For a moment there, it felt like the college football world was upside down. Ryan Day was fighting for his legacy, Ohio State fans were turning on their own, and Kirk Herbstreit—the face of ESPN’s College GameDay and former Buckeye QB—had just labeled part of the fanbase the “lunatic fringe.” And that was all before the Buckeyes went on the type of rampage you usually only see in revenge movies. You know, the kind where the main character gets jumped, left for dead, then shows up at the end swinging like John Wick in cleats.

For the context; the 2024 season was straight-up cinematic for Ohio State. After suffering their 4th-straight gut-wrenching loss to Michigan—13-10, no less, in a snowstorm that felt like it was sent straight from Ann Arbor’s cold-hearted ancestors—Ryan Day looked cooked. The pitchforks were out. Fans were unhinged. And Herbstreit? He tried to calm the storm, but ended up caught in it instead.

Right after Ohio State clobbered Tennessee 42-17 in the playoff opener, Herbstreit called out a portion of Buckeye Nation live on-air. “You’re asking a guy to try to think for the lunatic fringe?” he said when Chris Fowler asked if that blowout win was enough to quiet Ryan Day’s haters. Boom. Just like that, the take went viral. And not in a good way. Herbstreit got roasted. OSU Reddit and Twitter (X) spun out. Some loyalists like Block O took it personally. But was he wrong, though?

Fast forward six months. On June 13, Herbstreit finally aired it all out. He joined Ryan Hawk’s podcast and faced the music directly, no ducking like Jon Jones. Ryan Hawk tossed him a fastball: “It’s been kind of a weird year for you with Ohio State fans… How do you feel about that lunatic fringe comment now that the team came back and won it all?” Herbstreit didn’t flinch.

“Well,” he started, “Fowler said something during the game. The game was pretty much over… And I said, ‘I mean, you’re asking a guy to try to think for the lunatic fringe?’ I have no idea what they think, you know. So that’s when it kind of took off.” He wasn’t apologizing or backtracking. In fact, he doubled down. “There’s 90% of Ohio State fans who—win or lose—they’re proud,” Herbstreit continued. “But every fan base got that 10% we’re all embarrassed of.”

Room laughed. Herbie smiled. The former Buckeye QB isn’t new to this whole “calling out OSU fans” thing either. Back in September 2023, after a sluggish win over Indiana, he hit a similar note, clapping back at fans roasting Kyle McCord. That same fringe of the fanbase wanted heads every time the team wasn’t up by four touchdowns by halftime.

Still, even as he tried to defend Ryan Day and call for perspective, some fans accused Herbstreit of bias. Said he was too close to the program. Said he was out of touch with “real fans.” But what’s real about mentally and emotionally draining a coach’s family? Herbstreit was preaching balance, but some fans were already in a different galaxy.

Ironically, the redemption arc came faster than anyone expected. After that L in Ann Arbor, OSU turned into a war machine. Tennessee? Cooked. Undefeated Oregon in the Rose Bowl? Smoked. Texas in the Cotton Bowl? Handled. And then came the natty—9 years of pain ended in one glorious night. Ryan Day lifted the trophy and that same fanbase celebrated like they were day 1s. And Herbstreit? He didn’t need to say, ‘I told you so.’ His silence said it loud.

The iconic duo of Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso comes to an end

As if the firestorm around his OSU loyalty wasn’t enough, there’s another emotional chapter closing in Herbie’s life. After nearly three decades of bromance, banter, and Brutus Buckeye headgear moments, the legendary Kirk Herbstreit–Lee Corso duo on College GameDay is coming to an end.

The partnership between Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso on College GameDay isn’t just a sports broadcasting staple—it’s a pop-culture phenomenon in its own right. Like Abbott and Costello, they balanced intellect with humor. Like Batman and Robin, there was a clear lead in Herbstreit’s measured analysis, complemented by Corso’s unpredictable charisma. And like Vintage WWF Triple H and Shawn Michaels, they sync perfect, their chemistry elevated the entire show, making College GameDay a weekly ritual for college football fans nationwide.

The curtain’s coming down on a show that gave us more Saturday chills than the Big Ten in November. ESPN confirmed that Lee Corso’s final GameDay appearance will be on August 30. And the send-off? It’s going down in Columbus. Poetic, right? The place where Corso’s first-ever headgear pick popped off in October 1996. Full circle. “Perfect setting for one last ride,” Herbstreit tweeted. “Coach’s ‘First Love’ as he says!!”

Lee Corso wasn’t just comic relief. He was college football’s uncle. The unpredictable, hilarious, slightly off-beat uncle who always stole the show. And Herbstreit? “Coach Corso has had an iconic run in broadcasting, and we’re all lucky to have been around to witness it,” Herbstreit once said. “He’s been like a second father to me.”

Herbstreit, who’s seen it all—from firestorms to fan threats—is now gearing up for one of his toughest goodbyes. Corso’s farewell isn’t just the end of an era. It’s a gut-punch reminder that the college football world we grew up on is changing. ESPN’s Jimmy Pitaro put it best: “Lee is one of the most influential and beloved figures in the history of college football.”

And for that final ride? It’s Texas vs. Ohio State in Columbus. Week 1. The stakes are massive. The emotions will be higher than Big Noon’s ratings. But one thing’s for sure: when Corso puts on that final mascot head, you’re gonna feel it. Because love him or roast him, Lee Corso is college football Saturdays. So yeah, Kirk Herbstreit’s got a lot going on. He’s clapping back at haters, defending his coach, and getting ready to say goodbye to the partner who helped define his career. It’s been a wild ride for the Most Prepared broadcaster.