Ohio State vs. Texas picks and preview: Keys that will decide Buckeyes vs. Longhorns

0:00Welcome back to the Bill and Doug show. We are in Austin, Texas for final preview of Ohio State. At Texas, we'll be here covering this game on Saturday night. We'll be doing a post game show live on YouTube. We'll get on to the podcast feeds. We'll go for half an hour as soon as after the game as we can and then we'll be going over to Bill and Doug show.com. Hopefully an even longer post game show like at some point maybe that longer post game show the Monday, but it'd be great if it was Saturday night. If not, it'd be great if it was Sunday. He's been lent us some Doug Lamarys. They let us into the Texas sports hall of fame. Yeah, very cool here. It is in a D K R stadium. We're in a hall at the moment that has like all of Texas's national title trophies for all their various. Sport tier. You can't see it. I don't think but like all the crystal footballs are over there. This place is cool. This is this is something Ohio State desperately needs and it's a bit of a shock that Ohio State doesn't have something like this. Ohio State has, you know, their trophy lobby at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, but it's not inviting to the public. It's not as big as this. It's not connected to the stadium in a way that makes it as accessible to people.

1:12Well, this is the same. It's like the same idea, but this is like every sport eight times bigger every sport and here for the folks really well done. Yeah, we don't know. I mean, is it open on a time that sure it's open on a on a Friday before the game. There's Ohio State fans in here. There are Texas fans in here checking all this stuff out and. Yeah, the key difference. I guess like Ohio State trophy lobby right is connected to the Woody. It's connected to the practice facility, which obviously is a little more secret than the stadium itself. The practice facility is separate from this. It's on the other side of the building, but yeah, very cool. There's a big ol bebo statue in the in the foyer here. So yeah, Ross Bjork. Let's get the money together to get something like this in Columbus. We'll ask we'll ask Ross about it. Yeah, suggestions. So we're doing a little bit doing football whisper. It's like this is kind of like a football library. We make some of the big 10s of libraries. This is a football library. Yeah, the show proper respect. We're going to talk about the game. We did a full 90 minute breakdown at Bill and Doug show.com on last day where we did give our picks. We also gave our picks on the podcast of Northern Aggression earlier in the week that we certainly would invite you to go join us over there at the podcast of Northern Aggression. We break down five games a week. You make picks. I make picks.

2:26Matt for two to make picks. And if you want to join us over at the Bill and Doug show, we would invite you to get 25% off. You can go to billandugshow.com backslash more M O R E. We know there's lots of really dedicated educated Ohio State fans here. We're also over there with us already. There are some of you who are here who are not with us over there already. Maybe because you thought about it, you haven't ever decided to go over the top and do it. Maybe you didn't know that we were doing that. So like we do a lot here. We want to do a lot here. We enjoy doing a lot here. But we do even more over there. And so we just want to make we want to make the people aware bill that there is even more of us at billandugshow.com backslash more. And like, we'll give you a little discount off the top. Yep. 25% off. We do bonus podcasts over there every Wednesday. Yes. Every Sunday after games would also that this extra post game show we're doing now too. We'll also be there along with everything we write. We have chats. We have subscriber interaction. It's a good time. I would recommend that check it out see if it's for you.

3:31We'll put up a giant film. Look back point by point on some stuff on Friday. I wrote a story on Thursday. Let Jeremiah Smith be Texas. You can find it over there. Let's do sort of what we think our keys to the game for Ohio State Texas 730 on ABC. Chris Fowler. Kirk Herb Street, Holly Row, Laura Rutledge on the call. I'll let you go first. We'll go back and forth. What we think is going to help determine this game. What's a thing? What's a bill land is key to the game? I know it's going to be a big deal. I mean, it's a big deal. We're going to take advantage of this. This is an obvious thing. I probably for a lot of people. But the way that Ohio State's offensive line is able to see and communicate and then adjust to what Texas is doing up front, right? amount against Texas State. You know, doubt has more that he's going to throw Ohio State's way. But even in that Texas State game, you saw like they were doing things where they would, you know, shift from an even front to a not front, like right before the snap. And Texas State was like kind of lucky a couple times that it's running back, which is sort of like up to the challenge

4:32of blocking somebody. So like this is not just the offensive line. It's for Ohio State's running back. It's for Julian saying to there's going to be a lot of movement pre-end post snap. I think from Texas's defensive front, because Texas watched the tape. They saw what happened last year against Indiana and against Miami. And they know that Ohio State's one of the key points for the offensive line this year was was handling all that stuff better. And we'll see this, this will be the ultimate test. I think of whether or not they've addressed that. So that to me is a rather airing key, I think going into this game. You I think talked the other day about Rahim Biles and the idea of him lining up at edge sometimes and then coming inside like them moving him around a little bit. He is a speedy playmaker who who does line up on the line of scrimmage sometimes as a linebacker when you talk about their defensive front moving. Are you including Biles in that or is Biles even like a wild card factor beyond that? No, I'm including him. I think everything that will must champ will do or almost everything that will must champ will do with his front

5:36will be to get both Rahim Biles, the linebacker and Cahlen Simmons defensive end in advantageous situations, which is like one on one's right there. They're going to try to as much as they can limit Ohio State's ability to throw multiple bodies at either of those guys and trust. I think probably rightfully so that those two athletes will win their one on one match. I was more off than that. So like you can't Ohio State's not going to keep eight guys in protection on every player. Part of this too I think is getting the ball out quick, having some stuff schematically that can slow them down whether that's like RPOs or play action and stuff like that. But yeah, I would very much include Biles in any conversation about like Pass Rush front that kind of stuff. He's good off the ball. He's good in space, but I think he's at his best when he's on the line of scrimmage making stuff happen. I'll go the opposite side of that for the first French vanilla key to the game. The ability of the Ohio State defensive line to not let Archmanning wait.

6:40I think the Ohio State secondary has a chance to have pretty good initial coverage on Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo. I think you can believe in Devon Sanchez and Jermaine Matthews and Jay Timon and the looks that Matt Patricia is going to give Archmanning. Obviously we saw a year ago that he was off his game. Arch was early in that game in the first half because of the looks. Matt Patricia was giving him, but I thought even against Texas State last week there would be times when like maybe it wasn't there initially, but then Arch, if you had a chance to wait, slide in the pocket a little bit, be patient, wait for guys to then get become uncovered in the middle of the field. Yes, it's a scrambling conversation for him and you were noting how he ran on Michigan in the bowl game last year more than 100 yards. Seven scramble for more than 100 yards in that game. Yes, but it's partly that, but it's also just his ability to wait and work and be comfortable and look comfortable and wait for something to happen. If he can just stand there and hold the ball,

7:41Trevor Gooseby, their left tackle is excellent. He was coming back from preseason injury. Maybe wasn't 100% all the way himself last week. I think you expect probably a little better version of him. They like their right tackle. Maybe their interior offensive line or maybe where the questions are a little bit more. But if he, I think if it feels like he's standing back there and holding the ball forever, and this is even one of those with Matt Patricia, like if you drop eight and rush three and say, hey, like we're just, I think if he holds the ball, I think eventually more often than not, something good will happen for Texas. Yeah. That either Ryan Wingo or Emmett Mosley or Cam Coleman or somebody will work open a backle come open or Arschel just take off, right? I don't. Yeah. If you don't let him wait, then because Kinyata Jackson's in his face, then I think that's much better for Ohio State. Yeah, I think you, it's sort of the opposite of Julian saying, because I think Julian saying does kind of like want the ball out of his hand quick, right? Arschel take all the time because Arsch wants to go down field. Arschel wants to go over your

8:43head. They have a lot of team speed, especially at the receiver position. So yeah, with you, I don't think you want Arsch to feel comfortable hunting those downfield shots, nor do you want to create sort of the kind of situations where everyone's got their back turned and you only rush three or four. They don't get home and all of a sudden, Arsch has 20 yards of open grass that run too, right? So I don't, yeah, I mean, that's you're talking about maybe ratcheting up the pressure a little bit, I think to speed Arsch up, I think, you know, and most quarterbacks aren't at the rest when they're sped up. And I think Arsch in particular probably struggles with that still, even as a guy who's like, Holly, I thought I was a prospect. So that, yeah, I would be there with you. I don't, I don't want Arsch thinking that he can go bombs away on the defense. Yeah, slow Arsch is bad for Ohio State. Yeah, you want, you want sped up Arsch, I think that's right. Yeah. All right. What's your next thing? It's more of like a personnel thing, I think, like I just, I don't recall in a sort of dovetails with that. Like I don't recall Ryan Day talking as much

9:43about an opponent's speed as he has about Texas's this week. So then I think like Ohio State's defense needs to like, sort of like match speed with speed, right, which is I think to say they probably need to be comfortable putting inexperienced linebackers like TJ off of the rallypeda John Alma Field early in this game. But there's kind of, there's been like this conversation right of what we saw against ball state, all those guys that played what's the actual number of guys of Ohio State is comfortable playing in a game like this. And I don't, I don't think the answer can be just like the guys who were old because as much as I like Peyton Pierce and think he's going to be a good player and um think he will certainly play a role in this game. I just don't think you can live in a world where you're asking him to chase Arsch and chase Hollywood smothers or chase some of these speedy receivers over the middle of the field for 50 snaps. So I think you got to play rallypeda John, you got to play TJ offered. I think you have to be comfortable at times playing J Timmans maybe even against 12 personnel sometimes if you don't think that 12 is going to be like lineup and smash it kind of 12. So um you can't look slow defensively in this game if you're

10:48Ohio State. I think they have the guys to counter that. It's just a matter of trusting putting young players on the field and I I would in this game. And this is one of these like how often does anybody have a conversation about Ohio State looking slow compared to something? Yeah, not often. Yeah. This is I can't say it. Don't make me say it. It's it's in Texas speed. Okay. I did I saw the track team running hills out here. Oh my god. Talk about Texas speed. It was like they were in the bike lane up the hill and just like going hard. Yeah. And then and then they would walk back down the hill like and it's like no we got a good idea about why why Texas is good at track. There's a lot of track trophies. Yeah. They were going hard to keep so respect the long horns. Yeah, this is and I think your point is right. It's not that Ohio State has the opportunity to counter that. Mm-hmm. So they have to. Mm-hmm. Right. It's not like

11:50well Texas is faster. What are you going to do? It's like Texas is fast. So counter their speed with your speed. Yeah. I think I and I would include Cristiano. I grow in that. It's like this is really like strictly back around to I wouldn't play Peyton Pierce that much because he's not that fast. Which I don't necessarily mean it. It's days for him. Yeah. Might not be just sadder. Yeah. I don't mean it to be that exactly. But I think I think you need a lot of Petajon Alfred Allegro in this game. And to your earlier point, I think it's Allegro and and Petajon like kind of with arch if arch wants to use his legs. Yeah. Allegro said so we do the so we do the Bill of Dugshow multiple players coming out at the same time. Mm-hmm. You were going to. Awesome. Sorry about that. You were going to Austin, Sarah Bell. I was staying with Cristiano Allegro. You malved something to me across the other side of the scrum. I said, I'm terrible at lip reading. Let me come over and you said ask Allegro about spying arch. Yeah. So I did. He did. And I said who are the best candidates for that? He said me and Riley Petajon. Mm-hmm. And he did it last year. It was

12:51constant. And he thinks it's important. And then I took credit for it. I did not tell Cristiano Allegro. It was your idea. So I'm telling it now. That's right. It's like what's a team efforter. Yeah. Okay. Let me get down to the very basics and it's something that I did write at BillandDugshow.com. High State has to maximize Jeremiah Smith. And I think this is this is the the the Julian art Jeremiah show. Right. The three of them in concert being connected, being in rhythm. And I think that requires Julian saying to throw the ball to Jeremiah Smith even when he's not completely open. I think you have to throw him open. Steve Sarkeesian talked this week about how difficult Jeremiah Smith is on 50 50 balls. Well, that's great. That means you have to throw a couple 50 50 balls and be willing to do that. There was I went back and I watched every throw from the from the Ohio State side of things in the last two Texas games. And like for instance, there was a throw in the first quarter. I think maybe the first series from Will Howard in the semi final to Jeremiah Smith down

13:54about the five yard line and the like between two guys. And he was he went up for it at the five. And it like I tried to high point it kind of went between his hands. And it was a good shot by Will Howard. And I said, I think the junior version of Jeremiah Smith catches that. Right. But there weren't a million times that Ohio State did that. I felt like in the two games against Texas where you when you give Jeremiah Smith and the thing that that you pointed out everyone pointed it out in the moment a year ago. The first drive for Ohio State, the fourth and one when Ohio State went for it and we're stopped on down on the first drive. Max Claire drops the fourth down pass from Julian saying, but the call is actually a deep shot that Jeremiah Smith. Jules Clatch showed it on the broadcast. Jeremiah Smith's open heads inside leverage. Just put it out there. Does that be a perfect throw put it out there and give your guy a chance. They called it. It worked. The students Julian saying got to the sideline. Ryan Day is like, what are you doing? So it's like, well, what was he doing? He was being a first time starter. Who wasn't going to throw

14:55that unless he was 100% sure his first career fourth down. Yes. So you can't wait to be 100% sure. So we the two things you can't wait to be 100% sure in this game about Jeremiah Smith. If you're 60% sure give him a shot or just make yourself believe that anything involving Jeremiah Smith, you are 100% sure. Like hypnotize yourself. And I thought one of the most important quotes. This week was here was Julian San. When he was asked about Jeremiah Smith being limited in the first two games thing and saying like, I don't think Texas really limited him. There were times when I didn't throw him the ball. So for Julian San to acknowledge that, I think they know that. I thought Arthur Smith and Ryan Day did a good job last week. They said we, he's number one on the game plan. He got nine targets in the first half. I think Ohio State has played as much of a role in limiting Jeremiah Smith in the first two Texas games as Texas has. If you go back and watch that he is not blanketed every single play. And there are times there's a third down throw

15:57in I think it was last year where it's like Jeremiah Smith is it's third and 10 Jeremiah Smith is running an in cutting route in the middle of the field at the sticks. And Julian San takes Brandon in his running an in cutting route five yard shorter than Jeremiah Smith cutting the opposite way and completes it for five yards on third and 10. So like why did like you've got to take Jeremiah there. If it's incomplete it's like how you can't pass up Jeremiah for another guy who might be eight percent more open. You know what I mean? And so but I think Julian San had is locked in on that. Yeah. And I don't think that Ohio State will allow that to happen in this game but also it's one of my keys because they can't. I don't think they won't like it won't happen. But I'm just making sure it won't happen because I mean we know Ryan Day and Julian San are watching this video. So I'm talking to that. They are watching this video of course on their flight here to Austin. I agree with that. I think there's a bit of a balance there because you just you don't want to you don't want to be in Jeremiah or nothing kind of mode if you're Julian San, which is like

17:01you're you're actually not looking at the field you're just looking at your number one receiver and hoping that he comes open and hoping he's in a position where you feel comfortable enough to let the ball loose. But like while you're doing that Devon McEwen is like wide open on the backs out of a player right. So I agree. You can't I'm not super worried about that happening but I do think that's the potential sort of like pitfall that can come when you have a guy who's sort of a singular as Jeremiah you can you can look to him too much. I actually thought there were times like watching Texas by Texas day. We're arch kind of a little walk down on cam Coleman and miss a couple of times. We're put the ball in bat and a bat spot. So he was sneer down cam Coleman on the pick in the end zone. He was. Yep. I never he sneer down cam Coleman early on another near pick. Yeah. Near pick. Yeah. So you have to watch out for that I think but I would maybe trust Julian not to do that. And Will Howard got picked in the semi final on exactly that. I'm forcing it to Jeremiah. That is the shining example of not that. Yeah. Not that. But then after that the next drive they came back Jeremiah Smith's open in the middle of the field for a 15 yard throw. I think it's the first

18:02throw the next drive after the pick. He's open and Will Howard didn't throw it. Yeah. Because after the pick then he was a little gunshot. Then they lined up Jeremiah Smith. I'm not sure again this is two years ago. We're doing film breakdown two years ago. And we're having the feelings guy do the film breakdown on it. But Jeremiah lined up as an offset tight end. And they had him swing out for a little screen pass. They had three blockers out for him. But it was an RPO and Will handed it off. Oh, okay. But it was like it was so it was like that next drive after a pick next drive. Jeremiah's open his and throw it to him. The next play they it's this is something we've worked for Jeremiah. And then Will just reads it differently. And it's like I don't know what to read is there. The read is get the ball. Give the ball to Jeremiah. Right. So like they're and like you can see Ohio State is doing things in these games to create opportunities for Jeremiah Smith. And then quarterbacks didn't take them enough. Yeah. So that's it. That's a big one. That is a huge one. My last one in a couple of years should I go.

19:05I would this I don't mean this sounds sort of like counter to what you just said. But like they will need other guys to step up offensively. Right. I think there's an opportunity here to actually like get Bo Jackson involved as a receiver. And I think like if you look at Arthur Smith's background, I don't think he's ever been shy about doing that. Right. Like he's he's going to get the ball to his best guy. And I don't think he's going to put players in positions they're not comfortable with. But Bo's got good receiving skills. I think they actually kind of relegated him to just sort of like too much of a check down guy. I sure which is fine. There's a free EZ yards most of the time. But he can run routes like he read the ball the one off his hands last week against ball state that you know, maybe wasn't the best read by join. It was it was a really tight window. But like they ran a little like angle route within Texas route with him. I think you could see more of that in this game, especially because I think these linebackers are going to be

20:06really keyed in on attacking Ohio State's offensive line. Like they I think they probably sense of vulnerability there just based off of the last the last two marquee games Ohio State has played the last two games of Ohio State has played away from Ohio Stadium. The fact even if they struggled like just a little bit last week against ball state with some stuff, I think they're going to try to go after that. So whether that's I think like that this can include screen game. But but I think if Jeremiah is going to get a ton of attention and I think you will I think Devon McEwan made himself a guy you have to account for last week with the way that he played is clearly number two. You can't cover everybody. And if your linebackers are so intent on trying to make Ohio State's offensive line looks silly, I think you could see. I don't know what Bo's career high for receiving yards is. I think maybe he had it last year against Michigan. I could see a game where Bo has like something like 40 50 receiving yards because there's that kind of space available to him. I've had Texas last week against Texas State. I probably had at least maybe two throws to the running backs where they got like 15 free yards because the running back just floated out in space

21:11and there was nobody there because the the defense is worried about covering guys down the field. Right. And for instance, again, in going back and watching all the Ohio State throws from the past to Texas games, the 75 year our trivia and Henderson screen at the end of the first half in the semi-finals two year late film studies, my new specialty. Jeremiah Smith on that play is lined up by himself on the left side. Anybody else has lined up on the right side. As you watch that play develop Texas rushes for. So then once the screens thrown there, those four guys are out of the play. And then Jeremiah is on the left side. There's a defensive end who drops a corner and a safety. Who are with Jeremiah on the left side of the field. It's like Jeremiah Smith blocked three guys on that play. So they rush four. They had three on one with Jeremiah. There were four guys left, the tackle Treby on Henderson who had like four blockers. And it's like Jeremiah Smith made a contribution on that play. It was not a it was not a mistake that he was on the opposite side of the field with us through the screen. Yeah, that's what it is. And you

22:13look at the Cornell tape deep shot last year. Same deal as the ball in the air. You can you can screenshot the TV copy Jeremiah Smith on the other side of the field with standing with two Texas guys as Cornell tape is one on one leaping for touchdown at the goal line. So that's your it's like he's blocked three guys on one touchdown. He blocked two guys on another touchdown. It's the equivalent of that. So I think Ohio State has done a good job of that. Yeah. In the two games, I think they haven't done a good job of the thing that I said, which is make sure you're also getting it to him enough. But I think you have to use his gravity in every single way. But that's that's the Devon Mucke McEwen conversation. I also think it could be Chris Henry Jr. conversation. I think it could be Chris Henry Jr. I think it could be easy tight end yards too. I know like on the list of players I would bank on, I would put the tight ends at the bottom. But we even saw some of that last week or at least like they run Jeremiah deep or they run Devon Muckew and deep and there's just nobody there to account for a

23:14tight end who's like sitting at eight yards with nobody around them flipping the ball. He turns around. It runs another five yards and all the sudden you got a 15 yard play or something like that right. So I know that math wasn't exactly right. But yeah, I just think I think those things will be there because Jeremiah has that gravity. Honestly, whoever you send deep might. But yeah, I think Chris Henry Jr. is interesting in this game. I think he'll play I think they might even like try to get the ball in his hands early to get him feeling good coming off of last week. But they do it. It feels like they have maybe I don't know if it's maybe I think they have more guys who are capable of making Texas pay for the attention they give Jeremiah Smith than they then they had last year, especially that being the first game and so many guys being new. Like there I know Chris Henry Jr. is new and Devon Muckew has only played one game, but it just feels like they have more guys who are capable of making them pay if that's what happens. And I don't I'm not 100% sure about the Texas secondary. So I mean, I could even envision, you know, having Henry and

24:15JJ on the field at the same time and you have Jeremiah in the slot on the right with McEwen and you act like you're gonna throw Jeremiah bubble or something like that. And meanwhile, you're trying to get Chris Henry Jr. out of the X spot one-on-one with a corner for a deep shot, right? Which I think would almost if you put Jeremiah and Devon Muckew on the same side opposite Chris Henry Jr. Or opposite anybody whoever is on the opposite side, I think is almost certainly going to get single coverage. Yep. And you go through it to the giraffe. Yeah. Side by side. My last one will be agreeing with Steve Sarkeesian, which is about Red Zone. The idea that Texas and each of the last two games got to the one yard line in each game on drives that they did not score on. You know, infamously the scoop and soyer drive got was at the one before they started going backwards. And then last year they eventually got to the one on fourth down with Arch before they were stopped, right? They had another one in the Red Zone last year that was stopped on the throw in the end zone, Deparquer, Livingstone on like fourth and nine. So I thought the play last week their first

25:20Red Zone touchdown, the corner fell down for Texas State, but their plan was like let's get Cam Coleman outside and throw the ball in the end zone to him. That seems like a good Red Zone plan. They ran a jet sweep to Ryan Wingo in the Red Zone. Yeah. That seemed like a good Red Zone plan. Two gray blocks by their tight ends on that play. Two gray blocks. And I asked Krishna Legro about those tight ends and like, you know, they do have a couple that's a good group. Yeah. That is, I think they can be physical with that and get on the edge. For instance, I mean, they tried to do that. That was the kill of Downs play on second down on the scoop and and scoop and soyer touchdown is they tried to toss to the to the boundary and Caleb down just shot through it wouldn't be blocked. I mean, Nathan Ransom right both. They're they're trying to do stuff like that, but I do think with the backs they have this year, they have guys who can do that. Hollywood smothers especially. But I think like they have to have a better plan in the Red Zone and like it can't be worse. Like Texas has been as bad in the Red Zone in these two games as anybody could be. Yep. And if they were a little bit better, they might have won either of them. I think yeah, I think

26:25especially I mean, they got something a quarterback sneak on the one last year. Yeah, with Arch, it just drastically changes games. It's like emotionally sapping to I think to get that close and not come away with points like Ohio State has had its red zone struggles over the years and big games, but in this game, they're good. They're three for three scoring touchdowns in a red zone in this game the last two years. It's one of those things where like it could be as simple as that, right? Like who if that trend continues or Ohio State's going to win if Texas is able to flip it. Texas is going to win. It's probably not quite that simple, but that's a huge spot in this game. It was Texas state, right? So you only you only put so much stock in it, I think, but I thought their plan Texas is plans in the Red Zone last week felt very well thought out in a way that they haven't been the last couple of years against Ohio State. And the Ohio State defense, you think about the 24 playoff defense, especially when it got down in crunch time. One of the of all the things that define that Ohio Ohio State National Championship team, goal line defense was probably in the top five. Definitely.

27:27You're talking about JT2 Marlowe and Jack Sawyer and. But even in 24. I think Williams and like you had that like specialized role for Kaden MacDonald Kaden. Don Arvarez. Yeah. Our part of your goal like package. And then last year, you think about what that defense in week one was able to do with Matt Patricia and Sunny Styles and Arvarez and Caleb Downs and Kaden MacDonald. And I'm just assuming that the Ohio State defense in week two of 2026 will not be at the level on any part of the field, but especially in the Red Zone of the 24 playoff defense or the 25 week one defense a year ago, just because those were two exemplary defenses. I just I can't assume that this collection of Ohio State guys is going to stand up in the same way on the goal line. I'm not sure who the Kaden MacDonald is. I'm not sure who the R. Val Reese is, who the sunny styles is, who the JT2 Marlowe is, who is who the Caleb Downs is. And so that's not a shot at anybody. That's a realistic evaluation of how good the last two

28:33Ohio State defenses that face this Texas team were at those points in the season. And particularly at those points on the field. So if we think Texas has a better plan offensively in the Red Zone and you can't expect the Ohio State defense to be at the same level in the Red Zone, it feels like Texas will have more success. Yeah, that's part of the reason why I think the game is going to be higher scoring. Yes, I think it's primarily a Red Zone conversation, but it's also just like a like a fourth and short cover because wasn't there a fourth and short stop like closer to midfield for Ohio State's defense in this game last year. There was like we were like the Notre Dame at Notre Dame in 23. They had like a big fourth down stop in that game. Like in the middle of the field, they were just really really been a part of that. When the money was down on fourth and short, the last couple of years of Ohio State's defense more often than not got the stop, whether that was near the goal line or not. Didn't have any last year or last week. Excuse me. You know, am I I don't think I was just saying like they're going to be a terrible fourth down defense issue? I think it's just probably safe to assume that they're not going to quite

29:38meet the bar of the last couple of defenses. There may be there may be not yet ready to do it in the second game of this season. Maybe by the end of the year, they will be able to. And I think Texas just feels like it's in a better spot. I don't we'll see. This has been an ongoing issue for Sark. Yes, just because they were good at it last week against Texas State. Does not mean they're going to be good at it against Ohio State, but I think going into the game. I anyway feel a little bit more confident that Texas side of that than into the Ohio State side of that. If you're on Ohio State fan and you're sitting on your couch with your friends and your spouse and your kid and your cousins and your neighbors. And Ohio State gets an early fourth down stop in the red zone. Share a look. Yeah. And say to each other, Bill and Doug don't know what they're talking about. But that will be defining like is that because that I think especially if that's early. And one of these things again, we talked about it on the Wednesday show we did for our subscribers. Ohio State took the lead and it's the last two games and like, duh, most teams are,

30:40but this Texas Sark team is so much better when they score first. So especially if it's something like that where Texas is trying to keep the pedal down early. And it's like, hey, it's four since three at the 11. We're not kicking a field goal. We're here to win this thing. And Ohio State gets a stop. That's defining because I think that's going to get in Sark's head that we get in arch manning's head. If Ohio State can get a big stop early, I just think it's going to be hard because I think Texas has a little something for it this year. Yeah, but I think that's you're talking about like the emotional swings there, right? If that if Texas doesn't score on its first red zone trip, the game almost gets like flipped on its head in a way that I think would be pretty tougher than the comeback from 100% agree. One of the things that we wanted to ask Ryan Day about this week and we got the question in on Wednesday night was about the silent count they used it against Miami. They used it against Texas and the semi final in the cotton bowl, right? It did not work against Miami. When I asked Ryan Day about it, he said Arthur Smith has some ideas about it. And he said they've been working on it all summer. And I

31:45thought that was a good answer because it was better than the answer. It was like they were good same as last year. Same as yeah, yeah, right. Right. Pass. Just next question. I don't know what it means, but part of it is just be a little faster anyway. So if you're going on the silent count, you're not waiting until there's three seconds left on the play clock to snap it. But maybe there's other secret football strategy in there. But do you think it really could matter Ohio State's ability to handle the crowd? But sometimes it's like they've been quick to get to a silent count. And it's like, are you sure you need to do this? Yeah, that's why I think they're going to be under center more because I think the thing that gets you jammed up when you're in a silent count is well, one, doing it so late in the play clock as Ohio State was last year against Miami. But two, like if you're doing it via like signal from my guard to center, which is like the center is like a back at the quarterback. The quarterback gives a guard or signal that guard taps the center and then the ball snap like everybody's watching that. Yeah, as soon as that guard taps that center, the defense is ready to tee off. If you go under center,

32:46and maybe the quarterback's not doing a cadence because he can't hear him. So what's the point? He can at least like give the center a tap to like tell him like it's time to snap the ball. But then like everybody's just going on the ball. And I think it's like a little more even, right? So I actually am expecting Ohio State to be under center quite a bit in this game. I did the math. It was like 14% of the time against ball state. I coming into the year thought they might be under center more like 30% of the time for the season. So I and it could be higher than that. Just based off off of Smith's background, Julian saying it's comfortability with it, which I think he's very comfortable doing it. So I think it's not the only weapon to have like against, you know, the crowdmoids and a lack of cadence and doing silent count. But I think it is a weapon that they will use in this game. Okay. I did think Sark also made a week did say like one thing I can tell you is whenever he saw Ohio State do last week against ball state, that's not what they're doing against us. So if they only do 14% under center center, they might have 74% under center safe for the long ones. Yeah. Only through one play action pass from under center was Jeremiah's touchdown.

33:50They'll be more of that in this game. And then defensively for Ohio State like they practically did nothing. So on that side, like Sark is talking about it from that perspective is the offensive coordinator. He knows that Ohio State is not going to show up here tomorrow night and play man half the time like they did against ball state. Okay. Let's get to our picks. This is the third time we're doing it. I'm changing my pick because if you have three different shows, you make three different picks, right? That's right. That's how it's done. That's good podcast. That's right. And also, I've been picking Ohio State all week and now here we are in the Texas, GZM. I'll just pick the lot. That's not I've been picking Texas all week. We make one pick. We share it everywhere that we go. We did it on Northern aggression. Go find us the podcast of Northern aggression on YouTube. On your favorite podcast feed is two of us in Matt Fortuna. We're doing national college football from a big 10 in Northern perspective. So we actually made these picks on that show on Wednesday. We made them again at billand dug show.com for our subscribers for our big game breakdown where you can join us over there. If you want 25% off, billand dug show.com slash more come join us over there.

34:56See what you think. If you want a little more bill and dug in their life. So you there are people here who have heard this before bill, but there are people who are probably hearing this for the first time and I am picking Texas 3531. Is it it's Texas is moment? Is that good for them or bad for them? I'm expecting them to seize it a little bit. I'm expecting a little bit of the extra desperation. We need this if we're going to be Texas. We have to win a game like this to me. It's a little bit. I don't think it's this I don't think it's completely dissimilar from the Ohio State Tennessee playoff game. And that was like so that moment your backs against the ball against the wall. Who are you? This is defining now. Texas can still go win the national championship if they lose to Ohio State. So you can't match those stakes and Texas is not coming off a loss to their hated rival the week before right or a couple of weeks before. So we understand it. But that's a moment where you're at home against a big time opponent.

36:00Weather is going to be a factor. Write the weather is on your side. For then it was Ohio State cold. Now it's Texas heat. It's it's at night. So your fans are going to be jacked up. Who are you? Ohio State in that Tennessee game showed you who they were. And the result was national championship. And at that time there were questions about who Ohio State was. Were people sure that a Ryan Day program could win a game like that? They weren't 100% sure. So it is one of those so this I think it's in that way for the head coach for trying they've they're in five against Ohio State and Georgia in games like this. It's their time. It's their time to win a game like this. And I think they can. I'll take the Longhorns 35-31. I'm taking Ohio State 32-31. More possessions. Much higher scoring than the last couple of games have been. It was related to me. My spends our whole book of Letterman row that no one's ever scored more than 30 points in this game. Like between Ohio State and Texas every time they played no one's ever scored more than 30. Oh, and I am here predicting both teams just score more than 30. So I am probably destined to be wrong.

37:01I just think it's an offensive showcase. I sort of agree with you. I think Texas like mostly meets the moment. But Ohio State has the ball last. And the last moment sort of like belongs to Julian saying in Jeremiah's that'd be a thing. And I see the same way. I think I think Texas has the ball in its and its arch and sark. So you're not a way arch march. I call it. Oh, you get arch marched in in D.K.R. All right. Thanks to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame for hosting us here. Lovely. It was certainly would recommend if you are an Ohio State fan who is watching this. Come on by D.K.R. If you can't we don't know the hours or anything. But like if you can wander in here, you certainly have the opportunity to do it. And we appreciate you guys being here watching us. Find us billanddugshow.com. Find us post game on this YouTube feed live. Find us writing about the game as soon as it ends over at billanddugshow.com. And we appreciate every member of this podcast audience, this YouTube audience, and every subscriber over on the website. For now, he's Bill Landis

38:04on Doug Laymaris and from Austin, Texas, that was the billanddugshow.