Kirk Herbstreit has a clear opinion on Ryan Day & Co.'s gritty run to win the National Championship
Ryan Day and Ohio State capped their memorable College Football Playoff run with a national crown Monday night. It's a four-game stretch that the sport will remember for a while with a story that applies to many. The Buckeyes faced adversity on their way to the ultimate prize, a fact that isn't lost on ESPN commentator and former Ohio State quarterback Kirk Herbstreit.
After calling the Buckeyes' 34-23 win over Notre Dame in Atlanta, Herbstreit joined the "The Pat McAfee Show" Tuesday to sum up the last two months from Ohio State's perspective.
"That fan base will never forget this run they put on," Herbstreit said. "You're happy for them. For what they faced at the end of that Michigan game — and I talked to these guys behind the scenes and know what they were going through and how hurt they were — and for them to endure that, overcome that, man, what an example for sports.
"What an example for all of us in our walk in life, to go through adversity and learn that, 'You know what? We grow more going through adversity.' They did it as a collective unit. They overcame. ... I'm a big sucker for team, and when I see people go through stuff and come together and overcome, sign me up. I just love it."
Why was Ryan Day and Ohio State's run so special?
The disappointment from the loss to Michigan on Nov. 30 was almost immeasurable for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes. It was their fourth straight setback to their most hated rival, bringing questions that could only be answered by Ohio State's response.
The Buckeyes didn't trail for a second of the three games to follow — against Tennessee, Oregon and Texas — then had control for most of the contest against the Fighting Irish. It was something that many couldn't say they saw coming, not after the scene that followed the defeat to the Wolverines, who tried planting their flag in the middle of the field at Ohio Stadium and were met with resistance.
Ryan Day and Ohio State's players saw that same venue fill up with more orange than they would've liked in the first round of the postseason, a sight that motivated them to come together to defend their home turf. They followed that with a 41-21 dismantling of the Ducks in which they jumped out to a 34-0 lead against the undefeated Big 10 champions.
Jack Sawyer helped seal a 28-14 win over the Longhorns in what was essentially a road game for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes in Arlington, with his strip sack and subsequent scoop-and-score all but sealing the contest.
Then came an early hiccup to Notre Dame, followed by 31 unanswered points, which helped them coast to the title.