Kirk Herbstreit Concerned Michigan Will ‘Wave the White Flag’ and Duck Ohio State [UPDATE]

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The College Football Playoff committee revealed rankings that were largely unchanged from last week, and so the big story that comes out of the show won’t be about where teams stand. Instead, the story will be about Kirk Herbstreit, who has expressed concern that Michigan will “wave the white flag” and duck their rivalry game against Ohio State next Saturday:

“I still think Michigan waves the white flag, potentially avoids playing Ohio State next week, and then they’ll potentially get a game on the 19th,” Herbstreit said. “Is that fair, David [Pollack]? Michigan could opt out, basically, of that game, and keep Ohio State out of six games to qualify for the Big Ten Championship. That doesn’t make sense to me.”

Ohio State will also have to play with a limited roster against Michigan State this Saturday to avoid being ineligible for the Big Ten title game. Herbstreit, by the way, played quarterback at Ohio State.

Later in the segment, Herbstreit said this:

These are pretty strong fighting words, and you can expect Jim Harbaugh and Michigan to fight back vociferously against the accusation that they’d even consider such a thing.

I have argued that if 4-0 Ohio State does not get the six games in, the Big Ten should change its rules and make them eligible for the conference title game. They have already beaten Indiana, and every other team in the Big Ten East has at least two losses.

Update: Herbstreit apologized for his remarks:

Written by Ryan Glasspiegel

Ryan Glasspiegel grew up in Connecticut, graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison, and lives in Chicago. Before OutKick, he wrote for Sports Illustrated and The Big Lead. He enjoys expensive bourbon and cheap beer.

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  1. If what Herbstreit alleges is true, these coaches should be fired. If true, what spineless coaches they are. They are saying “My team isn’t good enough, my coaching staff isn’t good enough” and by default, “I am a lousy head coach who can’t and won’t prepare my team hard enough to get them ready for an important game”. Talk about DBAP. Woody and John McKay and Ara and the Bear are rolling over in their graves.

  8. For once I agree with Herbstreit. It appears that Florida St is doing the same thing. I have been saying since September, the way colleges are reacting to Covid it has made an easy excuse to postpone or cancel games and just blame it on Covid.

  9. I’m in the minority, but if Michigah did that, I would laugh till I cried. Ohio State abused the rules last year to let Justin Fields play (with that fake racism claim that Fields made). They deserve to be screwed over.

    • Not the only one in this minority. Oh-Lie-O State deserves for Michigan to play the Covid Card. However with the Kiss a** B1G they will get into the championship game. and back door the playoffs. How is a 6 or 7 win o-state, against far inferior opponents even in the playoff picture. Cincinnati and BYU have played as tough a schedule and have won more games.

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