The Ryen Russillo Show: The Bills’ Best Shot & the #1-Seed Bears, Plus Joel Klatt on Lane Kiffin to LSU & Fixing the CFB Playoff

Date: December 1, 2025
Host: Ryen Russillo (Barstool Sports)
Guest: Joel Klatt (Fox Sports)
Other Voices: Kyle, Ceruti

Overview

This episode of The Ryen Russillo Show goes deep into current NFL and college football storylines, centering on the shifting NFL playoff picture (notably the Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears), the challenge of “new blood” in the postseason, and a comprehensive, heated conversation with Joel Klatt about the state of the College Football Playoff. The latter covers Lane Kiffin leaving Ole Miss for LSU, the flawed nature of the current playoff selection system, and extensive breakdowns of the top teams and their matchups.

Russillo, with Joel Klatt’s insight, provides thoughtful context on on-field performance vs. resume in college football, the quirks of playoff expansion, and the unique drama this football season is bringing.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. NFL Playoff Picture: The Rise of the Bills and Bears

[04:49-13:36]

• Newness Is Hard in Sports: Russillo explores the collective resistance fans and pundits have toward unestablished teams emerging as contenders, likening it to how people once doubted the Golden State Warriors.
  • "New is difficult in sports. Whenever it's a new team that's never done anything before, I'll admit sometimes I just have a problem with it." — Russillo [04:49]
• Bears as No. 1 Seed: The Bears are shockingly atop the NFC. Despite skepticism, Russillo points out their progress—especially their upset win over Philadelphia, running for almost 300 yards against a Fangio defense, possibly the season's best win.
  • "I really think that that's the best win, maybe of the entire season, considering what we're asking ourselves is, like, who the Bears actually are." — Russillo [12:26]
• Bills’ Playoff Outlook: Despite a disappointing defense and uneven play, the playoff landscape (with weakened chiefs and Ravens’ inconsistency) sets up the best shot for Buffalo in years, if only this were a stronger Bills team.
  • "It feels like this sets up better for Buffalo than any of these years for them entering the playoffs. The only problem is this is probably the worst Buffalo team since the 2020 team, if you look at the defensive numbers." — Russillo [09:30]

2. NFL Odds, Winning Narratives, and the "Worse Win" Concept

[11:32-13:36]

• Kansas City Playoff Odds Are Down: Russillo notes the Chiefs now have just a 36% chance of making the playoffs, seeing the AFC’s new look as a gateway for Buffalo.
• Worse Win Example: Miami’s recent improved record (winning 4 of 5) is, according to Russillo, misleading—firing their GM, one fluke, and not built for real progress.

3. Defensive Standouts and PFF Grades

[13:36-16:46]

• Miles Garrett’s Historic Pace: Russillo marvels at Garrett’s 19 sacks (on pace for the record) and his "Euro hop step."
  • "His move against Trent Williams... he does basically a Euro hop step at his size with his speed, where he's averaging, I think the quickest get off of any player on the defensive line in the entire league." — Russillo [13:51]
• Skepticism of PFF Grades: Increasingly, ex-players and analysts question PFF’s grading, especially when it produces odd receiver or defender rankings.

4. College Football Deep Dive with Joel Klatt

Ohio State, Indiana & Playoff Contenders

[19:47-25:45]

• Ohio State Provides “Answers, Not Questions”: Klatt argues Ohio State continuously answers challenges with their play—balancing offense/defense and adapting to adverse conditions.
  • "Every time Ohio State plays, it’s providing answers. Oh, hey, we don’t know if their run game is that great. Oh, here’s a 20-play drive—16 of them runs in the snow against Michigan... So, like, they can run the football." — Klatt [20:13]
• Indiana as True Contender: Indiana is the most battle-tested and represents the biggest threat to Ohio State with NFL-level QB Fernando Mendoza and a unique defensive scheme.
  • "Indiana is just a really good football team, and I think they are the biggest threat to Ohio State in the country." — Klatt [23:26]

The Resume Debate & Flaws in the CFP Selection

[25:45-37:11]

• Resume vs. Eye Test: Both Russillo and Klatt struggle with how to rank teams: whether by “resume” (actual wins/losses) or "are they just better," and express frustration that neither approach is consistently used.
• Playoff Structure Requires On-Field Results, Not Debates:
  • "I despise this moment every year…we don't play it on the field. ...I want a defined path to the playoff. I believe that we should have play-in games." — Klatt [28:28]
  • "Would you rather have a chance on the field in 60 minutes…or take your chances with 13 people behind closed doors in a committee room?" — Klatt [32:45]
• Klatt's Proposed 14-Team Playoff:
  • Top 2 seeds: SEC and Big Ten champions, with two byes
  • Play-in games for other at-large spots across conferences and G5
  • Reduces subjectivity and lets teams "argue" their case on the field

Playoff Expansion: How Much Is Too Much?

[34:06-37:11]

• Klatt and Russillo agree that expanding to 12 dilutes the value—inviting in teams that have shown they’re not “remotely special.”
• The real problem is how the playoff field is chosen, not its size.

5. The Lane Kiffin Saga: Leaving Ole Miss for LSU

[40:42-46:02]

• No “Right” Solution in Coaching Departures:
  • "He left a playoff team high and dry as the play caller. Sorry, guys…for our future, you can’t coach the playoff. Both understandable." — Klatt [41:07]
• Kiffin is called "a big fish in a small pond" and a “selfish” actor—likely to have his loyalty questioned in recruiting.
• Russillo adds context: Every party (Kiffin, Ole Miss, LSU) acts in its self-interest here.

6. Big Ten vs. SEC Power Dynamics & Conference Strength

[53:10-61:19]

• Big Ten’s Top (Ohio State, Indiana): Get major praise for completeness and defensive prowess.
• SEC Contenders All Flawed: According to both, “the group of contenders is deeper than I can ever remember, [but] the quality of the contenders is also weaker” — Klatt [53:58]
• SEC’s Defensive Regression: Even teams like Georgia and Bama lack their usual dominance.
• Ohio State’s Defense Called “Historic”: But Russillo wonders if the Big Ten’s weak bottom teams are inflating elite teams’ numbers—Klatt admits the risk, referencing the “on paper” concern [61:19].

7. The Role of Conference Play, Schedules, and the Committee

[61:19-74:33]

• Is Dominance vs. Weak Opponents Deceptive?
  • Klatt agrees elite teams may look better than they are if the conference bottom is weak.
  • Cites 2006 Florida-Ohio State as an example of how real tests are sometimes out of conference or in the postseason.
• Committee Relies on Numbers and Eye Test:
  • "They are in love with two things and neither of them are resume specific: advanced analytics and eye test." — Klatt [71:43]
• Head-to-Head vs. Actual Quality: Notre Dame-Miami debate—a typical dilemma of resume versus who is actually better. Both hosts ultimately favor on-field results but admit they’d be tempted to rank Notre Dame higher “just because they’re better.” [73:53]

8. College Football Miscellany

• Texas Tech’s Strengths: Russillo and Klatt tout Tech’s defense and hybrid offensive scheme—making them a dark horse Final Four contender. [66:59]
• Metric Bias: This year’s CFP committee appears guided more by analytics and “feel” than strict resume-based logic.
• Heisman Race: Belief that the Indiana-Ohio State game is “100%” for the Heisman. [76:25]

Memorable Quotes and Moments

• On Playoff Selection:
  "I despise this moment every year. And it becomes a propaganda, politicking moment and we don’t play it on the field." — Joel Klatt [28:28]
• On Lane Kiffin’s Departure:
  "Lane made a selfish decision, and Ole Miss did too... They put themselves in position to do something really, really special. And now I don't know if they're going to be able to do that. Not without their play caller." — Joel Klatt [45:13]
• On the Big Ten’s Dominance:
  "Ohio State... has four first round draft picks right down the middle of their defense." — Joel Klatt [58:55]
• On Football Narratives:
  "New is difficult in sports… I was so proud of 10 years ago, the 'print the shirts' quote because the warriors were new." — Ryen Russillo [04:49]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Bears/Bills and the Challenge for New Playoff Teams: 04:49 - 13:36
• Best Win/Worse Win Discussion: 12:26 - 13:36
• Miles Garrett and Defensive Trends: 13:36 - 16:46
• Joel Klatt Interview Starts: 19:47
  • Ohio State vs. Indiana Breakdown: 19:47 - 24:18
  • Playoff Structure and Fixes: 25:45 - 37:11
  • Lane Kiffin to LSU & Coaching Drama: 40:42 - 46:02
  • Big Ten vs. SEC Strength: 53:10 - 61:19
  • Heisman & National Championship Implications: 76:25
• Top 12 College Football Teams Ranking: 78:35 – 85:42

Additional Segments

• Life Advice & Listener Emails (98:01+): The last section transitions to the show’s "Life Advice" segment with lighter personal stories about gym etiquette, making friends, and travel tips. Notably, one listener's story about discovering a friend's cryptid podcast leads to a humorous exploration of social boundaries and podcast hobby culture.

Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• "Providing answers and not creating questions is what I've learned about Ohio State." — Joel Klatt [21:18]
• "If you're going to give them [Oklahoma] a hard time [for their offense], then you're being completely unfair. ...They played six ranked teams at the time they played them." — Russillo [85:07]
• "There is one, one entity that has enough power and leverage to wrestle some of that away from the conference commissioners, and that's the CFP." — Joel Klatt [38:15]
• "Would you have gone for it in 4th and 2 if you were Kaelin in that iron bowl game?" — Russillo [48:35], followed by a tactical discussion with Klatt.

Summary and Tone

The episode is fast-paced, candid, and laced with the dry, analytical wit typical of both Russillo and Klatt. With both host and guest clearly passionate about the state of football (pro and college), they don’t hesitate to challenge conventional wisdom, especially regarding “new” playoff teams, committee politics, and flawed playoff expansion.

While the show is technical in its breakdowns—complete with player and coach critiques—it remains accessible, with Russillo keeping the conversations relatable through real-world analogies and the show’s popular Life Advice segment.

Final Takeaway

This episode will delight hardcore football fans invested in the playoff chase, as well as listeners who enjoy vigorous debates about sports structures, fairness, and the quirks of sports fandom. The combination of NFL and CFB talk, Klatt’s candid viewpoints, and off-beat digressions delivers a thorough, nuanced, and entertaining look at the state of the football universe as December 2025 begins.