Kirk Herbstreit emotional following Ohio State's win: 'I'm just fired up for these guys'
Kirk Herbstreit was on the call for ESPN on Monday night when Ohio State took down Notre Dame 34-23 in the National Championship Game.
The former Ohio State quarterback was admittedly emotional following the Buckeyes’ win. Herbstreit, who says he prides himself on his impartiality, acknowledged a particular level of appreciation for this Ohio State team given how this season has gone.
“I’m a little emotional. I’m just fired up for these guys,” Herbstreit said. “When I call these games, I’m incredibly objective. I love all of these Ohio State teams, but this team because of what they went through to get to this point, you’re just happy.”
Here’s a clip of his comments on the postgame show with Scott Van Pelt:
Kirk Herbstreit gets emotional on the postgame show.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 21, 2025
"When I call these games I'm incredibly objective. I love all of these Ohio State teams, but this team because of what they went through to get to this point, you're just happy." pic.twitter.com/BylD7WBQ3N
Herbstreit’s comments seem to be a result of Ohio State’s stunning defeat to Michigan from earlier this season — and the resulting fallout from that loss. Herbstreit has been a vocal supporter of Ryan Day throughout that setback, even going as far as to call out the “lunatic fringe” of Ohio State’s fanbase that wanted Day replaced after the loss to the Wolverines.
Now, Day joins a shortlist of Ohio State head coaches who have won the National Championship. This is OSU’s first title since 2014.