The Bill and Doug Show: Ohio State Football Talk (Blue Wire)

Episode: Oregon vs. Iowa, BYU vs. Texas Tech, Notre Dame vs. Navy: National college football picks
Date: November 7, 2025

Episode Overview

Main Theme:
Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis dive into a stacked weekend of national college football, putting the usual Ohio State focus aside to break down six key matchups. The primary discussion delves deep into two marquee games: Oregon at Iowa and BYU at Texas Tech, with additional rapid-fire picks on Notre Dame-Navy, Wake Forest-Virginia, Northwestern-USC, and Washington-Wisconsin. The hosts deliver sharp analysis, storytelling, and trademark banter—pushing back on Southern bias and aiming to deliver insight “for the fans.”

Major Game Breakdown #1: Oregon at Iowa

Why This Game Matters

• Oregon is a possible national title contender but carries questions after a rocky stretch.
• Iowa's famed home-field advantage at Kinnick Stadium is in focus, with the hosts highlighting that highly ranked teams rarely leave Iowa City with comfortable wins.

Oregon: Are We Sure They're Good?

• Some "Oregon doubters" remain after a season with big wins (Rutgers) but curious losses (Indiana) and close calls (Wisconsin).
• Doug Lamoriello: "Are we sure Oregon is good? Do you think there are some Oregon doubters out there?" (05:01)
• Bill Landis: Pushes back on excessive doubt, but acknowledges perception issues: "If people are doubting Oregon too much, they're wrong." (06:54)

Iowa's Home Track Record

• Doug runs through Iowa's record at home against top-10 teams, showing how close these games typically are:
  • 2017: #4 Penn State won by 2; #6 Ohio State lost by 31 (!)
  • 2021: #4 Penn State lost by 3
  • 2022: #4 Michigan won by 13 (the only double-digit loss since 2017)

"Iowa turns everyone into Iowa when they play in Kinnick Stadium. And I don't know that Oregon is impervious to that." – Doug (13:34)

Iowa's Defense & Offensive Challenge

• Iowa is "traditional Iowa": strong, cohesive, excellent at defending the run—but vulnerable in the red zone.
• Offensively, QB Mark Gronowski brings a running element but is still a "minor upgrade" as a passer. Iowa doesn't strike quickly and lacks explosive weapons on the outside.

"Does it make sense for me to read the stats of an Iowa quarterback when in its wins, Iowa has scored 34, 47, 38, 37, 25, and 41?" – Bill (14:36)

Oregon's Identity & X-Factors

• Recap of last game: Oregon's 21-7 win over Wisconsin in the rain involved a gutsy 99-yard drive and relentless coaching creativity (e.g., onside kick).
• Dan Lanning’s team is "ruthless" and adapts when star QB Dante Moore is injured.
• The matchup to watch: Oregon's O-line vs. Iowa’s D-line; whether Iowa's O-line, possibly one of the nation’s best, can block Oregon.

Stakes for Dan Lanning's Oregon

• Oregon needs to prove it is more than the “Penn State of the West”—good, but not elite—by taking care of business at Iowa.

"If you lose to Ohio State, Indiana, and Iowa in 11 months, what are we talking about?" – Bill (24:11)

• Both agree Oregon is the safer pick, but a hard-fought, low-margin win is expected.
  • Doug’s Pick: Oregon 21, Iowa 17 (27:49)
  • Bill’s Pick: Oregon 27, Iowa 13 (27:49)

Major Game Breakdown #2: BYU at Texas Tech

Historic Stage

• First-ever top-10 matchup for BYU; Texas Tech's first since 2008.
• Both teams are top-20 nationally in scoring offense and defense.

"This is the biggest game in BYU history...and the biggest home game ever for Texas Tech." – Bill (40:14)

Matchup Analysis

• Texas Tech's defensive front is elite—leads country in pressures, tough vs. the run.
  • "If they sack [BYU QB Bear Bachmeyer] eight times, which is very much within the realm of possibility, then this is a game that can get out of hand." – Doug (30:56)
• BYU has grit and a solid front seven, but offensive line could be overwhelmed by Tech's D-line (David Bailey, Romello Height, and Jacob Rodriguez are standouts).
• Both hosts pick Texas Tech to cover a 10.5-point spread, projecting a decisive but not lopsided win:
  • Bill’s Pick: Texas Tech 30, BYU 17 (38:05)
  • Doug’s Pick: Texas Tech 31, BYU 14 (38:29)
• Implications: Significant for the Big 12 playoff race, especially if these teams meet again in the title game.

Rapid Pick Segment

Northwestern at USC (Friday, 7:30 ET)

• USC averages 52 PPG and 9.3 YPP at home; Northwestern a nice story but not on USC’s level.
• "[USC is] a very different team in the Coliseum." – Doug (41:04)
  • Both Pick: USC wins big (~35–14)

Washington at Wisconsin (4:30 ET)

• Key test for Washington, with committee respect and playoff hopes on the line.
• Wisconsin stingy on defense but nearly hopeless on offense.
• Doug: "Wisconsin has not scored a point at home since September 20th." (46:08)
  • Doug’s Pick: Washington 24, Wisconsin 14
  • Bill’s Pick: Washington 35, Wisconsin 16

Wake Forest at Virginia (7:00 ET)

• Can the ACC finally trip up a Virginia team living on the edge? Both root for a Wake Forest upset to keep Virginia out of the playoff mix.
• Doug’s Pick: Wake 21, Virginia 20
• Bill’s Pick: Wake 26, Virginia 21

Notre Dame vs. Navy (Night Game, South Bend)

• Notre Dame needs style points; Navy's D is "really bad" and can't stop the run.
  • "Navy's defense is 115th in stop rate, 117th and available yards given up and 99th in touchdown rate." – Doug (52:00)
• Weather may factor in, but both expect a blowout.
  • Doug’s Pick: Notre Dame 40, Navy 17 (53:16)
  • Bill’s Pick: Notre Dame 42, Navy 14

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Iowa's Home Field Power:
  "[Iowa] turns everyone into Iowa when they play in Kinnick Stadium. And I don't know that Oregon is impervious to that." – Doug (13:34)
• On Oregon’s Stakes:
  "If you lose to Ohio State, Indiana, and Iowa in 11 months, what are we talking about?" – Bill (24:11)
• BYU at Texas Tech as a Signature Saturday:
  "This is the biggest game in BYU history...and the biggest home game ever for Texas Tech." – Bill (40:14)
• On Notre Dame’s Playoff Case:
  "When [Notre Dame] plays their best, they look like one of the better teams in the country...I kind of think Notre Dame is just gonna, like, kind of pulverize teams on its way to not losing the rest of the year." – Doug (52:00)

Section Timestamps

• [03:38] Discussion opens: Oregon at Iowa preview, skepticism around Oregon’s ceiling, deep-dive on Kinnick Stadium effect.
• [13:07] Iowa defensive identity and Gronowski’s efficiency debated.
• [21:30] Oregon’s identity, coaching mentality, and what’s at stake for Dan Lanning.
• [26:05] Win-loss stakes for Oregon’s national reputation.
• [30:56] BYU at Texas Tech preview—pressure, matchups, and what a win means for both.
• [38:05] Texas Tech’s defensive prowess; score picks for BYU-TTU.
• [41:04] Quick picks for Northwestern-USC, Washington-Wisconsin, Wake-Virginia, and Notre Dame-Navy.
• [52:00] Notre Dame vacuuming up playoff style points.
• [54:00] Records, banter, and closing thoughts.

Takeaways

• Oregon–Iowa and BYU–Texas Tech are huge for the playoff race and for national perception in 2025.
• Home-field advantage—especially in places like Kinnick—is tangible and a major theme.
• Texas Tech’s defensive front may be the nation’s best and could drive them to a playoff spot.
• Notre Dame and Washington both need convincing wins for playoff consideration.
• Virginia remains the least-trusted CFP hopeful in the ACC, with both hosts rooting for an upset.

Podcast Vibe & Style

• Relatable, good-natured, and lightly irreverent but always analytical—plenty of laughs, inside jokes (“do they want to be Penn State?”), and zingers about Southern bias or coaching rumors.
• The show’s focus: big-picture national perspective, honest evaluation, and putting “fans first.”
• Strong emphasis on real college football talk—you get the insight whether you root for the Buckeyes, someone else, or just want to watch great games.