Expectations are high for the Ohio State Buckeyes and head coach Ryan Day this season and many cite the high-value offseason additions they made as the main reason why. But ESPN analyst and Buckeyes alum Kirk Herbstreit isn’t completely convinced.
Appearing on the Pat McAfee Show, Herbstreit pointed out that expectations are always high and the Buckeyes always have tons of NFL talent. He expressed some doubt that the players they got are really worth getting all that excited for.
“At the end of the day, when was the last time Ohio State took the field with a shortage of talent,” Herbstreit said. “The last 10 years, Ohio State has had NFL players all over their roster. I don’t look at this roster — I really don’t — and go, ‘Oh my God, they have Caleb Downs!’ Holy cow, Ohio State’s serious this year.’
“This year, they got Will Howard, who was going to get beat out at Kansas State. ‘Holy cow! They got Will Howard!’ ‘Oh my God, they got [Quinshon] Judkins, who was a backup at Ole Miss.’ He’s not going to start at Ohio State. TreVeyon Henderson is. So, it’s about, are they going to come together? It’s about, are they going to be a team?”
“When was the last time Ohio State took the field with a shortage of talent..
The last ten years they’ve had NFL players all over their roster and it’s all about coming together as a team” ~ @KirkHerbstreit #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/eTbOzhz3ll
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 27, 2024
Herbstreit pointed out that even if they do live up to expectations, they can still lose games. He recalled that the Buckeyes’ their iconic 2015 team lost to Michigan State with a backup quarterback.
“Look at that roster in 2015. That was the year they played Michigan State at home, and everybody got mad they didn’t give the ball to Zeke Elliott,” Herbstreit said. “They ended up getting upset by a backup quarterback at Michigan State.
“That team was maybe the best roster I’ve ever seen… So, the point is, they’ve had pretty good rosters. It’s not like they went from having an average roster to all of a sudden, buying a big, rich roster.”
He’s got a point. No amount of talent can prepare you for the surprises and curveballs that college football throws at you.
Related: The Spun’s Most Annoying People In Football Media: Sweet 16