The first round of the College Football Playoff produced virtually no on-field suspense, as all four favorites cruised to a double-digit victory. That included Ohio State, who wrapped up the first round on Saturday night with a 42-17 win against Tennessee. But while there was no on-field drama, Kirk Herbstreit made some comments in the fourth quarter that did not go unnoticed.
Who were Herbstreit’s comments directed at? Some criticism was leveled at Ohio State fans while other comments were aimed at First Take, ESPN’s popular morning show.
The regular season did not end well for the Buckeyes. Ohio State lost its fourth game in a row to rival Michigan. But while the first three losses came against a Wolverines team that was headed to the College Football Playoff, Michigan was a nonfactor in the CFP race for virtually the entire 2024 season and as such, the Buckeyes were favored by three touchdowns. Ohio State fans were so upset with the loss that Herbstreit even suggested that being at home against Tennessee might be disadvantageous for the Buckeyes, feeling that the Ohio State fans would quickly turn against their team and specifically head coach Ryan Day if things started slow.
That ended up being a non-issue. The Buckeyes started fast, opening up a 21-0 first-quarter lead. In the fourth quarter, with the outcome already no longer in doubt, Herbstreit and play-by-play partner Chris Fowler began to talk about Day.
“Now Kirk,” Fowler said, “How much of this softens the blow of that Michigan loss? More work to do, right? For folks to forgive and forget that one.”
“I can’t speak on behalf of the lunatic fringe,” Herbstreit said. “I’m not sure how they operate. The lunatic fringe at Ohio State is as powerful as anywhere in the country.”
“How big is the fringe? What percentage?” Fowler asked.
“It used to be 8-10. I think it’s grown now to about 15-20,” Herbstreit said. “So I don’t know. I’m sure they’ll be happy tonight — be fired up about what the Ohio State team did. But God forbid they lose to Oregon. They may want to fire him again.”
“But that’s not reality,” Fowler replied. “That’s the thing. When you hear pundits on this network and other places talk about that with certainty, it’s nonsense, frankly. The public doesn’t pull the trigger and get rid of the coach. The administrators do — and they’re behind him.”
Herbstreit then addressed First Take.
“First Take tried to fire him,” Herbstreit said. “They thought he was done. So I’ll be excited to see what they talk about on Monday after this performance. They had him out. They’re trying to find replacements. But here he is. He’s still got his hat on. He’s still coaching.”
In defense of Ryan Day, Kirk Herbstreit took aim at:
– The “lunatic fringe” at Ohio State. “The lunatic fringe at Ohio State is as powerful as anywhere in the country.”
– First Take: “They thought he was done. So I’ll be excited to see what they talk about on Monday.” pic.twitter.com/0Ovs0MBMOd
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 22, 2024
Those comments were particularly notable because — like First Take — Ohio State’s win over Tennessee aired on ESPN. If nothing else, First Take has plenty of potential material for its next several shows.
[Photo Credit: ESPN]
