Kirk Herbstreit Throws Subtle Shade at Ohio State Before ...

By Michael Gallagher

Sports Content Coordinator

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Heading into the final week of the college football regular season, most analysts believe the No. 1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes are the best team in the country.

And few people have reason to argue otherwise.

But one of the more popular college football analysts in the industry isn’t ready to crown Ohio State as the unquestioned best team in the nation just yet, though he believes the Buckeyes are one of the best.

ESPN “College GameDay” host Kirk Herbstreit — a noted OSU alum — stated on “SportsCenter” Saturday just hours before the highly anticipated Ohio State-Michigan rivalry game that neither he nor anyone else really knows if the Buckeyes are truly elite because they’ve really only been tested twice this season against ranked teams (Texas and Illinois).

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“I don’t think we know yet; I really don’t think we know yet how good Ohio State is,” Herbstreit said. “They played Texas. What other game (did) they play (that) really let us know how good they are?

“I think even themselves — they’re curious to know how good they are, because the get into this game on the road, tough environment, against a very good defense, and the team that wants to control the line of scrimmage and a rivalry with everything at stake.”

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Herbstreit also stated that although Ohio State is a 10.5-point favorite heading into The Game, he’s not buying there’s a massive drop off from Ohio State and the other top teams in the country.

“I don’t think you really know how good they are,” Herbstreit added. “They might win today big and you say, ‘Wow, they really are that team,’ or they might be in a competitive game, which you’d expect it to be, in a rivalry game. So I don’t think there is Ohio State and everybody else.”

Ohio State is just 1-4 against Michigan under head coach Ryan Day. The Wolverines have won the last four meetings.

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