Kirk Herbstreit defends Ryan Day's journey to national title amid criticism: 'He handled it with such class'

After Ohio State’s shocking loss to Michigan to end the regular season, Kirk Herbstreit stood strong in Ryan Day’s corner as the criticism mounted. The Buckeyes then put together a redemption story for the ages, capped by the program’s first national title in a decade – and Day’s first as head coach.

After Ohio State put the finishing touches on that win over Notre Dame, Herbstreit reflected on Day’s journey over the last two months. He continued to defend the Buckeyes headman, whom he considers a friend.

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Herbstreit didn’t just look back on Day’s journey on the field, though. He knows what he’s dealt with away from the gridiron after his fourth straight loss in The Game, and he specifically credited how Day carried himself through it all.

"I hear the stories behind the curtain, I know what he and his wife and his family go through. It's really, it's tough. It's tough to be a coach at a premium school where you're expected to win every game. He handled it with such class." – Kirk Herbstreit on Ryan Day getting over… pic.twitter.com/5jbguxPH6r

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 21, 2025

“I’m a friend of his,” Herbstreit said in the final minutes of Monday’s title game. “Very objective and try to be as fair as I can be. I hear the stories behind the curtain. I know what he and his wife and his family go through.

“It’s tough. It’s tough to be a coach at a premium school where you’re expected to win every game. He handled it with such class. He gets on top of the mountain.”

Herbstreit, who played at Ohio State before embarking on his career in media, offered multiple passionate defenses of Day and the Buckeyes after that loss to Michigan. He also provided some looks at what goes on off the field amid the response from some members of the fan base, which is why he was so strong in his stance.

“I’ve been doing this almost 30 years,” Herbstreit told On3’s Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman on Andy & Ari On3 last month. “My 29th year of somebody being upset. Ohio State fans, a portion of them, have always been upset with me. It’s not like, ‘Wow, what am I gonna do the Ohio State are upset?’ I wasn’t even critical of Ohio State. I was critical of Ryan Day needing an armed guard 24/7 outside of his house. That’s what I was critical of.

“I was critical of some of the things they say to some of the players on social media. Here’s my problem. I talk to Will Howard. I talk to Ryan Day behind curtains. I hear the pain that they feel and they can’t say anything. I can. I’ll take the bullets.”