‘A house divided’: How Kirk Herbstreit’s sons are preparing to face dad’s alma mater
Had you told a young Tye Herbstreit he’d be rooting against a team in scarlet and gray in one of the biggest games of a college football season, skepticism would have been high.
“I would have said, that’s not true at all,” Herbstreit said.
Yet here he was, a redshirting freshman at Clemson along with his brother, Jake, ready for his team to go up against Ohio State, the school most closely tied to his rather famous name.
Kirk Herbstreit played quarterback for Ohio State in the late 1980s and early 1990s before going on to a broadcasting career that has taken him to the top of his profession. His sons Tye and Jake were both born in Columbus, Ohio, and spent their early childhoods there before moving to Nashville.
With how intertwined their family is with OSU their attendance there might’ve seemed, from the outside, fait accompli.
But something about the Clemson program lured both Herbstreit boys south. Tye said that, before he enrolled, he didn’t quite realize how much he’d like the atmosphere and the program, but he got the sense his father did.
“He realizes it,” Tye Herbstreit said. “But like, I didn’t know he knew that when we were going here.”
The season hasn’t involved playing all that much, as the twin brothers made the field for four games and will redshirt. They’ve been focused on the weight room and scout team work, and both mentioned it as something they’ve been enjoying.
“We have a thing called ‘power hour’ that we do,” Jake Herbstreit said, “every day of every week. It’s a lifting program and it’s been pretty successful. ... It’s been pretty successful for me and I’m just excited to keep gaining weight and getting ready for my chance later on.”
Jake, who plays corner, said this week has featured some mixed emotions facing the school with his family lineage. He hasn’t talked much to his dad about it but gets the sense his father is a bit conflicted. Tye Herbstreit, a wide receiver, said it’ll just be a mixed bag of joy for whoever wins and disappointment for the losing side, no matter how the game goes.
But that doesn’t mean the whole family is staying away from loudly rooting for one side.
“Even my little brothers will be cheering for Ohio State,” Tye Herbstreit said. “It’ll be a house divided.
“They’ve been talking some trash about Ohio State and Clemson. ... It’s all friendly banter, though. I know they’re going to be cheering for us in the back of their minds.”
When do Ohio State and Clemson play?
Who: Clemson (13-0) vs. Ohio State (13-0)
Where: PlayStation Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28
TV: ESPN
Early line: Clemson by 2
This story was originally published December 27, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
