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Kirk Herbstreit made a rather bold accusation against Michigan on ESPN’s college football playoff standings broadcast on Tuesday night, suggesting the Wolverines could dodge the Buckeyes next week to keep Ohio State out of the Big Ten game. Championship.
“I still think Michigan is waving the white flag, potentially avoiding playing at Ohio State next week, and then they will potentially have a game on the 19th,” Herbstreit said. “Is that fair, David [Pollack]? 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.
Kirk Herbstreit dares Michigan not to dodge Ohio state next week pic.twitter.com/K608RMgpiv
– Ryan Glasspiegel (@sportsrapport) December 2, 2020
Michigan suspended all in-person team activities on Monday after a potential increase in positive COVID-19 tests. The team organized all of the team’s activities virtually Monday and Tuesday on what Michigan called “great caution.”
Herbstreit appeared to double his position later in the segment, saying he had heard that coaches across the country believed opponents were withdrawing from games because they “didn’t want to be humiliated.”
“I don’t know all the numbers when it comes to COVID, but we live in a world so strange that it really feels like teams are pulling out to avoid playing games,” Herbstreit said. “They don’t want to be humiliated or lose with the team they have. They don’t want to be embarrassed. It’s talked about a lot in the country.”
Fox’s Joel Klatt backed Herbstreit’s claim, saying he had heard similar remarks from college football head coaches across the country.
CFP reactions
1) The Top 4 is head and shoulders above everyone else …@AlabamaFTBL # 1 then 2-3-4 as you see fit
2) @GeorgiaFootball in the top 10 is laughable
3) Lack of respect for @BYUfootball is real and i don’t understand
4) I hear the same as @KirkHerbstreit coaches!– Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) December 2, 2020
Following a canceled game against Florida State, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney recently commented online with what Herbstreit and Klatt suggested, accusing Florida State of using COVID- 19 as an “excuse” to cancel the match.
As for The Game, Herbstreit has never budged from his position that Michigan could potentially “wave the white flag.”
“I have no idea of the situation in Michigan,” Herbstreit said. “But they have to have the power to say ‘hey, we’re not playing next week’.”
Shortly after the ESPN broadcast, however, Herbstreit took to Twitter to apologize for his comments, saying he had “no evidence” that Michigan would in fact try to avoid playing at Ohio State.
I just wanted to clarify something I said earlier tonight on our CFP ranking show. Apologize @UMichFootball for my words. pic.twitter.com/tCBGjl7GTV
– Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) December 2, 2020
“I had no reason to say that,” Herbstreit said. “I have no proof of this. It was completely unfair to the University of Michigan, to Jim Harbaugh, to his players and coaches, and I just wanted to apologize.
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