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Kirk Herbstreit now plays defense.
College football analyst ESPN apologized on Tuesday night after suggesting without evidence that Michigan could try to avoid playing Ohio State’s No.4 this month under the guise of COVID- 19, in order to keep the Buckeyes from the Big Ten Championship game.
“I still think Michigan is waving the white flag, potentially avoiding playing at Ohio State next week, and then they potentially have a game on the 19th,” said Herbstreit, the former quarterback of Ohio State, during the college football playoff standings broadcast. “Michigan could basically pull out of this game, and keep Ohio State out of six games to qualify for the Big Ten Championship. It doesn’t make sense to me.
At 2-4 with two games to go in the coronavirus-hit season, the Wolverines are in fifth place in the Big Ten East, their worst start under coach Jim Harbaugh. They have lost eight straight to their rival Buckeyes, who is at the top of the division this season at 4-0, and will be heavily favored in the December 12 game.
Several college football games have been postponed due to COVID-19, but Herbstreit, without backing it up, said it was because “they don’t want to be humiliated or lose with the team they have. They don’t want to be embarrassed.
Herbstreit’s sons Jake and Tye play football in Clemson, where coach Dabo Swinney tore the underdog in Florida State for causing his game against the No.3 Tigers to be postponed in November. “COVID was just an excuse to cancel the game,” Swinney told media.
However, after the ESPN show ended, Herbstreit pulled out the apology booklet, claiming he had “no reason to say that” in a video posted on Twitter.
“It was completely unfair to the University of Michigan, to Jim Harbaugh, to his players and his coaches, and I just wanted to apologize,” he said. “We’re all going through ups and downs, a lot of downs for a lot of people during this COVID crisis that we are all in. For me in college football I really have a hard time with where we are at. With players retiring, teams canceling games, it seems to be on a downward spiral.
“I think generally I try to stay positive and upbeat, and I think sometimes we all have our breaking points and right now, at week 14 with so much negativity around the sport, I think it’s is sometimes a pressure point for me.
Herbstreit said he hopes the Wolverines play against Maryland on Saturday, as well as Dec. 12 against the Buckeyes.
“I have a 25-year experience of not being a stinging guy in Michigan even though I’m an Ohio state guy,” he says. “I am very proud to be fair and I was not fair tonight and I apologize.”
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