Kirk Herbstreit emotional after Ohio State wins national championship

On January 21, 2025By Littum

Kirk Herbstreit is as professional as it comes when he calls college football games for ESPN.

But the former Ohio State football quarterback couldn’t control his emotions after the Buckeyes’ 34-23 victory over Notre Dame in Monday’s College Football Playoff national championship game. In a segment with ESPN Sportscenter’s Scott Van Pelt, Herbstreit became emotional when talking about the national championship for Buckeyes.

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“Don’t get me started, man. I’m a little emotional,” Herbstreit said. “I’m just passionate about these guys. When I call these games, I’m incredibly objective and I love all of these Ohio State teams, but this team, because of what they went through to get to this point, are just happy. Just happy for them.”

Van Pelt asked co-commentator Chris Fowler a question to allow Herbstreit to collect himself. Then he came back on screen with a napkin and wiped the tears away from his face.

The Buckeyes were denied a chance to play in the Big Ten Conference championship game after a big upset loss to rival Michigan in the final week of the regular season. However, Ohio State bounced back with four straight wins, including a win over No. 1 Oregon, to win the national championship.

Herbstreit attended Centerville High School in Centerville, Ohio, and played for the Buckeyes from 1989 to 1993. In his senior season, he earned a starting role and led the Buckeyes to the Florida Citrus Bowl. Herbstreit’s father, Jim Herbstreit, was co-captain of the 1960 Ohio State team and later became an assistant coach.

With Monday’s win, the The Buckeyes captured their first national championship since 2014the first year of the 4-team CFP. Monday’s championship game concluded the first version of the 12-team CFP.