Kirk Herbstreit on what’s wrong with Clemson, the secret to Lincoln Riley’s success, Ohio State and more

Kirk Herbstreit explains why Ohio State is the best team in college football, what’s wrong with Trevor Lawrence and Clemson, what makes Lincoln Riley so special and a fun event for fans to head to the College Football Hall of Fame.

The calendar has flipped to October, the leaves and temperatures are falling and it’s officially the thick of the college football season. ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit talked with FanSided to discuss the top storylines in college football through the first five weeks, including his top team, top players and how the reigning national champion Clemson can rediscover what makes them so great. On top of that, Herbstreit has details on how you can enter the sweepstakes with Goodyear to win tickets to the Peach Bowl and get a ride in the iconic Goodyear Blimp, which was inducted in the Hall of Fame, becoming the first non-player or coach to receive such an honor.

Schmidt: Alabama is the new No. 1 in the AP Poll, but Ohio State is No. 1 in the Herbie poll, what have you seen from the Buckeyes the first 5 weeks that you think they are the best team right now?

Herbstreit: “If you’ve watched every week and didn’t have any preconceived thoughts about these teams, which is what the polls should be about in 2019. They’ve played some inferior opponents and they’ve taken care of business. No one has executed on both sides of the ball. The challenge will be tougher down the road but five weeks in, they’ve been the most consistent team through five weeks.”

Schmidt: So Ohio State is the most impressive team you’ve seen so far, but who is the most impressive player around the nation through the first five weeks?

Herbstreit: “Tua [Tagovailoa], Jalen Hurts would individually stand out to me. Joe Burrow at LSU has had a great start. Jonathan Taylor I think has been outstanding at Wisconsin.”

Schmidt: Lincoln Riley is the quarterback whisperer after his work with Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray and now he’s doing it with Jalen Hurts. What does Riley do that other coaches don’t that allows for his quarterbacks to excel in the highest degree?

“I think it has to do with a lot of things. Obviously, the talent of Baker, Kyler and even Jalen. I don’t think people really appreciate how talented a player Jalen is. The kid has incredible upside as far as a thrower and a runner.

What makes Lincoln so unique is you’re talking about a guy who has figured out the college game and NFL coaches are coming to visit him. I talked to him a few months ago and he said, he used to have four or five NFL guys coming in, now he’s got over 30 guys coming in to figure out what they’re doing. So you have not only one of the best offensive coaches in college but in football, period.

It’s not just the quarterback even though they’ve won the Heisman and been picked first in the draft the last couple of years. It’s what he does with the offensive line and the running game and the spacing and their passing game. He simplifies the read for the quarterback. He makes the defense have to account for the running game and when you do that, it opens up so many throwing windows for your play-action pass. So Jalen has just been in a great rhythm and I think it has a lot to do with the system.

From Baker to Kyler, Kyler was a little different from Baker. And now Jalen is a little different than both. Because when he runs the ball, he’s kinda like a running back he takes off and squares his shoulders. Hurts can run over a safety. If you’re going to beat OU this year, you’re going to have to outscore them because I don’t think anybody is going to stop Jalen Hurts, Lincoln Riley and this offense.”

Schmidt: Those were the expectations at Clemson this year for Trevor Lawrence but he’s experiencing a bit of a mini sophomore slump. What can you pinpoint about what’s off with Lawrence and how Clemson can get right?

Herbstreit: “Clemson is feeling the pressure of the weight of being the defending national champ. We’ve seen Clemson be a defending champ in the past and not quite have the same intensity and come up short. We’ve seen Alabama be that team that loses the killer instinct. Now we’re seeing that with Clemson five weeks into the season.

Defensively, they’re playing championship-caliber football, but I think on offense, while they have all these pieces, and it’s a matter of time until they hit on all cylinders, but right now, they aren’t doing as good of a job at the line of scrimmage.

I think Travis Etienne needs to be a bigger part of this offense. I think they’re looking for too many big plays and forcing the issue with Trevor and a very talented group of receivers. I wouldn’t be surprised to see co-offensive coordinators Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott get back to running the ball, being better at the line of scrimmage and when they do that, the rest of the passing game will work itself out.

But remember, there was a time with Deshaun Watson in his last year, that was very similar when the offense was not quite clicking, but they found their way after a loss to Pitt and won the national title. Let’s be cautious about Clemson, but I think, eventually, they are going to find their answers.”

Schmidt: Big game at The Swamp, you and College GameDay will be there for Florida vs. Auburn. This will be your second chance to see Bo Nix. He looks like the next big thing. What do you like about his game and what are you expecting to see from him on Saturday and the rest of the way?

“Anytime you get a top-10 matchup at The Swamp, it’s going to be a wild scene and at least a three-five point advantage for Florida going in. Gus Malzahn is back calling plays and he’s been very smart calling plays because he’s putting Bo Nix in a position to throw high-percentage throws. Nix only has two interceptions on the year and is running the ball just enough to keep defenses honest. Auburn has a dominant offensive line and a great defense. It’s old school SEC football by Auburn.

Will that be enough to go to the Swamp against a really athletic Gator defense? We’ll see this weekend. But Auburn has done as much as anyone could. They beat Oregon, beat Texas A&M in Kyle Field, dominated Mississippi State. It’s gonna get a lot tougher to go the Swamp, they gotta go to LSU, they get Georgia and Alabama at home. It’s a coin toss type game. I’m really excited to see Kyle Trask who up to this point has been put in a position to have a lot of success. Both these quarterbacks will ultimately determine who wins that game.”

Schmidt: You’re working with Goodyear to spread the word about the latest College Football Hall of Fame inductee and how fans can enter the “Headed to the Hall” sweepstakes for a chance to win the ultimate College Football Hall of Fame experience. How can fans enter this for a chance to win?

“This is a really cool opportunity. Of course, the Blimp is going into the Hall, the first non-player. Fans can go to Headed to the Hall between now and Nov. 7 and fans can enter up to 10 times. Prizes include a private tour of the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, tickets to the Peach Bowl, which is a playoff game this year, access to the Hall of Fame suite at the game, meet some Hall of Famers and get a ride in the iconic Goodyear Blimp and enjoy the same sights as Fletcher did in his ride you can watch below.

Joining the Goodyear Blimp in the 2019 Hall of Fame class is London Fletcher who recently returned to northeast Ohio where he had a reunion with his former coach and mentor, Mike Moran, who joined Fletcher for a ride in the blimp for a flyover of landmarks that shaped his career in sports.

“As a kid growing up in Northeast Ohio, I never imagined that I would be coming back as a College Football Hall of Famer and receiving all this fanfare, let alone experiencing it all on the Goodyear Blimp,” said Fletcher in a press release. “To see that I’ve inspired people through my hard work and dedication during my athletic career is a humbling experience.”

You don’t have to be a former football player or coach to get to the Hall if you’re the lucky winner of this sweepstakes.

“As an honorary member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the eye in the sky on celebrated gamedays, we are proud to have the Goodyear blimp join the company of the inspiring athletes, including London, who are being recognized for their contributions to the game,” said Todd Macsuga, Goodyear’s general manager of Brand Marketing in a press release. “To bring fans along on London and the blimp’s exciting journey to the hall of fame, we’re launching the Headed to the Hall sweepstakes, giving them a chance to win their own VIP college football experience.”

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