Kirk Herbstreit gets emotional after Ohio State-Notre Dame thriller in CFP championship game

Kirk Herbstreit could not conceal his emotions after his alma mater, Ohio State, defeated Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff national championship game on Monday.

The Buckeyes (14-2) survived a comeback effort from the Fighting Irish (14-2) to hold on for a 34-23 victory at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Ryan Day's team had led 31-7 midway through the third quarter, but Notre Dame battled back gamely to make it a contest.

Ultimately, it was a perfectly thrown deep ball by Will Howard to Jeremiah Smith on third down inside the final three minutes that decided the game.

The 56-yard completion set the Buckeyes up in chip-shot field goal range, and kicker Jayden Fielding split the uprights from 33 yards with 26 seconds remaining to ensure Ohio State's victory.

It is the Buckeyes' first national championship since Urban Meyer led them to the title in 2014, and the ninth in the history of the program.

And this one will feel all the more special after weathering adversity along the way losing a thriller against No.

1 Oregon in October before suffering an embarrassing defeat to old rivals Michigan in November that denied them a place in the Big Ten championship game.

But since the onset of the playoff, the eight-seed Buckeyes have been unstoppable.

Day's team blitzed Tennessee 41-17 in the opening round before routing Oregon 41-21 in the Rose Bowl and outclassing Texas 28-14 in the Cotton Bowl Classic.

And on Monday, that just had too many offensive weapons for the seven-seed Irish to contain.

ESPN pundit Herbstreit, who played quarterback for Ohio State from 1989-92, appeared on 'SportsCenter in the immediate aftermath of the game, and he could not hide his love for his alma mater.

"I'm a little emotional," the 55-year-old said.

"I'm just fired up for these guys.

When I call these games I'm incredibly objective.

I love all of these Ohio State teams, but this team because of what they went through to get to this point, you're just happy.

"They went to hell and back.

We can try to make this sound soft, but my thing is, I talk to these players.

I talk to these coaches.

I know what they faced after that Michigan game.

I know the pain, and I know that a lot of people thought, The hell with this guy.

Who else can be the guy?' [Day] just handled it, took the high road and didn't say anything.

"He went out, got his team ready to play four games, and they won it.

And I think that's why I'm emotional.

What these guys faced.".

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