Kirk Herbstreit shares his favorite Ohio State-Michigan rivalry memories, predicts playoff mayhem

Kirk Herbstreit predicts who is in and out of the College Football Playoff and shares his favorite memories from the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry.

It’s Rivalry Week in college football and playoff spots are on the line across the nation.

The Iron Bowl sees Alabama needing to win with some style points against Auburn to keep their playoff hopes alive. Meanwhile, Michigan is looking to snap their seven-game losing streak to Ohio State in The Game. Who will be in and who will be out of the College Football Playoff, what went wrong for Texas and if LSU’s great offense is masking deficiencies on defense are all covered in my conversation with ESPN college football analyst and broadcaster, Kirk Herbstreit.

Schmidt: Provided the big three of LSU, Ohio State and Clemson win out, who gets the fourth playoff spot?

Herbstreit: “I think they both benefit for sure, but Georgia would be eliminated so I think the biggest winner of the week is Oklahoma. They need a lot of help to get back into this thing. I think Utah has the trump card, if they win out, they’ll pass Alabama, and take the fourth spot. If Utah were to stumble, then you’re talking about Oklahoma being the team that benefits most.”

“Alabama is that team that’s kinda sitting there right now. They lost Tua and everyone’s watching them this week to see how they look without. If there was ever a team that needed a dominant win it’s Alabama because they’re not going to the SEC Championship and they don’t have impressive metrics. The only ranked team they’ll beat is Auburn if they end up beating them Saturday. The only thing that can help them is if they just look so darn good the committee rewards them but I think Bama is on the outside looking in.”

“I took the ball on the first snap literally crying because I was so emotional that day.”

Schmidt: What does Nick Saban need to do to put Mac Jones in a position where he can lead Alabama to a win with style points?

“You gotta respect the opponent and whether Tua is there or Mac Jones, they still have to get the ball out of his hands quickly which they’ve done all year with Steve Sarkisian as the Alabama offensive coordinator. Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele is pretty smart and used to work with Saban and knows how he thinks. He’ll try to eliminate some simpler throws so he’ll have tighter coverage but it’s a risk because of the speed of Alabama’s receivers who can go by you in a hurry. You gotta eliminate the easy throws and allow the great defensive line led by Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson to have a chance to get to the quarterback.”

“This is gonna be a great game. I have a ton of confidence in Jones. I’ve seen him in spring games and when Joey Galloway and I stand on the field for our analysis of that game, I remember telling Joey about Jones and he was a guy no one really knew much about because it was all about Tua and Jalen Hurts, but he impressed Joey and me with his demeanor. He’s more than capable but hasn’t played on the road much in this setting and it’ll be interesting to see how Alabama will attack an athletic and experienced Auburn defense.”

Schmidt: Michigan is peaking but we’ve seen this story before Ohio State and they’ve dropped seven straight. Is there reason to believe this game will be different?

Herbstreit: “I think every year is different. I thought Michigan had a really good chance to go into Columbus last year and play well and they did not. Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown will have new wrinkles as he defends Justin Fields. They’re determined to stop the passing game so I wonder if Fields’ ability to run out of the quarterback spot and running back J.K. Dobbins who will be the key offensively. And defensively, with Shea Patterson and the Michigan passing attack, whether they make plays against a really good Ohio State secondary will tell us who wins the game.”

Schmidt: You’ve been a part of The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry as a fan, player and as a broadcaster. What are your favorite memories from each perspective?

Herbstreit: “My dad coached and played there so I was really into the rivalry. Going way back (1979), Ohio State had a quarterback named Art Schlichter led a second-half comeback in Ann Arbor and Ohio State returned a blocked punt for a touchdown to stay undefeated and win 18-15. I was like 10 or 11 years old at the time and remember it like it was yesterday and all the emotions.

“As a player, when I was a senior we play Michigan at home and I remember all the different emotions that go through your head being a kid and a fan and all the things I had to overcome as a player. And then to be a captain and be the last player introduced and hug my teammates with tears in my eye. I took the ball on the first snap literally crying because I was so emotional that day.”

As a broadcaster, College GameDay was at the game in 2006 for No. 1 vs. No. 2. On that Friday, Bo Schembechler passed away from a heart attack. It was surreal. My dad coached with Bo and he was a family friend and someone I always looked up to and admired because of the way he carried himself. He was a legendary coach and I was really impressed with the Ohio State community and how they handled Bo. There was a tribute on the scoreboard and a moment of silence. There was so much at stake and I thought both sides celebrated Bo that weekend — not just Michigan — and that moment stood out as I was broadcasting the game and during GameDay.

Schmidt: Joe Burrow and the LSU offense are smashing records but does their defense give you concern in the playoff?

Herbstreit: “They don’t have the defensive line they’ve had in the past so they have to get creative with their blitzing with their linebacker play. They’ve also been banged up. Grant Delpit, I think he’s a top-five pick in the draft, he’s been playing with a thigh bruise, and an ankle injury and kinda gutting it out. He’s getting healthier which will be big to have their leader back there. They’ve had nagging injuries all over the secondary and when you don’t have a great defensive line you get exposed.”

“By the time they get ready for Georgia, you’ll see that secondary get healthier and that’ll help them. They’re getting criticized by all angles, they hear that, and they have a lot of talented players who haven’t been able to put it all together but Dave Aranda, if you talk to the coaches around the country, he is one of the top-five defensive coaches. They have not been great but that doesn’t mean they can’t get healthier and better for Georgia.”

Schmidt: Texas was one of your preseason playoff picks. What’s gone wrong this year for the Longhorns and how does Tom Herman get back to 2018 form?

Herbstreit: “Gotta be one of the more disappointing seasons of all the teams in the country. Florida State would be one but I’d have Texas right up there because you look back at the beginning of the year and Sam Ehlinger is back, experience on defense, Tom Herman has been around for a couple of years. but even with a loss to LSU, they still had a chance to be able to come back and get things in order before Oklahoma. But since losing by seven to Oklahoma, you can make the argument, they could easily have lost five or six in a row. And now they have Texas Tech who is anxious to beat them as well. It’s been a tough year. A year you see Herman making changed but there are no excuses for Texas. Think about the high school football in that state, you’re still Texas, they are reeling and we’ll see how recruiting goes but really tough year for Herman and the Longhorns.”

Herbstreit has teamed up with Allstate all season to celebrate the mayhem of college football by making predictions for the most mayhemic moments and games each week. He predicts his Allstate Mayhem Moment every Tuesday on Twitter. Herbstreit has also been keeping a close eye on the Allstate Playoff Predictor this season as he makes his predictions. The Allstate Playoff Predictor, an ESPN Stats and Info Model, calculates each team’s objective chance to reach the College Football Playoff and win the national championship (based on the selection committee’s past behavior).

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