Kirk Herbstreit Calls Out ESPN Anchor in Shocking On-Air Confrontation—What Happened Next Will Surprise You

Ever wonder if ESPN’s top college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit has a soft spot for his alma mater, Ohio State? You might think so, given his time as a Buckeyes quarterback, but if you expected hometown cheers when he’s calling games—think again. On a recent “Net Positive” podcast with John Crist, Herbstreit didn’t mince words about the tricky tightrope analysts walk between fandom and professionalism. Is there really room for rooting interests when you’ve got millions hanging on every word? And what about when on-air personalities like Elle Duncan openly cheer for their favorite teams—does that pump up the vibe or undercut credibility? Herbstreit’s blunt take definitely ruffled some feathers, sparking a fiery exchange on what it means to be impartial in the sports media circus. Buckle up—this isn’t your typical sideline chit-chat. LEARN MORE.

Kirk Herbstreit often praises his teammates at ESPN. That wasn’t the case though when he recently made an appearance on the “Net Positive” podcast with John Crist.

Herbstreit, ESPN’s lead analyst for college football, has been at the top of his profession since 2006. He has built incredible bonds with legends such as Lee Corso and Chris Fowler, while also ushering in a new era of analysts like Pat McAfee. 

Even though Herbstreit played quarterback at Ohio State from 1989-1993, fans rarely accuse him of being a homer. If anything, they believe he’s too critical of the Buckeyes at times. 

While on the “Net Positive” podcast, Herbstreit made it clear he’ll never openly cheer for his team on national television. 

“It might be different if you’re in the studio, but if you’re calling games and let’s say you’re an Alabama fan — and I’m calling an Ohio State-Alabama game — how the hell can you take what I say seriously if I’m saying, ‘We, almost caught…’ I would never do that,” Herbstreit said, via Awful Announcing. “I don’t think you can cheer when you do games on a national level.”

Herbstreit then called out “SportsCenter” anchor Elle Duncan for constantly cheering for Georgia. 

“You watch ‘SportsCenter’ and Elle Duncan is sitting there cheering for Georgia,” Herbstreit said. “She’s openly cheering. I’m not a fan of that personally. I think it hurts your credibility.” 

Herbstreit didn’t pull any punches, that’s for sure. 

As for Duncan, she wasted no time firing back at Herbstreit’s remarks. 

“Didn’t have this on my bingo card for today but my fandom doesn’t impact in any way what or how we talk about teams on air,” Duncan wrote on X. “Ever. I…JUST..BARK?? Also **whispers** I’m not the only one. So why I get singled out?”

Herbstreit has not yet responded to Duncan’s social media post. He may have some explaining to do. 

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