ESPN college football analyst and former Ohio State quarterback Kirk Herbstreit can be a polarizing figure for some Buckeye fans. I never understood it because his job isn’t to be a homer, and if he were, he’d be a punchline akin to Desmond Howard when it comes to Michigan.
Nonetheless, many OSU fans would prefer that the voice of college football take more kindly to his alma mater when it comes to the national narrative. You don’t have to live in Columbus long to know the town is painted scarlet and gray and lives and dies by how well Ohio State does on Saturdays. In fact, in large part, it all led to Herbstreit moving away from Central Ohio.
Still, his opinions matter and are well thought out … and unbiased.
Every week, Herbstreit ranks his top six college football teams and did so again after Week 8. He didn’t have OSU as one of his top College Football Playoff candidates early, but as the season has gone on, it appears he — along with other national analysts — are beginning to appreciate what this Ohio State team is made of.
So what does Herbstreit think of the Buckeyes after the big win over Penn State and the body of work Ryan Day and company have put together after eight weeks of the season?
Here’s how Herbie ranks his top six teams heading into Week 9, one in which Ohio State travels to Madison to take on the Wisconsin Badgers at night.