Kirk Herbstreit couldn’t help but get emotional in the broadcast booth on Monday night.
The longtime ESPN college football announcer, who has become one of the key voices in the sport the past few decades, had a pretty good reason. His Buckeyes had just won a national championship.
Herbstreit was on the call with Chris Fowler for Ohio State’s 34-23 win over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff championship game on Monday night. The Buckeyes rolled over the Fighting Irish early at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and then held on down the stretch for one final push to secure their first title since 2014.
Herbstreit was talking with Fowler and Scott Van Pelt after the win, and he had to pause while talking about his former team’s championship.
Kirk Herbstreit gets emotional on the postgame show.
“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
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 21, 2025
“Oh, don’t start with me man. I’m a little emotional,” he told Van Pelt, his voice breaking up. “I’m just fired up for these guys.
“You know, when I call these games I’m incredibly objective. I love all these Ohio State teams, but this team because of what they went through to get to this point, you’re just happy, you know? You’re just happy for them.”
Van Pelt and Fowler then kept going, and Herbstreit grabbed a tissue to wipe his eyes.
Herbstreit was born in Ohio, and then spent four seasons playing for the Buckeyes as their quarterback from 1989-1992. He was the starter and team captain as a senior, too, when he threw for 1,904 yards and four touchdowns. His dad both played and coached at Ohio State, including when they won a national championship during the 1960 season, and one of his kids is a walk-on tight end with the program.
Naturally, like Van Pelt noted, the connections for Herbstreit are there.
With his long-running ties to the program — and after seeing how Ohio State rallied after losing to Michigan at the end of the regular season, which kept them out of the Big Ten championship game — it’s hard to blame Herbstreit for getting emotional.
“We’re all from somewhere,” Van Pelt told him. “There’s zero apologies [needed] to explain the emotion.”
After Ohio State’s thrilling victory over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit couldn’t hold back his emotions as he reflected on the Buckeyes’ journey to the national championship game.
In a heartfelt moment on live television, Herbstreit praised Ohio State’s resilience and determination throughout the season, highlighting the team’s ability to overcome adversity and come together as a unit.
“I am just so proud of these players and coaches for everything they’ve accomplished this season,” Herbstreit said, his voice cracking with emotion. “They’ve faced countless challenges and obstacles, but they never wavered in their belief and commitment to each other. It’s truly inspiring to see what they’ve been able to achieve.”
As a former Ohio State quarterback himself, Herbstreit’s connection to the program runs deep, and his emotional reaction to their victory only further emphasized the significance of the moment for Buckeyes fans everywhere.
With the national championship game on the horizon, Ohio State will look to cap off their remarkable season with a win, and Herbstreit will undoubtedly be cheering them on every step of the way.
Tags:
- College Football Playoff
- Kirk Herbstreit
- Emotional
- ESPN
- Ohio State
- Notre Dame
- Playoff victory
- College football
- Emotional reaction
- Post-game analysis
#College #Football #Playoff #Kirk #Herbstreit #emotional #ESPN #Ohio #States #win #Notre #Dame
Leave a Reply