The Bill and Doug Show: Ohio State Football Talk

Christopher Vargas, a 5-star QB from Massachusetts in the Class of 2028, committed to Ohio State on Saturday. Bill and Doug are here to break down his skills, his future and why this was so big for the Buckeyes.

For more OSU coverage, including a video breakdown of Saturday's practice, visit billanddougshow.com

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The Ohio State Buckeyes held their second practice of the preseason Friday and Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis were there to take it all in. On this episode, they discuss another big day from transfer receiver Devin McCuin, go into the different offensive looks they saw compared to Thursday, talk about running back and cornerback a bit, and wonder why Doug is so confused by the safety situation. Thanks as always for joining the show.

Check out billanddougshow.com for more Buckeye coverage. And come check out Ohio State football trivia from The Bill and Doug Show...

Ohio State football opened preseason practice Thursday morning and Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis were there to watch it all. On this episode of The Bill and Doug Show, they run through the four most important things they saw, related to the offensive line, the battle at cornerback, freshman Legend Bey and the running back room. From Ian Moore to Jermaine Mathews to Dominick Kelly to Isaiah West to Bo Jackson, Doug and Bill have you covered. For more Ohio State coverage, visit billanddougshow.com

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It's time to discuss college football's truly elite national title contenders, as Brett Ciancia, the man behind Pick Six Previews, joins The Bill and Doug Show.
First up is the team Ciancia has as his national title favorite entering the 2026 season. Then it's onto a discussion of Ohio State, where the best teams in the SEC stand, and a run through the other schools in Tier 1 of college football. You can order Ciancia's preview magazine at picksixpreviews.com.
And you can get more Ohio State coverage from Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis at billanddougshow.com

Conference depth was a point that Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti tackled at Big Ten Media Days last week. On this episode of The Bill and Doug Show, the goal is to define that depth.
Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com joins Bill Landis and Doug Lesmerises to assign which teams belong in the second tier of the conference as schools that could make the College Football Playoff but aren't necessarily expected to.
Let's agree that Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon are Tier 1. Who's next?
Doug, Bill and Adam run through all the options and discuss the...

Ohio State football opens preseason camp Thursday and Around the Shoe is here to preview it. Joining Bill Landis and Doug Lesmerises are two outstanding Ohio State media members -- Brandon Beam of 97.1 The Fan and The Buckeye Show, and Pat Murphy of Bucknuts.com and also the Buckeye Show. 

The topics covered are: 

• The offensive player you'll be watching when camp starts 

• The defensive player you'll be watching when camp starts 

• The wildest prediction to make for the OSU opener that could come true 

• Will the Protect College Sports Act he...

Big Ten Media Days wrapped up Thursday, and the conference should leave Chicago feeling like it is beating the SEC in perception after beating the SEC on the field on the way to the last three national titles. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti was more forceful in taking on the SEC and making a case for his league, and on this episode, Doug Lesmerises, Bill Landis and Matt Fortuna gave their final thoughts on this continuing battle between the leagues. The five main topics covered: • The Big Ten not being afraid to promote itself as a football power • The 24-tea...

Bill and Doug are joined by Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, defensive back Jaylen McClain, and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith during Big Ten Media Days in Chicago. Tune in for the latest from the Buckeyes as they prepare for the start of the season and hear their perspective on the rest of the conference going to another year where they are picked to win the Big Ten. 

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Ohio State just beat out Oregon as the choice to win the Big Ten in 2026 in a poll of 46 writers and analysts conduced by The Bill and Doug Show. 

On this episode of Around the Shoe, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis are joined by Matt Fortuna of Theinsidezonemf.com and Audrey Snyder of Insidethelions.substack.com to break down the results of the full poll. 
1. What does everyone think of the Buckeyes as the slight conference favorites, followed by Oregon, Indiana and USC? The full 1-18 poll is also revealed. 
2. What team outside the Top 3 is...

Our Ohio State opponent previews come to an end on The Bill and Doug Show with a look at the last Buckeye foe of the regular season. It's the Week 13 matchup in Ohio Stadium against the Michigan Wolverines on Nov. 28. Bill Landis and Doug Lesmerises did not invite an opposing beat writer to join the conversation for this episode because you may have noticed that Michigan reporters have been pretty busy covering the changes and problems in the UM athletic department. So Bill and Doug broke down the Wolverines themselves, discussing QB Bryce Underwood, a veteran offensive line, running...

It's five more Ohio State football topics on Around the Shoe after we took last week off. Two outstanding reporters covering the Buckeyes join the show as Bobby Gorbett of Buckeye Sports Bulletin and Joey Kaufman of the Columbus Dispatch stop by. They join Bill Landis and Doug Lesmerises to discuss: • Whether Ohio State had a better national title shot last year or has it this year • Describing Ohio State's defensive line recruiting • Would you rather have an elite left tackle or elite defensive end? • What will the Buckeyes' defensive line rotation look like this season? • Anything you want to say abo...

What will make the difference between an Ohio State season in which the Buckeyes are a true national championship threat and a season in which Ohio State is good but loses a couple games and gets punted out of the playoffs early?

This question came in from a subscriber at billanddougshow.com and on this episode of The Bill and Doug Show, Bill Landis and Doug Lesmerises dove into both scenarios.

First they each gave three things that will go right for the Buckeyes if they are a true natty threat.

Then they...

The Bill and Doug Show checks in on the latest at Michigan, where a board of regents meeting on Thursday did not discuss the future of Wolverines athletic director Warde Manuel. Between an $11 million independent report, not yet released, that was commissioned by the university, and a lawsuit filed by a fired former assistant coach alleging a coverup at the university, the Michigan athletic department continues to be a mess. Once upon a time, a 12-0 Ohio State football season in 2012 led by Urban Meyer pulled Ohio State out of its troubled times. Is there any chance new coach...

It's Game 11 and Week 12 of our Ohio State opponent preview as we dig into the Buckeyes' trip to Lincoln on Nov. 21. It's a look at Nebraska of this episode of The Bill and Doug Show, as Bill Landis and Doug Lesmerises are joined by Josh Peterson of the I-80 Club (https://www.youtube.com/@i80club) and other Nebraska-themed endeavors. The discussion runs from Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule, to the QB transfer of Dylan Raiola and addition of Anthony Colandrea, to the problems with the Nebraska run defense, to the future of the program and QB recruit Trae...

Ohio State will host Northwestern on Nov. 14 in the 10th regular season game for the Buckeyes. It'll be a return to Ohio Stadium for new Northwestern offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who won a national title as Ohio State's offensive coordinator in 2024. 

On this latest opponent preview on The Bill and Doug Show, Matthew Shelton of Wildcat Report in the On3 network shares his expertise on the Wildcats. How much of an impact will Kelly have? What should be expected of Michigan State transfer and new QB Aiden Chiles? How good might the skill positions be, led by r...

The NCAA changed its eligibility rules, ending the era of 6- and 7-year college football players, but opening everyone up to 5 full years of playing, with no more redshirts. On this Around the Shoe episode of The Bill and Doug Show, two great members of the Ohio State media join Bill Landis and Doug Lesmerises to discuss this switch. 

It's Blake Biscardi and Marcus Hartman checking in on: 
• Overall thoughts on the rule change 
• The effect on Ohio State roster building 
• A player of the past we wish had 5 full years of eligibility 
• The current o...

It's a college football draft of the best coordinator combos in the power four conferences, as Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis look at the best offensive-defensive mind melds in the nation.
Honestly ... it was kind of hard to find 10 great combinations.
This way of looking at things has a major impact on your view of the national title race. Where do Ohio State, Indiana, Notre Dame, Georgia, Miami and other natty contenders fit in the coordinator mix?
Thanks as always for joining The Bill and Doug Show. Visit billanddougshow.com for more Ohio State coverage.
...

Jett Harrison, a 5-star receiver in the Class of 2028 and the younger brother of Marvin Harrison Jr. has committed to Ohio State, and Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis are here to discuss it. What does this say about the job Cortez Hankton is doing as the replacement for Brian Hartline at receivers coach? What does this mean for the future of Ohio State receiver recruiting? And who's up for a 2028 Ohio State starting lineup of three 5-star receivers? Thanks for joining The Bill and Doug Show. For more Ohio State coverage from Bill and Doug, visit billanddougshow.com. And...

With the commitment of Top 50 recruit Marcus Fakatou, Ohio State has built an elite defensive line in its 2027 recruiting class, with another major addition potentially on the horizon. 
In this episode, Bill Landis and Doug Lesmerises delve into the Buckeyes' strategy, how this D-line group compares to the Buckeyes' 2021 D-line crop, whether this is a trend or a one-year change, and how they would make a pie chart of luck, resources and Larry Johnson to describe why this group has come together. 
Thanks as always, and visit billanddougshow.com for more Ohio State coverage. Also, come see Bi...

The preview of Ohio State football opponents marches on as The Bill and Doug Show gets to game No. 9 and Week 10 on Nov. 7 against the Oregon Ducks. The Buckeyes and Ducks are both in the top tier of national title contenders, and there are some things about Oregon -- including the idea of several veterans putting off the NFL to stay for one more season -- that reminds you of 2024. On this episode, Tyson Alger of https://lookouteugene-springfield.com joins to share his knowledge as a reporter who has covered Oregon for more than a decade. From Dan Lanning...

Around the Shoe is back talking five college football topics, but with a bit of a betting angle this week. Joining Bill Landis and Doug Lesmerises are one old friend and one new friend from TShoeIndex.com, as Tyler Shoemaker (old) and Zak Biggs (new) share their insight. Exciting news -- get ready for TShoe to be joining The Bill and Doug Show on a weekly basis in the fall. For now, the topics discussed were: • Our descriptions of Ohio State's win total of 9.5 • A team that stands out among the seven national title favorites -- Ohio State, Notre Dame...

Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork met with reporters on Thursday morning, and The Bill and Doug Show is here to distill and discuss what Bjork said on two fronts. First, it's the big-picture look at the sport, Ohio State's need to look out for itself, where it might draw the line on Congress pushing things too far, and what the future of paying players looks like. Then it's a look at what is happening at Ohio State when it comes to renovating the football practice facility, other athletic facilities and, potentially, Ohio Stadium. Thanks as always for joining...

The latest Ohio State opponent preview takes The Bill and Doug Show to the eighth game of the season in Week 9, as the Buckeyes will be coming off their only off week. Following a roadtrip to Indiana and that break, Ohio State will head to the West Coast to visit the USC Trojans on Oct. 31. 

Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times joined Bill and Doug to discuss Riley's status; USC's No. 1 recruiting class for for 2026 and how much those freshman will play; new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson; replacing star receivers Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane; and H...

We are back talking five Ohio State football topics on Around the Shoe. Sorry we didn't have an episode last week. As always, Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis are joined by two outstanding media members. This time it's two hosts from The Ohio Podcast in Eric Boggs and Chris Wilds.
The questions answered by Eric, Chris, Bill and Doug were: 

• What's the biggest reason to be optimistic about Ohio State's football future? 
• What's a reason to be concerned about Ohio State's football future? 
• What is Ohio State's toughest regular season game for 2026? 
• Ohio State's toug...

This episode is a look at which college football programs are best positioned to be winning two years from now. Adam Rittenberg wrote a story for ESPN.com last week ranking all 68 power conference teams two years out, and on this episode of The Bill and Doug Show, he joins Doug Lesmerises to debate the Top 10. Adam spent five months on his list, while Doug spent five minutes on his. So who is right? Adam said the top spot came down to Notre Dame vs. Ohio State -- what are the pros and cons for each side? Plus discussion...

Ohio State vs. Indiana was a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown in the Big Ten Championship game last season. The Hoosiers won and went on to a 16-0 season and the national title. The rematch will come in Week 7 in 2026 as the Buckeyes visit the Hoosiers in Memorial Stadium on Oct. 17. As part of their breakdown of every Ohio State regular-season game, Bill Landis and Doug Lesmerises tackled this matchup with the help of two outstanding experts on Indiana from CrimsonCast, the longest-running podcast covering Indiana sports. Grace Ybarra and Galen Clavio shared their time and expertise to discuss head...

Around the Shoe is focusing on Ohio State recruiting this week, after the Buckeyes held the first of four day camps on Tuesday taht are bringing some of the best high school players in the country to Columbus. The Buckeyes will host three more day camps on Thursday; Tuesday, June 16; and Thursday June 18. Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis were both at Tuesday's camp, and were joined on this episode by two OSU recruiting experts who also spent their Tuesday watching prospects work out at Ohio State. That's Garrick Hodge of Bucknuts.com and 247Sports.com and Andrew Gillis of...

Next up in our preview of Ohio State's 2026 opponents is a week six game against Maryland. The Terrapins will come to Ohio Stadium on Oct. 10 between the Buckeyes' road trips to Iowa and Indiana. Does that make this a trap spot? Probably not. But Maryland has some exciting young talent that it's building around, and could get someone unexpected in the Big Ten this year. Ahmed Ghafir of Inside the Black & Gold joins Bill Landis to tell us a little more about the Terps. Thanks for watching and listening.

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Congress held hearings for the Protect College Sports Act on Wednesday, and Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis are here to talk about it. Seems like there is still a lot of posturing going on, as the Big Ten and SEC came out against the Act as written, opposed to parts of it. We're in the midst of the continued chaos around college sports, and maybe making some progress. But this Act may not be the answer. Thanks for joining The Bill and Doug Show.

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Our preview of Ohio State regular-season opponents is at Week 5 and the Buckeyes' visit to Iowa on Oct. 3. On this episode of The Bill and Doug Show, David Eickholt of HawkeyeInsider.com in the 247Sports Network joins Bill and Doug to break down the Hawkeyes. This will be Ohio State's first trip to Iowa City since the Hawkeyes upset Ohio State in 2017. This year, the Hawkeyes have a quarterback battle ahead in August and questions about their defense, where only three starters return. Kirk Ferentz is back for Year 28 leading the Hawkeyes, and he's 2-3 against Ohio State in...

It's two new guests on Around the Shoe as current podcast hosts and former Ohio State players Bryant Browning and Chimdi Chekwa join Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis to discuss five topics on Ohio State and college football.
Browning and Chekwa currently host Bleav in Buckeyes, but before that they played for Jim Tressel. So we asked them a Tressel question -- was the Tressel Era or Urban Meyer Era a bigger success at Ohio State?
Before that, there were two Michigan game questions:
• Could an expanded playoff negatively affect The Game?
• Should a move to t...

How does Big Ten depth actually stack up to SEC depth? On this edition of The Bill and Doug show, Bill Landis and Doug Lesmerises are joined by the great Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com to break that down. Which league has better coaching? Which Big Ten team is most central to the depth argument? How did the Big Ten handle its spring meetings, which Adam attended? What was the message from SEC spring meetings last week? Adam knows this discussion inside and out and was generous with his time, as these two leagues continue to do battle at...

Illinois will visit Ohio State on Sept. 26 in the Big Ten opener for both teams in 2026, and Jeremy Werner of IlliniInquirer.com joined Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis on this episode to break down the Week 4 matchup. The Bill and Doug Show is running through the entire regular season schedule for the Buckeyes with videos and podcasts on this feed, and written breakdowns at their Substack at https://billanddougosu.substack.com 

Illinois hasn't beaten Ohio State since 2007, and the Buckeyes handled business at Illinois a year ago. There's a new QB, a new offensive line, and a n...

It's five Ohio State football topics on Around the Shoe, as Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis are joined by two spectacular Ohio State media members in Tom Orr and Tony Gerdeman from the Buckeye Weekly Podcast. 
Topics covered: 
• 15 years after his resignation, what is Jim Tressel's legacy? 
• Are we surprised Tressel became Ohio's lieutenant governor? 
• In which area will Ohio State improve the most in 2026? 
• What do we think of the SEC spring meetings? 
• Imagining a Wemby-like player in college football 
Thanks to Tony and Tom for their time and expertise, and thanks to you for...

The Big Ten is holding spring meetings in Southern California, and unlike the past, actually publicizing what's going on there and pushing a point of view. Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis have been asking the Big Ten to fight harder against the SEC in the offseason and it's finally happening. In this episode of The Bill and Doug Show, the guys talk about the Big Ten's new push, how an expanded playoff might affect rivalry games, and what the SEC might do in response next week. Then they make predictions for the next step in the playoff expansion discussion...

Kent State will visit Ohio State for a Week 3 matchup in Ohio Stadium on Sept. 19. To preview that matchup, The Bill and Doug Show went right to the source and welcomed Kent State head coach Mark Carney to the show.
Carney took over the Golden Flashes a year ago as the interim head coach and led them to a 5-7 record that he thinks maybe should have been more like 7-5. That job, after Kent State was 1-23 the previous two seasons, earned him the full-time gig.
In this episode Carney discusses his background as a Cleveland...

Ohio State football unveiled a bunch of uniform and field information last week, and on this episode of Around the Shoe on The Bill and Doug Show, it's time to break it all down. 

Joining Bill Landis and Doug Lesmerises are two great members of the media from Eleven Warriors: 
• Chase Brown 
• Josh Poloha 
The topics discussed:
• Describe the return of the gray/silver Heritage shoulder stripe 
• How often should alternate uniforms be worn? 
• How big of a deal is Ohio State's new turf? 
• Of their five possible uniforms for 2026, which look is the b...

College football has a ton of veteran quarterbacks for 2026, with playoff contenders from Ohio State to Texas to Notre Dame to Georgia to Oregon to USC to Penn State to LSU to Miami led by veteran signal callers.
On this episode of The Bill and Doug Show, Matt Fortuna of insidezonemf.com and The Independent podcast on Notre Dame joins Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis to draft the 15 best power conference quarterbacks in the country heading into the season.
First, they discuss the depth of the veteran quarterbacks. Then they revisit how quarterbacks were viewed a year...

It's Week 2 of our Ohio State schedule preview for 2026. That means looking at the Buckeyes' trip to Texas on Sept. 12 to take on the Longhorns. 

To give us insight into the Longhorns, beat writer Danny Davis of www.statesman.com and The Austin American-Statesman joined The Bill and Doug Show. From quarterback Arch Manning to receiver Cam Coleman to defensive end Colin Simmons to two new running backs to questions in the secondary, Davis broke it all down with Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis. 

That includes what the Texas homefield advantage is like, why the Lo...

It's a full Ohio State vs. Texas lookahead on this episode of Around the Shoe, as Doug Lesmerises and Bill Landis are joined by two outstanding media members to dive in on the Buckeyes vs. Longhorns on Sept. 12. 
Joining Bill and Doug this week are: 
• Jonah Booker from Bucknuts.com 
• Shehan Jeyarajah from CBSSports.com 
The topics covered: 
• How important is a game like Ohio State-Texas to college football 
• Is Arch vs. Sayin a QB rivalry? 
• What are the chances both the Buckeyes and Longhorns will make the 12-team College Football Playoff? 
• Who are the...