It's Time For ESPN To Replace Kirk Herbstreit With Craig James

People have suspected it for a long time. Now it has been printed in black and white. The talking heads that host ESPN's College GameDay Show do indeed have agendas. And apparently, they don't mind you knowing.

When the final Associated Press poll was released last week, Auburn finished ninth in the poll with an 11-2 record. However, GameDay's Kirk Herbstreit voted Auburn 18th in his final poll. Chris Fowler didn't do much better, putting the Tigers 14th. How can you justify that ranking?

That's nothing more than a blatant dislike of Auburn and its program. How do you put an 11-win team with victories over the number one and number three teams in the country at the bottom of your poll? In comparison, Herbstreit ranked Notre Dame 16th in his poll, two spots ahead of Auburn. You will recall that the Irish lost to LSU 41-14 in the Sugar Bowl, a team Auburn beat in the regular season.

ESPN officials should do the right thing and fire Herbstreit and replace him with former GameDay analyst Craig James, who's now back working at the network. The Associated Press should ask Herbstreit to resign from voting in the poll. Yes, public trust is that important. He gives everyone who votes a bad name.

To many Auburn fans this was no surprise. If you were at the GameDay show in Auburn during the Florida game, you got the feeling right away that Herbstreit didn't want to be on the Plains. While both Fowler and Corso came out and spoke to the crowd and had some fun, Herbstreit didn't once make eye contact or speak with the fans.

It was an act that wasn't lost on Auburn people. Everyone was talking about it. Most attributed it to Herbstreit's over-grown ego that has become more disgusting by the year. This is a guy who's obviously impressed with himself. It's a good thing they don't pay him based on his observations because they are more wrong than right.

Why Fowler voted Auburn 14th is anybody's guess. You can't help but wonder if Herbstreit had some kind of influence on him. Fowler is the consummate professional. For him to rank Auburn so low is much more disappointing. You just expected more out of Fowler.

People handle success in different ways. Herbstreit was a virtual nobody before being hired by ESPN. As he's gotten more and more exposure, he's taken on an air of "I'm just a little smarter than you." It's time for Bristol to take a hard look at bringing James back to the show he once starred in. He's a much more likeable person who did a better job than Herbstreit when he was on GameDay.

Herbstreit is becoming a real issue for ESPN with viewers in the South. SEC fans are to the point where they are sick of watching him. His over-the-top coverage of Ohio State this season was a joke. Hey Kirk, this isn't the college radio station in Columbus. It's time to grow up.

Unfortunately, he's in a position to influence lots of people. How can you trust a guy who ranks an 11-win SEC team 18th in his final poll? There is no excuse. This guy has a vendetta against Auburn and maybe even all of the SEC. He should be made to answer for this obvious abuse of power.

Many will read this and get a kick out of Herbstreit abusing his power at Auburn's expense. Let me remind you that you may be next - especially if your team resides in the South.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

1-15-2007 @ 8:22PM

Mike said...

I listened to Kirk Herbstreit rave all year on how good the SEC was and how it was the best conference in college football. So much so it made me sick.

Craig James is an idiot and will never be on college gameday.

1-15-2007 @ 8:27PM

DCWolverine said...

Absolutely. Why not put all SEC slappy's at ESPN, like they did at CBS? You guys are absolutely ridiculous.

Yeah, Fowler was influenced by Herbie, as opposed to his own opinion from seeing every game played. Maybe you didn't notice, but Auburn, while excellent defensively, was putrid offensively. They were physically manhandled by an Arkansas team that was far from great (my gosh, they even lost to a Big Ten team).

IMO, they were definitely a top 15 team, but to get upset about someone putting a two loss team that is one dimensional at 14 (instead of possibly what, 10th, 11th) is whiny and a perfect example of why SEC fans have lost their mind.

1-15-2007 @ 8:30PM

Jay Coulter said...

Yeah, Auburn was weak. They beat the number 1 and 3 teams in the country. You Big 10 guys need to get a grip. Your conference is the laughing stock of the nation.

1-15-2007 @ 8:45PM

Mike Frey said...

Auburn should have been ranked higher. But, ESPN consistently raved, and rightfully so, about how good the SEC was this past year. So, not sure why you are hating ESPN.

Auburn is a good team, but honestly Nebraska should have beaten them at the Cotton Bowl. I watched the game as I am a Big 12 guy. Auburn got out played most of the game by the Huskers so Auburn is a top ten team, but...........

1-15-2007 @ 10:58PM

Tom said...

Hey Jay--

The laughing stock of the nation? Given that the Big 10 beat the SEC 2 out of 3 in bowl games this year, what does that make your conference? Here's what I'd like to see someday--instead of us coming down and playing every bowl game in your backyard every year--how about you come up to Ann Arbor and Columbus and Madison in January, and let's see how you fare.

1-15-2007 @ 8:51PM

Steveo said...

So let's get rid of a guy who apparently hates the SEC, for a guy who hates everything but the Big12. That sounds like a personal agenda too...

1-15-2007 @ 8:56PM

Bill Campbell said...

Hey, Jay: WHO has an agenda???? With a column like the one you wrote? Bill

1-15-2007 @ 9:36PM

Gamecock Man said...

I agree with you about Herbie, Jay, although I don't necessarily think 14 is too low for Auburn--I would probably rank them in the Top 10, but, in addition to bigtime victories over LSU and Florida, they did turn in a couple of stinkers against Arkansas and Georgia, as well as uninspired wins over a number of lesser teams. There are a number of teams ranked lower than Auburn, like Arkansas (less, they lost more games, but you know what I mean) and Rutgers that I could conceive of ranking above Auburn, although I personally probably wouldn't do so.

But 18 is absurd. Don't forget that Herbstreit bitched and moaned about Florida getting into the title game. He basically said that an obviously better Michigan team was getting hosed, and defended himself by saying that he had seen every game and therefore his opinion was somehow more important than everyone else's. His credibility and commitment to objectivity was already questionable, and his low-balling Auburn only makes him look worse. And ranking Notre Dame ahead of them is ludicrous. Notre Dame got trounced everytime they played a quality opponent this season, and shouldn't be in the Top 25.

It's interesting--I remember watching College Gameday the weekend after Auburn beat South Carolina in a Thursday night game, and Herbie totally ripped Auburn, who was considered a National Title contender at the time. He basically said that he couldn't conceive of ranking Auburn in the top 5 after the close call against Carolina, that Michigan was obviously superior, and so on. Makes you wonder.

While I enjoy watching Gameday, the Big Ten/Notre Dame bias is pretty obvious, and is partly intitutional--don't forget that ESPN/ABC has Big Ten contracts and competes with CBS, which has SEC contracts.

1-15-2007 @ 9:42PM

By the way, what is Herbstreit's Top Ten? Does anyone have a link? I'd be curious to see how he ranked Michigan.

1-15-2007 @ 10:14PM

Jim said...

You SEC guys are out of control. Did you not watch everyhting leading up to the title game when Herbie predicted Florida thriving in the underdog role and their defensive speed causing my Bucks problems.
Get over it. You guys need to realize it is this whining (like Tuberville and Meyer) that makes the rest of the nation laugh at you. You have some great teams, but they are no better than any other conference from year to year. If you were so much better than the Big 10 then why did the Big 10 go 2-1 against you in bowl games. Florida whipped up OSU and you have the National Title but quit the crying. Tell Auburn to get an offense and maybe people will take them seriously! Truly, you Auburn fans have to admit that the Gators really should have finished the yeard undefeated if not for getting robbed against Auburn.

1-15-2007 @ 11:06PM

S.A. JONES said...

Auburn was defeated by two ranked teams while winning 11 games, including those against the NO. 1 and No. 3 teams. Yet, this bozo ranks them 18th while he places USC is in TOP 5 after losing to TWO UNRANKED TEAMS?

Incidentally, Auburn has 3rd best record in football over he last (3) years including winning 8 of last 9 games against top ten opponents. And, is the only SEC team to be undefeated (2004) since the origin of BCS.

Ohio State is STILL looking for first bowl win against SEC and Big Ten leads SEC only in population and media hype.......BLOWOUT!

Kirk Herbstreit made a pitiful mistake.

1-15-2007 @ 10:36PM

If your conference is so great, how come you guys went 1-2 against the Big Ten? Right, of course, no answer, because your premise is ridiculous. It's all circular logic. The SEC is great and Auburn beat great SEC teams, therefore they must be great (conceniently leaving out they lost to SEC teams and basically had an easy ooc schedule)

Again, you attacked a guy for voting Auburn 14th. Where did you think they should be ranked? 11th, 12th? DO you honestly think they were top 10 material? They got shredded by Georgia and Arkansas, neither of which is a top 10 team. So two good wins and two bad losses. 14th doesn't seem so outrageous to me, but of course, I'm not in the bag for the SEC like some people

1-15-2007 @ 11:04PM

Ted Kian said...

Good blog and I agree. However, far more important than where he ranked Auburn, Herbstreit emphatically campaigned for the Big Ten runner-up to play in the national championship game this year instead of the SEC champion, which had a .5 better record and faced a much more difficult schedule. Could you imagine if a few more clowns with votes had listened to him. We would get to watch a replay of the Slow Eleven championship game played a few weeks earlier at the Horseshoe. Also please remember that he was one of those folks saying USC and a no-defense Oklahoma squad where the two best teams in 2004 when all of us in SEC country knew Auburn was the best team in the country. Georgia had an awesome 10-2 squad with seniors like David Pollack and D. Greene that year. The Dawgs had a fluke loss to UT, but that AU squad just manhandled a great Georgia team. As an SEC fan, it still pisses me off that the 2004 AU squad did not get to play USC.

1-16-2007 @ 2:44AM

cee said...

Well Herbstreit is hawt...thats what I got to say about that.
As far as The Big 10 Conference and the SEC ...there will be a rematch...and oh baby, just let the new season 2007-2008 of the Ohio State Bucks dominance begin! We Will be back- no more beat downs will be allowed.

1-16-2007 @ 10:05AM

Michael Cousar said...

I agree 100%. Craig James would be great! All we want is a person who loves college football and has no bias. Herbstreit lost me in 2004. His ego is spiralling out of control at an astronomical rate. It has been unbelievable to watch.

I also remember him blasting Auburn after the SC game. The problem with that is no one ever comes back and says they were wrong. AU beat SC by seven and the national champ beat them by one on a last second blocked field goal. AU beat them in there place and the national champ beat them at home.

Also, Auburn did defeat Nebraska. They out-coached them. Yes, coaching is important!

1-16-2007 @ 1:05PM

Acid Reign said...

.....Herbie's just a Corso disciple. That's where he got his hatred for Auburn. I really don't care what he thinks. If he (or any announcer) gets too obnoxious, I mute the sound.

.....All the big-10 bashing is stupid. The numbers don't support it. Bash Ohio State? Sure. They looked bad. I'd be mad as hell if I were a Buckeye fan; like I was at Auburn last year with the Capital One Bowl debacle. I absolutely agree that we were lucky to beat Nebraska. We thrive on that short field after turnovers...

.....Craig James is pretty cool. I also like Cris Collingsworth. Who really impressed me this bowl season, announcer-wise, was Andre Ware. He was quick with the telestrator, and often called plays/marked 'em on the screen, right before they happened. You could really tell he has a quick mind with a great eye for dissecting defenses. No wonder he set records at Houston! Somebody ought to scoop this guy up as a coach. Hey, I think Houston Nutt is looking for a coordinator, right? Of course, he'd never let Ware go all run 'n' shoot at Arky...

1-16-2007 @ 2:59PM

Nick Liakaris said...

I still think the Big 10 is one of the premier football conferences. It is unfortunate that we dont have a big 10 championship game to extend the season a little longer. Florida did beat OSU badly and give them credit, but if the game was played in November Ohio State BLOWS THEM OUT OF THE WATER!!!
Perod!! END of STORY!! They were flat out out rusty and out of sync...same for Michigan. Hirbstreit is an excellent announcer, that is well informed and spoken. Craig James...give me a break!!! He was a great player that is a perfect example of why some athletes are not cut out to be announcers!!! Every time that hick or any extremely southern accented announcer comes on....Click I change the channel. I think you should be able to talk without that southern twang to have respect in my opinion. And I am a Dallas Cowboys fan too, so its tough sometimes for me to judge...but parcells at least is not a hillbilly!!!

1-16-2007 @ 2:57PM

Paul M. Stopyra said...

I believe Herbstreit is doing a heck-of-a- job and he should stay!

1-16-2007 @ 3:00PM

Craig James.....how about Howdy Doody instead...I think he is more qualified......lol

1-16-2007 @ 10:14PM

Aaron said...

Honestly, assigning Craig James to Games Day is no better than handing him a check to go out and tell everyone stories about how great he is. The guy is pretty much Uncle Rico, in terms of how much he loves himself. By putting in Craig James you're simply replacing a Northern narcisist with a Southern narcisist but keeping the same level of stupidity. There has to be someone better qualified than James and Herbstreit.