Kirk Herbstreit recalls Penn State's last appearance in the Rose Bowl

The last time Penn State made the Rose Bowl, it was for the 2016-17 season. There, the Nittany Lions met USC in one of the best games ever played at the Rose Bowl. It was a shootout, with Penn State ultimately blowing a lead, giving up 17 unanswered in the fourth quarter, to lose 52-49. On that call for that game was ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit.

Recently, Kirk Herbstreit was asked about that game and he recalled it fondly. In particular, he remembered all of the electric talent on display in the game.

“I get the years kind of mixed up,” Kirk Herbstreit admitted.

“I remember, you have to correct me here. Wasn’t that the team that all of a sudden found the vertical pass game? Somewhere near the latter part of the year, they ran Saquon (Barkley) and then Trace (McSorley) started to have some great success downfield to (Mike) Gesicki and (Chris) Godwin, and those guys. Trace had a couple good teams, but that team and that game against Sam Darnold…”

As Kirk Herbstreit explained, broadcasters aren’t really allowed to root for teams. They’re supposed to be neutral observers. So, instead, he was happy to have a great game to watch.

“As a broadcaster of a game, you don’t really pull for teams. You pull for games, and that’s what you pull for was that game. It was exactly what you would hope for is, a close game, lots of points, and the two stars of these teams kind of going back and forth on that stage at the Rose Bowl,” Kirk Herbstreit continued.

“So yeah, it was fantastic. And people always ask me, what’s your best game or favorite game you ever called? And it’s so hard. Unless you sat down and thought about it. The first games that come to mind is the Penn State-USC Rose Bowl Game that year. It was just a perfect setting and a game that went down to the wire, but I don’t think I’ll forget that one for a long time.”

This will be Penn State’s first trip back to the Rose Bowl since that game. There, the Nittany Lions will take on Utah, who is trying to rebound after coming up just short in last season’s Rose Bowl to Ohio State.

Kirk Herbstreit is eager to see Ohio State respond to being the underdog

Looking at the College Football Playoff this season, Kirk Herbstreit is interested in his alma mater, Ohio State. In particular, how will the Buckeyes handle being an underdog?

“Oh yeah. I think a big part of it is just, where’s their mindset?” Kirk Herbstreit wondered. “I don’t know. We’ve done the playoff since ’14. I don’t recall a team that lost the way they lost to their rival at home and then went to the playoff to see how they’ll respond.”