Kirk Herbstreit on Ohio State's roster: 'They've been through a lot of s--t'

Kirk Herbstreit defended Ohio State against a popular criticism during Thursday’s episode of College GameDay from the Orange Bowl.

Herbstreit dismissed the idea that Ohio State built its entire roster out of the transfer portal and called out the “perception” that the Buckeyes spent $20 million in NIL funds to bring in a roster from the transfer portal this past offseason.

“There’s this perception that they went out and spent $20 million players,” Herbstreit said. “Nine of their 11 defensive players are 3-year starters. They’ve been there for 3 years, they’ve lost some tough games. That’s what I think is interesting about this team.”

Ohio State did bring in some high-profile transfers, which Herbstreit also acknowledged. The Buckeyes added Caleb Downs, Will Howard, Quinshon Judkins, Seth McLaughlin and others. However, the vast majority of Ohio State’s roster was built with internal solutions — a point which Herbstreit made sure to emphasize with some colorful language.

“The perception is wrong with Ohio State,” Herbstreit said. “The perception is they went out and found players. The reality is this is a veteran defense … it’s a hardened team that’s been through a lot of shit and I think that’s what makes them really have a little bit of ‘this our last stance.'”

Here’s a clip from Herbstreit’s comments:

"The perception is wrong with Ohio State… It's a hardened team that's been through a lot of shit." pic.twitter.com/et2GIQdW6f

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 9, 2025

To Herbstreit’s point, Ohio State signed 7 total transfers last offseason. The group finished the cycle ranked No. 9 nationally, per 247Sports Composite rankings.

Ohio State will battle Texas in the Cotton Bowl on Friday night with a spot in the national championship game on the line.