Tension is brewing! And it’s about Ohio State prodigy turned ESPN College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit. For five seasons, he played as the Buckeyes’ QB starting in 1989. He wrapped his final 1993 season with a Florida Citrus Bowl appearance. Even with time, he had remained a steadfast OSU supporter. Even his kids had grown to love and become “Ohio State junkies!” But lately, there have been surprising announcements, and the CFB world isn’t blind to see the subtle change emanating from this Buckeyes alum. 

Ohio State showed who the boss is with their 42-17 victory over Tennessee in the first playoff round. So, it’s time to blow the horns for Ryan Day. But Kirk Herbstreit stepped on the wrong line in his defense for the OSU HC, who has been in a hot seat since his fourth consecutive loss to Michigan.

The ESPN analyst took a dig at the fan base saying, “The lunatic fringe at Ohio State is as powerful as anywhere in the country.” Not just that, he also took a shot at First Take, saying, “First Take tried to fire him. They thought he was done, so I’ll be excited to see what they talk about on Monday after this performance.” A shocked fan posted their reaction, saying, “Kirk Herbstreit just take a sh-t at Stephen A?”

The lunatic fringe narrative isn’t a new thing. This is a repeat of last season when the same thing happened over Ryan Day’s plight with the Buckeye fans. According to Kirk Herbstreit, this fringe was 8-10 last year and had risen to “about 15 to 20” this season. And they refer to that set of fans whom he said would “get mad at anything.” Is this somehow a shift from his interest? 

There’s something to consider. Despite his family’s loyalty to Ohio State over the years, his 18-year-old son Chase Herbstreit signed with their rival Michigan. The reason? “Ohio State did not really pursue him to the point of offering him a scholarship.” And as the former Buckeyes QB added, “So for Sherrone Moore to just step up and say, ‘Hey, we want to give Chase an opportunity. We believe in this kid’… Chase had just had to jump at the opportunity.” Even so, his commentary rant has put his job in a perilous position as far as fans’ opinions. 

Fans are divided over Kirk Herbstreit’s rant

Spectators heard more than necessary at the Ohio State-Tennessee game broadcast. A perplexed fan wrote, “Dude Kirk Herbstreit W-F is going on with this commentary?” Kirk Herbstreit could be about to lose a good number of his followers after his last commentary. 

One person didn’t even care to keep their reaction lowkey. They wrote, “Kirk Herbstreit has forced me to watch the Buckeye game on mute. He’s utterly obnoxious.” How bad had it been?

The rant began in the fourth quarter and went on for quite some time. Another user wrote, “I’m so sick of Kirk Herbstreit slick a– comments. I hope Stephen A say something too.” But wait, he still has some people siding with him. 

Some people see that Kirk Herbstreit has a legit reason to call out the fanbase. One supporter wrote, “Good on Kirk Herbstreit for calling out those fools on @espn first take!” After all, someone’s gotta say it, right?

Another person took a dig at the OSU fan base, saying, “Oh, I see Kirk Herbstreit ruffled some feathers, but was he wrong? No, he wasn’t.” Do you think the call for Ryan Day’s dismissal is necessary? 

Ohio State’s playoff journey continues, but even if they somehow fall short of the national championship, do you think Ryan Day still deserves to see another season with the Buckeyes?