64:32]
Bill Landis
But okay. All right, thanks to you guys for joining us here live on YouTube. We thought we'd just jump in and. And see what's what. It's interesting to have the schedule out. Book your tickets, make your plans, get your hotel rooms, write it on your calendar. I'm gonna go write it. You have a, you have a, you have a planner. You have a hard planner. You do it all digitally in your phone.
- [64:49]
Doug Lamoris
I got a, I got a calendar on my computer, like everybody. But then we also have one like hanging up in the kitchen that we put all the goods and stuff on. So do that.
- [64:56]
Bill Landis
Yeah. Everyone go put your games on your calendars. It's about that time. All right, thanks, you guys, for being here. Substack Bill and Doug. Osu.subsack.com we're doing the Woodies, the Woody Awards. We are having our substack people vote on that leading offensive, offensive player in a leading role, offensive player in a supporting role. Same for defense. Offensive player of the year, defensive player of the year, Kind of like non football play moment of the year, villain, slash opponent of the year, nine categories overall. So we're excited to see how the voting goes for that. We're gonna talk about that. Unveil that on our Wednesday Substack show. So. Or if you, if you are not a Substack subscriber right now, this would be a good time to jump in on that. You get to vote in that and get to see what the. What the award winners are on the Substack show this week. So anyway, we know a lot of you here are already Substack subscribers, and we're grateful for that. If you're watching on YouTube, if you're listening on a podcast, you're helping us be able to keep doing this as a job. So thanks to you guys for being here. 10 and 2 and 10 and 2 for the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2026. He's Bill Landis. I'm Doug Lee Maurice. And that was the Bill and Doug show.
- [66:20]
Angel Soft Advertiser
Angel soft for your tushy. It's made by angels Soft and strong. Budget friendly. The choice is simple. A roll that feels like paradise and always at a heavenly prize. Angel soft. Angel soft.
- [66:37]
Bill Landis
Soft and strong.
- [66:38]
Angel Soft Advertiser
So it's simple. Pick up a pack today.
- [66:41]
Rakuten Advertiser
Angel soft.
- [66:42]
Angel Soft Advertiser
Soft and strong. Simple.