The ESPN analyst believes Ohio State will challenge Notre Dame's man-to-man defense right away. How will it play out?

Kirk Herbstreit grew up respecting Notre Dame, but the former Ohio State quarterback from near Dayton also wanted to beat the Fighting Irish.

When the Notre Dame Fighting Irish take the field against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Monday night's national championship game, the Irish will be more than an eight-point underdog in the matchup. Ohio State has one of the sport's best rosters,

If you thought Kirk Herbstreit just somewhat liked Ohio State football, think again. He’s a self-proclaimed “junkie.”

In the days since, though, Herbstreit has found a new companion for the road, another golden retriever named Peter. Turns out, Peter is actually Ben’s little brother. From the looks of it, Peter is pretty darned adorable, too, and he is getting along just about as well as Ben did at the big games.

Jan 18, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) talks to the media during 2025 CFP National Championship Media Day at Georgia World Congress Center, Building A. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Herbstreit’s son Zach is a part of the Buckeyes program as a walk-on. Herbstreit has long taken heat for the way he approaches Ohio State as a former player for the Buckeyes. Th

Kirk Herbstreit and Ohio State's fan base have an interesting relationship these days. The ESPN college football announcer played collegiately at Ohio State. His dad, Jim Herbstreit, also played at the school and later coached under Woody Hayes.