College Football Fans React To Kirk Herbstreit Getting Called Out Monday
12/24/2024 11:17 AM
Over the past 48 hours, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit has been criticized more than any other sports personality in the country. The backlash he's receiving stems from his comments about the College Football Playoff.
After Indiana lost to Notre Dame in the opening round of the playoffs, Herbstreit had a harsh message for the selection committee and how it values each team vying for a spot in the dance. He said, "I hope next year the committee won't get caught up and what the social media and a lot of people who are fringe fans get caught up in, which is wins." The longtime analyst doubled down on his stance after SMU got its doors blown off by Penn State.
During this week's edition of "Monday Night Football," ESPN broadcasters Troy Aikman and Joe Buck shared their two centson the CFP. While doing so, they may have taken a shot at Herbstreit.
"I think the disappointment is for those that want to question whether those teams belong in the playoff," Aikman said. "I think to make those comments after the fact and after they had devastating losses - I don't know if that's fair to anyone. We've seen teams in the Super Bowl lose by large margins, and they were worthy. Hats off to those winners and all those teams [in the playoff] whether they won or not."
Buck added, "I think what it does is it diminishes the job that the teams that won did."
Joe Buck and Troy Aikman seem to be the only people at ESPN that enjoy college football.
— Ryan (@Rygi13) December 24, 2024
"Hats off to those winners and really all those teams, whether they lost last week or not"
"[the discourse] diminishes the job that the teams that won did"#NeverDauntedhttps://t.co/cJRkpedAPVpic.twitter.com/kxxmfhyqLM
It didn't take long for these remarks from Aikman and Buck to go viral on social media. Unsurprisingly, they're receiving a lot of love for handling such a controversial topic with poise and logic.
"Kirk and company catching all the strays lately. I used to pray for times like this," one person said in response to Aikman and Buck's comments.
"Listen to this @KirkHerbstreit and @finebaum," another person wrote on X. "They bring up what you should've said."
"I forgot you can have reasonable football takes on ESPN," a third fan said.
"Hey @KirkHerbstreit this real journalism… Not bashing programs like you do," a fourth person tweeted.
Herbstreit has been arguably the biggest analyst in college football for the past two decades. It's a shame that his commentary on the sport has been so negative lately.
Maybe, just maybe, the second round of the CFP will be so electric that not even Herbstreit can complain about it.
The CFP quarterfinals will begin on New Year's Eve when Penn State and Boise State square off in the Fiesta Bowl. The other three matchups will take place on New Year's Day.
Related: Shannon Sharpe Threatens Kirk Herbstreit After 'First Take' Comments
