Kirk Herbstreit gives ultimate truth about Indiana on verge of national title game

Kirk Herbstreit gave his two cents about why Indiana is the team to beat out of all the teams left in the CFP. The Peach Bowl is tied at seven apiece.

Kirk Herbstreit gives ultimate truth about Indiana on verge of national title game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Indiana Hoosiers landed the first major punch in Friday night's Peach Bowl with a pick-6 from D'Angelo Ponds to take an early 7-0 lead against the Oregon Ducks.

With the hype surrounding the Hoosiers' postseason run, as a victory against the Ducks would be their second head-to-head this season, it would clinch a berth in the national title game against the Miami Hurricanes. The Hurricanes clinched a national title spot Thursday night against the Ole Miss Rebels, closing out a 31-27 win.

ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit, though, sees the Hoosiers as the team to beat among the remaining College Football Playoff teams.

“If Indiana keeps playing the way they are playing, I would probably give them the nod right now,” Herbstreit said. “Can they maintain this edge? I would think with their head coach coaching the way he does. I would give Indiana probably the edge there.”

Herbstreit isn't the only analyst who shares this same opinion, as On3's Josh Pate took it a step further.

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“Like we’ve said on this show many times now, it just wrecks the model for anyone else. Jon Sumrall is taking the job at Florida. Alex Golesh is taking the job at Auburn right now. Can you imagine those guys trying to sell their administration on a good two-, three-, four-year plan?” Pate asked. “And they’re clicking on the College Football Playoff semifinal tonight, ‘That’s the Indiana head coach, right? Those are the ones that just dragged Alabama, right?’ It’s a tough scene for everyone else, but the answer is yes, this is a massive, historic turnaround.”

At press time, the Ducks found the end zone thanks to a 19-yard pass from Dante Moore to Jamari Johnson to tie the game and cap a 14-play drive.

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Category: General Sports