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Kirk Herbstreit Shares Ohio State's Mindset Before College Football Playoff

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Dec 18, 2024 1:09 PM ET

Kirk Herbstreit returns to his alma mater to call Ohio State's College Football Playoff game on Saturday.

The former Buckeyes quarterback will join Chris Fowler to announce the first-round matchup between Ohio State and Tennessee on ESPN and ABC. Herbstreit will see how Ryan Day's team answers a demoralizing loss to Michigan that ended the regular season.

While appearing on the Pardon My Take podcast, Herbstreit discussed the mood in Columbus entering the CFP contest.

Herbstreit said he recently attended an Ohio State senior night event to support his son, walk-on tight end Zak Herbstreit. To his relief, nobody gave him a hard time for his younger son, Chase, committing to Michigan.

While he wasn't at The Shoe, Herbstreit sensed from Zak and friends who attended the Michigan game that everyone left the loss stunned and thinking, "What just happened?" However, the Buckeyes seniors sound determined to redeem themselves with a national championship run.

"The players seem to be super engaged," Herbstreit said (h/t On3). "They kept talking about — almost every guy up there who talked said, 'This isn't goodbye. We've got four more to go.' I don't know how many times I heard, 'We have four more games to go.'"

Ohio State's current mindset reminded Herbstreit of how CJ Stroud nearly led the Buckeyes to a Peach Bowl victory over the undefeated Georgia Bulldogs after losing to Jim Harbaugh's Wolverines. However, the broadcaster wondered if one potential weakness could hurt them this Saturday.

"I think that offensive line is a serious question mark going up against Tennessee's strength, which is their defensive front," he said. "So, how will that battle go will be a big factor because it was in the Michigan game."

Herbstreit, who said during ESPN's selection special that a road CFP game might have been better for the Buckeyes after their last loss, speculated on the "vibe" inside Ohio Stadium. While he expects a lively atmosphere if Will Howard leads a strong start, Herbstreit believes the mood could quickly sour if they fall behind early.

"I'm just wondering what the energy, what you'd think would be a night game in The Shoe, massive opportunity, home-field advantage, you would think that would be the case," he said. "But if things go sideways, I’m just wondering how the environment inside the stadium will go."

The first-round game between Ohio State and Tennessee starts at 8 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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