LANSING, Mich. — Kirk Herbstreit showed up to a charity golf outing with strong ties to Michigan State on Monday, but he still got questions about the Big Ten and Michigan’s shocking win over Ohio State.
The ESPN college-football analyst called the Wolverines’ 42-27 win over the Buckeyes in November, catapulting Michigan to the Big Ten championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff, “great … for their program, and for the Big Ten.”
“As an Ohio State guy, that day was tough to watch as a fan,” Herbstreit told reporters before taking part in a Q&A panel alongside Michigan State coach Mel Tucker. “I stood on the sideline and watched the game (at Michigan). But to see how they celebrated and how much it meant to their program, long term, that’s great for their program.”
The win, Michigan’s first over its arch-rival since 2011, alongside the “energy and the buzz” around Michigan State, the competitive nature that Penn State, Wisconsin and Iowa bring, and even Nebraska — “they came so close so many times last year” — has Herbstreit, who sits on the “College GameDay” set weekly, bullish on Big Ten football in 2022.
“When we turn on games on Saturday, I don’t want to see two teams and everybody else,” Herbstreit said. “I’d like to see seven, eight or nine teams competing. I think we’ll have that this year.”
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As far as Michigan goes, Herbstreit credited Harbaugh with turning his coaching staff younger last year “and creating some juice” around his program “that had been lacking.” Two of those key cogs, offensive coordinator Josh Gattis and defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, have since departed, forcing Harbaugh to replace them with internal promotions and a fresh face, respectively.
“The way it went down with Josh Gattis, who made some comments on the way out of the door, that was a little bit puzzling because it seemed like there was really good chemistry on that staff,” Herbstreit said. “But I think (Jim’s) done a really good job of replacing them. Over his career, he’s lost some great coordinators and replaced them. I’m kind of betting that he’s vetted this thoroughly and that it’s going to work out fine for him.”
The big question for Herbstreit, who is set to add Thursday night NFL duties for Amazon Prime to his plate this fall, is how Michigan weathers the losses on its roster — particularly on defense. The Wolverines were tasked this offseason with replacing six starters on that side of the ball, a group headlined by Aidan Hutchinson, David Ojabo and Daxton Hill, all NFL first-round talent. He called Hutchinson “the pulse of that team.”
“When you lose those kind of players, yeah, you can recruit and have great players step in — but who can provide the energy and the leadership when you’re on the road and need to come up with the big plays?,” Herbstreit said. “That’s my biggest concern, or thing, that I want to see from them.”
As for Ohio State, Herbstreit’s alma mater where he starred at quarterback in 2002, the idea that the Buckeyes no longer appear “invincible” in the Big Ten, he says, is good for the conference and the rest of college football.
“And it was great for Jim Harbaugh, because he’s been so close and he needed that win,” Herbstreit said. “His own fans were ready to turn on him. And if he would have lost that game, there would have been a lot of people calling the shows the next week saying, ‘Enough’s enough. Get him out here.’ There was a lot at stake for him in that game. From that perspective, it’s good.
“I love when that rivalry, personally, is healthy and competitive and kind of going back and forth. I don’t like to see it one-sided.”
Read more on Michigan football:
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Mailbag Q&A: QB battle, NIL’s effect on recruiting, night games
Jim Harbaugh’s challenge to Michigan team chasing another Big Ten title
QB J.J. McCarthy ‘very close’ to recovering from shoulder injury
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