FOOTBALL

Kirk Herbstreit Tries To Explain Why Ohio State Is Better Than USC

ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit talked today about why Ohio State — and not USC — is a serious contender for the College Football Playoff despite playing only five games.

“Ohio State, unlike USC, before the season started, was in the same pool with Clemson and Alabama and probably Georgia before the season started. Not saying that’s fair and unfair,” Herbstreit said on his podcast.

“I’m just saying, with (Ohio State quarterback) Justin Fields and the team they had returning, that’s where they were. So if you go back, they played their first game, pretty sure the (poll) put them at No. 3 when they were 1-0. So this is not a ‘committee.’ This is a consensus of who particularly, specifically Ohio State is. I don’t think that’s the same about USC.”

50 thoughts on “Kirk Herbstreit Tries To Explain Why Ohio State Is Better Than USC”

    1. pudlyfudgepacker69 says he has me on ignore.

      LMFAO!

      That pudlyfudgepacker69 couldn’t ignore me if he tried.

      OH MY SIDE HURTS FROM LAUGHING SO MUCH!

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      1. Right now the only thing that matters is beating Oregon….
        #Which,InSpiteOfTheirRecord,CouldBeDifficult….
        #TheyHaveTheMostTalentInPac12..
        #TheyJustDon’tAlwaysPlayLikeIt..
        #[ButIDon’tThinkWe’llGetLessThanTheirBest]

        Liked by 2 people

    2. Not saying that Ohio State shouldn’t be in the CFP, but Herbie is pretty much saying “Ohio State is where it is because of preseason perceptions.” OSU beat one good team (Indiana), though it is hard to know just how good Indiana is. The rest of their season was a cakewalk for them, including that amazing Penn State team. Really glad we didn’t hire Franklin.

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      2. Yep, Herbie is most def a buckeye, and despite that, his reasoning is completely self-referential. “OSU is ranked high because they always are.” Such a weird season. Who knows how good a lot of the teams are, given they just play within their own conferences.

        Liked by 2 people

      3. Actually Indiana win far outweighs anything SC has done. There isn’t a single team on sc’s schedule to date with a winning record. OSU’s wins were all in full control of the game start to finish, can’t say that about usc. I agree that preseason polls should never figure into anything. So that argument goes out the window when you compare usc to cincinnati or coastal. The were no where to be found in preseason polls while usc sat at 21 or so. So please don’t rely on that to argue this case. But ultimately with your educated football eye, you need to truthfully ask yourself, head to head, could usc beat or even stay with osu on the field? Or any of the teams I just mentioned for that matter. Personally I think not. And I have closely watched this university and college football as well and I can say definitely say no. How bout you? USC’s defense couldn’t stop osu’s offense because of line play and our inability to set the edges. Osu has the best backs, quarterback and receivers (as well as line) we will have face all year by far. Grabbing on the outside and poor tackling will be a boat race. Osu’s defense is twice as stout as anything the trojans have faced this year. Their special teams are far better as well. The buckeyes have one of the best staffs in the country…. The trojans…you tell me. And the little fallback position that usc always has in the pac 12… “they are just more talented so it doesn’t matter.” Well I got news for you, Osu is way more talented than usc and deeper too. Im not a big fan of the buckeyes, but I know what I see at the moment. Personally I think Tom Allen and the Hoosiers (with their backup qb would drop 45 on the trojans. And that team is way more defense centric than offensive. They would hold us to 21 or less because they know how to make the field twice as long for you and get after the backfield. We should be so lucky to get Tom Allen, that program has been on the rise for the last 4 years. As far as both Cincy and Coastal, I thing usc would get beat by at least 2 scores maybe more. One is talented and gets after it and the other not so talented and plays over their head. If you poo poo their schedule strength 1) look who was on their schedule pre covid (they were ducking no one) 2) its comparable with usc’s possibly better. Ask yourself honestly, if your life savings was on the line or your kid’s college education (at gun point of course) which team would you lay the money on vs SC in each scenario. Out of those 4 games, head up I wouldn’t take sc in any of them. Big Boy football is not something sc has had to play to date nor are they capable of playing.

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      5. I think USC OhioSU would be an entertaining game, but the present group of Trojans would struggle. Herbie has a good eye. The Buckeyes are strong in each and every category of football, while USC con’t to struggle in the front 7 O&D.

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  2. USC with Clay Helton, Carol Folt, Mike Bohn or whatever the fuck his stupud name is and the major asshole drug addict and rapist protector C.L. Max Nikias…SUCK!

    THAT’S NO FUCKING SECRET!

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    1. USC vs Ohio St. Cotton Bowl Flashback…

      After USC had gotten embarrassed by the Buckeyes due to Clay Helton’s 3rd rate coaching a reporter asked USC QB Sam Darnold what he thought was one of the factors as to why the Trojans lost, Darnold said, “It’s hard to throw when you’re on your back most the game”.

      That response prompted USC center, she who could never hike the ball or block worth a shit, Viane Talamaivao, to walk up and punch Darnold in the mouth.

      There has never been a denial by Darnold or Viane Talamaivao about that happening.

      Your Trojan fun fact of the week

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      1. Fingers crossed, next year we have the best D-line in the country with Korey, the Drake, and the ‘Bama transfer, plus the other guys already here.

        Liked by 4 people

      3. Yes he did! Great game to record the first one!

        And I have to say, DTR threw a great-looking ball on Saturday. Something like 30-36. Still not good enough. What a mistake the gutties made in hiring Mr. Glazed Donut.

        Liked by 3 people

  4. That may be what he thinks, but what is on the field is the proof in the pudding. That’ what is wrong with show horses. They are “judged.” Race horses are not. They either win, or they lose. Football teams in the same division shouldn’t be “judged.” They either win or they lose. After all, isn’t that what matters most no matter who the coach? I say SC should be in the conversation if they beat Oregon, no CRUSH Oregon and throw it in their faces like they did to us last year. Then, we can have this conversation. Otherwise, it is just lips flapping in the wind. After all, Herbie is just a talking head.

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    3. He knows the game better than anyone on TV–even if he was a lackluster Buckeye QB and never did much else. I’d love to have us play OSU again as a tester.

      It was barely 12 years ago that no Big10 team could play with USC and would struggle against a bunch of other Pac 10 teams. Something’s gone terribly wrong on the Left Coast.

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  6. Herbie is a talking head. If USC beats Oregon, and I hope they rip them a new one after last year, they HAVE to be in the conversation. This isn’t a beauty contest, those are subjective. In a horse race, you don’t get to say, well the second horse shoulda won, but….The horse who finishes first WINS. USC will have won out. Same number of games. That’s no easy feat, no matter who you are. And, the California restrictions put us at a disadvantage and we were handicapped. Just because we have Clay Helton and not Ryan Day doesn’t mean we get to be excluded because Day is a better coach. Proof is on the field. Let them compete. If they lose, they lose, but they earned it. There may only be four undefeated teams left out of all those D1 teams playing. Let them compete.

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    1. Agree that OSU should be in the CFP. There is a broader point, which is that the season has been so messed up, with many teams just playing in conference, that it would be good to expand the CFP. USC would probably lose to OSU or the others at the very top, but still I’d like to see them compete against a team with comparable talent to see where we stand.

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  9. Only body of work from this year should matter, but…

    Ohio State has been the better program the last few years than USC. USC is basically a “Group of Five” conference team in terms of perception. During the Pete Carroll years, USC would be able to benefit from people and writers who thought they were better than they probably were because they knew Carroll consistently fielded strong teams.

    But since Helton has been inconsistent and gets dominated by Power 5 teams regularly – Alabama, Ohio State, Iowa, etc. – a Clay Helton team doesn’t get that benefit of the doubt in the same way a Group of Five team is viewed with reservations.

    #HerbieWon’tSayThatButThat’sWhatHeIsThinking

    #BeingASoftProgramNeverHelps

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Hufanga has had a great season. But he is still in Scottie’s doghouse – Hufanga couldn’t even get a “winner” award from Scottie, despite being named defensive player of the week by everyone.

      Liked by 3 people

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  12. Too many Trojan players have hair trigger tempers. Those players need the self discipline to NOT TAKE THE BAIT from the opposing team. That is all on the coaching staff. 100%.
    None of those players behaved like that before they got to SC. All it takes is for the staff to make an example(with a warning first) that if this shit continues- just enter the portal on Monday.
    You will see no more BIGGIE behaviour. E.V.A.H.

    #SCWillFlattenOregon.

    Liked by 1 person

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  13. I will defend Herbstreet up to a point,

    He has treated SC fairly and objectively. During Carroll’s years, he was pro SC due to the talent and what they accomplished. He has done this consistently. However, with Ohio St. for this year, he is saying that the preception of Ohio St. at the beginning of the season is still the same as it is now, that they are a top four team. But, things change and he has not taken that into consideration. How about if Cinnincinati or Northwestern win out, do they jump Ohio St in Herbstreet’s eyes? This leads to him to being a little partial. I like him and he is a fair guy.

    Liked by 1 person

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