ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit Walked Off The Set After Alabama Was Picked Over Ohio State By CFB Playoff Committee

Before Sunday’s reveal of the college football playoff rankings, ESPN analyst Kirk Hersbtreit said that he believed Alabama should get in the top 4, but he was pretty sure that the committee would do the “politically correct” thing and include a two-loss Ohio State team due to quality wins and a Big Ten title over the one 1oss Bama team.

Via Sec Country

“If it’s most deserving, you could make the case for Ohio State based on what’s on paper. Better team would be Alabama. So you have a dilemma for the committee. The whole goal, in my opinion, is to put the best four teams in this thing. And we’re going to find out if they’ll put the best four in, because you put two SEC teams in if you put Alabama in. Or do you put Ohio State in? They have three better wins than Alabama. They’re the Big Ten champ. Alabama didn’t even go to the SEC Championship [Game].

“I think they’re going to put Ohio State in, but I think Alabama should go in ahead of them.”

A few minutes later when it was announced that Alabama was getting in over Ohio State the stunned ESPN host walked off the set because he couldn’t believe what had just transpired.


Herbstreit went on to describe what went through his mind when he walked off the set after the reveal.

Via 247 Sports

“I got up and walked off,” “I think that’s symbolic of if you’re just watching this as a college football fan. We all said ‘I think it should be Alabama but it’s going to be Ohio State because they’re going to do the politically correct thing.’ The committee just made a statement. They are not into appeasing people’s agendas. They’re going to do what they think is right, regardless of whether you agree or disagree.

“People right now are up in arms. ‘Two SEC teams are in this thing? One of them didn’t even go to Atlanta!’ And you know what? The committee– they don’t care. They stuck to their guns.”

The entire Ohio State-Alabama debacle just goes on to prove that there needs to be an expansion to the current playoff format. There’s no reason the NCAA can’t squeeze in an extra game between now and January 1st.