Emotions ran high for everyone who watched their team play in the College Football National Championship Monday night, even on the ESPN broadcast team.
Kirk Herbstreit, who played college football at Ohio State as a quarterback from 1989 to 1993, couldn’t contain his emotions after watching his Buckeyes win the school’s ninth national title, this time against Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
The Buckeyes’ 34-23 victory had Herbstreit reflecting on this resilient group that had a dominant postseason run after a tough loss to the rival Michigan Wolverines.
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Kirk Herbstreit speaks to the media during the 2025 CFP National Championship Media Day at the Georgia World Congress Center, Building A. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
As Herbstreit explained how to overcome adversity alongside colleague Chris Fowler, his eyes began to fill with tears and he couldn’t hold them back.
“Oh, don’t start with me, man,” Herbstreit, who grew up about an hour from Ohio State in Centerville, told ESPN colleague Scott Van Pelt during the postgame show . “I’m a little emotional. I’m just excited for these guys.
“When I call these games, I’m incredibly objective. You know, 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 .”
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When the cameras returned to the broadcast booth, Herbstreit was seen grabbing a tissue off camera to wipe away tears while Fowler continued to speak.
Fans know all too well what it feels like when their favorite teams win championships, and tears are sometimes shed as a result. The same goes for former students of the schools.
Herbstreit played football for the Buckeyes after being the school’s first player to commit following the hiring of John Cooper as head coach in 1988. Herbstreit was the Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year as senior at Centerville High School.
Analyst Kirk Herbstreit throws the football with fans on the set of ESPN’s College Game Day at the University of Texas before the Longhorns’ game against the Georgia Bulldogs in Austin, Texas on October 19, 2024. (Sara Diggins/American Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
He didn’t see any real action until his junior season, when he was used sparingly for 11 games. However, Herbstreit was a starter throughout his senior season, when he threw for 1,904 yards with four touchdowns and six interceptions in 11 games.
Additionally, while Herbstreit discussed the adversity this team has gone through this season, he also faced personal adversity through a big loss in his life.
Ben, Herbstreit’s beloved golden retriever, who was a regular fixture on ESPN’s “College GameDay,” was put down after his battle with cancer.
“This is really hard to write, but so many of you love and care about Ben that I wanted to let you know. We found out today that the cancer has spread to all of Ben’s organs and that there was nothing more we could do – we had to let him go,” Herbstreit wrote in November.
On the first “College Gameday” after the difficult decision to put Ben down, Herbstreit couldn’t even speak as emotions overwhelmed him about his beloved companion.
Ben’s brother Peter accompanied Herbstreit as he continued to travel the country with one of his dogs by his side.
ESPN commentator Kirk Herbstreit before the CFP National Championship college football game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Ohio State Buckeyes at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
There have been ups and downs for Herbstreit this college football season, and it ends with tears of joy.
