The Bill and Doug Show: Ohio State Football Talk

Episode: Why Notre Dame is probably out of the playoff, and Ohio State is looking at a quarterfinal SEC foe
Date: December 3, 2025
Hosts: Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis (Blue Wire)

Episode Overview

Bill and Doug deliver their unfiltered reactions to the latest College Football Playoff rankings, with a heavy focus on the fates of Notre Dame, Miami, BYU, and SEC contenders—plus what Ohio State’s playoff road probably looks like. The hosts dissect the committee’s logic (or lack thereof), question the SEC’s mid-tier strength, and have their usual fun banter, all through the lens of seasoned Ohio State and college football insiders. The tone is passionate, sarcastic, analytical, and fan-focused.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Notre Dame Likely Out of the Playoff

• Bill reacts viscerally to Alabama leapfrogging Notre Dame in the latest rankings.
  • "Bama's in and I'm sick. Sick to my stomach." (01:06)
• The key ranking shift: Bama at 9, Notre Dame at 10, BYU at 11.
• If BYU beats Texas Tech, BYU gets the automatic bid; Texas Tech will still be in, and Notre Dame is out. If Texas Tech beats BYU, Notre Dame gets in (unless Miami jumps them).
• Doug notes CFP clarified that idle teams can move up—so Miami could possibly jump Notre Dame based on head-to-head.
• Bill uses the “already dead” Band of Brothers meme:
  • "For real. Notre Dame's dead. I think Notre Dame's the third best team in the country. They're dead. For real." (02:58)

2. The Logic (or Illogic) of CFP Committee Decisions

• Doug questions whether Miami and Notre Dame have even been directly compared in the committee's rankings "pod" yet.
  • "Have Notre Dame and Miami been ranked, been compared to each other in the same group yet?" (03:21)
• Bill and Doug express frustration at the lack of transparent process.
  • "The pod thing is imaginary... do we exist in the same dimensional plane?" (05:24 - Bill)
• The strength of schedule and record metrics for Miami and Notre Dame are nearly identical (Notre Dame's 13th in strength of record, Miami 14th; schedule 42 vs. 44), so head-to-head could be decisive if/when they're compared directly.

3. Head-to-Head, Metrics, and Committee Contradictions

• Doug: "If it really comes down to [Miami vs. Notre Dame]... you don't think all the old football guys in that room are going to pick the team that won the game on the field?" (05:52)
• Bill: Points out the inconsistency—why not already order them that way now?
• Both hosts lambaste the convoluted explanations from committee members and TV panelists like Booger McFarland.

4. Reasonable Outrage & Limits of the 12-Team Playoff

• Bill recognizes Notre Dame fans don't have much of a right to complain since their ranking (10th) shows they're on the fringe:
  • "Nobody who's the 10th best team in the country has a right to anything. You should be down on your knees thanking the good lord..." (09:13)
• True outrage is reserved for situations like last year's Florida State snub due to a QB injury; the expanded playoff should minimize future controversies.

5. Why Not BYU? And Conference Bias

• BYU might be the most deserving left-out team, being 11–1 with its only loss to a top-4 team, but their non-conference schedule (Portland State, Stanford, East Carolina) and the Big 12’s weak perception undercut their case.
  • "Their non conference schedule was Portland State, Stanford and East Carolina. And the Big 12 just doesn't rate right." (11:48)
• Metric reality: BYU is 6th in strength of record, with a schedule better than Notre Dame or Miami (12:43).

6. The SEC's "Midness" and Ohio State’s Probable Quarterfinal

• Hosts are disgusted with the middle-tier SEC teams populating the standings:
  • "[Bama] blows like hot garbage… all these mediocre SEC teams that are going to make it. I want to vomit… it is disgusting." (14:22)
• Frustration with Ole Miss, Texas, and Vanderbilt’s relative playoff positions leads Bill to propose a fantasy “cram it” merchandise line.

7. Conference Championship Scenarios and Playoff Projections

• Doug and Bill break down possible conference champions (especially ACC and G6 teams) and how tiebreakers/committee choices could affect the last playoff spots, especially regarding the ACC’s bad tiebreaker protocol:
  • "The ACC has a bad tiebreaker plan." (23:56)
• Doug offers a mock projection: Ohio State, Georgia, Indiana, Texas Tech as top 4; Oregon, Ole Miss, A&M, Oklahoma, Bama next; then Miami, North Texas, JMU. (29:28)

8. Playoff Site and Matchup Speculation

• Potential for multiple SEC-hosted first-round games if Georgia loses the SEC title and the committee's SEC tilt persists.
• Bill and Doug fantasize about boycotting/watching holiday movies rather than early-round SEC playoff sites.
  • "What if that was our bit? ...What if we boycott it if it's 4 SEC first round sites? What if we ignore that they happened?" (36:14)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Notre Dame's fate:

  • "Notre Dame's dead. I think Notre Dame's the third best team in the country. They're dead. For real."
    —Bill Landis (02:58)

• On opaque “pod” comparisons:

  • "Are they in the same universe? Do we exist in the same dimensional plane as each other? Then like, take it into account. I don't know what you're freaking talking about."
    —Bill Landis (05:24)

• On SEC mid-tier teams:

  • "I want to tear [the rankings] up into tiny pieces, eat it, poop it out and flush it because it is disgusting all these mediocre SEC teams that are going to make it."
    —Bill Landis (14:22)

• On BYU’s snub:

  • "Actually, probably the answer probably should be BYU is in. And instead of Notre Dame or Miami and Alabama, why isn't BYU in?"
    —Bill Landis (10:49)

• On playoff expansion reducing real controversy:

  • "We got everybody who really needs to be in. When you think about it, in the end, Bill, there's only... 15 teams even in contention for those 10 spots."
    —Doug Lesmerises (09:13)

• On outrage limits:

  • "You can only be so angry. So quite a thing, though, that… it's like Notre Dame lost the first two and most people were like, they're out. And then by week four or five, everybody was like, they're gonna be in. And now we're in week 14, it's like, oh, no, they're out."
    —Doug Lesmerises (24:30)

• On Big Ten vs. SEC:

  • "The Big Ten is a league of champions and the SEC is a factory of midness."
    —Bill Landis (32:01)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:06 – Opening reactions to playoff rankings; “Bama’s in and I’m sick. Sick to my stomach.”
• 02:01–03:40 – Miami/Notre Dame head-to-head dilemma explained.
• 05:24–06:46 – Pod ranking frustration; committee transparency debate.
• 09:13–10:49 – Setting “outrage” expectations for fans; limits of playoff controversy.
• 10:49–12:43 – BYU’s playoff case and strength-of-schedule discussion.
• 14:22–15:21 – Rant about SEC "midness" and playoff selection process.
• 23:56–24:30 – ACC tiebreaker critique and impact on at-large spots.
• 29:28–31:19 – Doug’s playoff projections and discussion of how losses/conference titles are valued.
• 32:01–34:21 – Big Ten’s dominance vs. SEC, speculation on first-round playoff matchups.
• 36:14–36:52 – “Boycotting” SEC-heavy first round—banter about watching “Jingle All the Way” instead.
• 37:28 – Final realization: "We're not comparing Notre Dame and Miami side by side" (Hunter Eurocheck’s quote).
• 38:19 – Plans for upcoming coverage and live reaction podcasts.

Conclusion

Bill and Doug deliver a comprehensive breakdown of the current playoff chaos, centering on Notre Dame’s near-certain exclusion, the SEC’s controversial placement of mid-level teams, and the committee’s murky logic. Relying on both stats and sarcasm, they reaffirm both the limits and benefits of the expanded playoff, and tease a potent Ohio State–SEC quarterfinal. Amid it all, their humor and grit hold true for Ohio State and northern football supremacy.

For More

• Thursday: Big Ten championship game preview
• Friday: Conference championship picks
• Sunday: Immediate playoff reaction and analysis

Thanks for riding with The Bill and Doug Show.