Kirk Herbstreit Kirk Herbstreit ( ; born August 19 , 1969 ) is an Emmy Award - winning analyst for ESPN ' s " College GameDay " , a television program covering college football and a provider of color commentary during college football games on ESPN and ABC . He appears annually as a commentator in EA Sports ' " NCAA Football " . He was a quarterback on the Ohio State football team . He saw action in a few games his junior season ( including the bowl loss against Syracuse ) and was the starting quarterback throughout his senior season . Playing career and subsequent activities in Ohio . Herbstreit graduated from Centerville High School in Centerville , Ohio , a suburb of Dayton . In his high school quarterbacking days , he was the Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior for Centerville . He also was a standout baseball player . Herbstreit was the first player to commit to the Ohio State Buckeyes after the hiring of John Cooper as head coach in 1988 . Kirk was a four - year letter winner as a quarterback at Ohio State University from 1989 to 1993 . After waiting his turn as a Buckeye starter behind Greg Frey and Kent Graham , Herbstreit finally led the team as a senior in 1992 . That year he was a co - captain ( along with linebacker Steve Tovar ) and was voted team MVP . Herbstreit passed for 1 , 904 yards that season , including four 200 + yard games , before losing to the Georgia Bulldogs in the Florida Citrus Bowl . As a college quarterback , Herbstreit had held the Ohio State record for pass completions in the rivalry game against Michigan . He completed 28 passes for 271 yards in a 13 - 13 tie against arch - rival University of Michigan in 1992 . Herbstreit ' s father , Jim Herbstreit , had been a co - captain ( along with offensive tackle Jim Tyrer ) of the 1960 Ohio State team , and was later an assistant coach at Ohio State under Woody Hayes . When Kirk Herbstreit was named co - captain in 1992 , the two became only the second father - and - son duo to have each been Ohio State captains . ( James and Jeff Davidson were the first in 1989 ; Pepper and Dionte Johnson became the third in 2007 . ) Herbstreit graduated from Ohio State in 1993 with a degree in Business Administration . He currently lives in Franklin , TN , with his wife and four boys . He also is known for a 2009 case in which he sued the IRS for changing an implied policy of allowing deductions for house donations to the Fire Department for training purposes . Herbstreit is actively involved in multiple charities including the 2012 Buckeye Cruise for Cancer and The Make A Wish Foundation Ultimate Sports Auction . He has lent his name to the Kirk Herbstreit National Kickoff Classic in Columbus , Ohio , and Arlington , Texas . According to the website , the Kickoff Classic " pits high school teams from the states of Ohio and Texas against prep football powerhouses from across the nation " over the Labor Day weekend . The games in Ohio are usually held at Ohio Stadium , while the games in Texas are held at Cowboys Stadium . Broadcasting career . Chris Fowler , Desmond Howard , and Lee Corso sit alongside Herbstreit on the ESPN " College GameDay " set , discussing the day ' s college football games , and analyzing highlights and players . Every Saturday , " College GameDay " makes road trips to various colleges around the United States to preview the school ' s upcoming football game . Herbstreit serves as an analyst for ABC Sports ' college football prime time series alongside either play - by - play man Brent Musburger , who frequently refers to his partner as " Herbie " , or Terry Gannon . He was nominated for a 1997 Sports Emmy Award as television ' s top studio analyst , along with Cris Collinsworth ( eventual winner ) , Howie Long , Terry Bradshaw and Steve Lyons . He is a frequent contributor to ESPN . com and " ESPN The Magazine " . In 1997 , he wrote a weekly in - season column — " Inside The Game With Kirk Herbstreit " — for " The Sporting News " . Herbstreit previously worked Thursday night games for ESPN as a color commentator , and he is currently in the booth for Saturday night college football games on ABC . On the day of the 2007 SEC championship game , Kirk Herbstreit falsely reported on ESPN ' s College GameDay that Les Miles had accepted an offer to succeed Lloyd Carr as the head coach at the University of Michigan . Herbstreit is also a contributor to the Columbus , Ohio - based FM radio station 97 . 1 The Fan ; 97 . 1 is also an ESPN Radio affiliate . In July 2007 , he served as a panelist for the series " Who ' s Now " alongside Keyshawn Johnson and Michael Wilbon . It was announced on June 28 , 2010 that Herbstreit will host a weekly college football radio program on 97 . 1 The Fan in Columbus . Kirk Herbstreit posted on his Twitter account that he has moved to Nashville , Tennessee from his home in Ohio because of harassment by vocal Ohio State fans accusing him of criticizing his alma mater directly . Herbstreit was quoted as saying " It ' s the vocal minority that make it rough . They probably represent 5 to 10 % of the fan base but they are relentless . "