"Felt a lot of anger & humiliation": Kirk Herbstreit reveals Will Howard & Co.'s source of motivation after Ohio State's eye catching turnaround

Kirk Herbstreit, a former Ohio State quarterback and current ESPN college football analyst, believes there is a reason why the Buckeyes have been reborn in the College Football Playoff: An almost helpless feeling in the stadium after Ohio State lost to Michigan for a fourth straight time has something to do with it.

Herbstreit appeared on the On3 podcast "Andy & Ari" on Tuesday and spoke to co-hosts Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman about what's driven the Buckeyes's playoff resurgence. Ohio State heads into the Cotton Bowl semifinal against Texas on Friday.

"I think you have a very tight football team that felt a lot of anger, humiliation, frustration, and they're looking at this post-Michigan 4-game run as a chance to kind of correct, in their mind, something that should never have gone wrong," Kirk Herbstreit said. (13:03 onwards) "Having that second life, I think, has really gotten them to play with tremendous confidence, tremendous energy."

What Kirk Herbstreit felt after the Rose Bowl

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Caden Curry (92) pursues Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) in their Rose Bowl game. (Credits: IMAGN)

Kirk Herbstreit added that he felt a 'job's not done' sort of vibe as the confetti rained down and Ohio State accepted a trophy after beating Oregon 41-21 in the Rose Bowl. There's not one certain thing from an Xs-and-Os standpoint that's brought the Buckeyes back from the dead.

"I think it's a combination of things, really, Andy," Herbstreit said. (11:21 onwards) "I think it's the scheme offensively with Chip Kelly. I think they've been much more aggressive taking shots down field (with) Will Howard and Jeremiah Smith and company. I think the offensive line has really reacted to a lot of people pointing fingers at them. I think it's almost a perfect storm of what is different.

"By the way, they've been a pretty good football team all year, with the exception of the way that Michigan game went. I think they just kind of pulled their bootstraps up and said, 'We're a good team. Let's go win a national championship.'"

Herbstreit also pointed out that Ohio State players aren't fond of the perception that their roster has been bought. He listed several defensive players who have grown within the program — J.T. Tuimoloau, Tyleik Williams, Ty Hamilton, Jack Sawyer, Jordan Hancock, Cody Simon, Sonny Styles, Lathan Ransom, and Denzel Burke.

"There's been a lot of really good moments for that class of players," Herbstreit said. "There's been a lot of tough moments. When they walked off the field against Michigan or out-played Georgia, in their mind, and walked off the field losing to Georgia when they missed that last-second field goal. You know how that is when you go through experiences. It really brings you together."

The tight-knit group will aim to confuse Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers as much as it did Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava and Oregon's Dillon Gabriel. When the Buckeyes' units click on all cylinders, it's been hard to stop them.