Big Ten Daily (Dec. 30): ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit Has COVID-19, Will Broadcast Playoffs Remotely

Kirk Herbstreit is the face of college football on ESPN, but the analyst is headed to the sidelines — sort of — after testing positive for COVID-19 this week.

The timing is horrible because Herbstreit is part of ESPN's College Football Playoff coverage. He's scheduled to do the Ohio State-Clemson game at the Sugar Bowl, a playoff semifinal game, but the former Ohio State quarterback will now have to work remotely.

pic.twitter.com/Q6JG3nz4BL
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) December 30, 2020

Herbstreit announced on Twitter that he tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week. He will not attend the Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal between the Buckeyes and Clemson but will participate in the coverage remotely.

“Earlier this week I tested positive for COVID,” Herbstreit wrote. “Thankfully I feel good & my family is okay, but going through protocols that will keep me home.”

Herbstreit is ESPN's top college football color analyst who works alongside play-by-play man Chris Fowler.

He's also a big part of ESPN's College Gameday show from 9 a.m until Noon ET on Saturdays, and he's planning on being a part of that show from home as well.

Hope you feel 100% soon brother. We will have that satellite feed ready for you on @CollegeGameDay.
— Rece Davis (@ReceDavis) December 30, 2020

Doing the game remotely shouldn't be much of a problem for Herbstreit and ESPN. The network has plenty of experience with doing this during the pandemic, and they've had their announcers broadcasting games from home studios all season instead of actually being inside the stadiums.

Wisconsin wants that winning record

This has been a crazy season for Wisconsin football. It started with such promise, but quickly got derailed by COVID-19. Now the Badgers wrap things up Wednesday with a bowl game – and it's a must win situation if Wisconsin wants to finish the season with a winning record and keep a long streak intact.

Wisconsin is 3-3 on the season, and its hasn't had a losing season since 2001. That's something that matters, so beating Wake Forest on Wednesday afternoon in the Duke's Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, N.C. is critical.

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“I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of a lot of winning teams here,” Wisconsin wide receiver Jack Dunn said. "And winning a Cotton Bowl, an Orange Bowl, going to the Rose Bowl last year all with kind of different, varying levels of contribution. Obviously this year has been my biggest role that I’ve had and I’m just grateful to be able to have the opportunity to be a part of this team and contribute.

“Regardless of where that contribution comes in — at the end of the day, if I’m catching passes or if I’m just out there blocking, trying to help in the run game, it really doesn’t matter to me as long as we’re winning games. So that’s always been what’s most important to me. Those are the things that I kind of strive to (do), just make a contribution, regardless of what it is. If it helps us win a game, that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Trying times for Tom Izzo, Michigan State

Michiga State is dead last in the Big Ten, at the very bottom of the standings with an 0-3 record after an embarrasing loss at Minnesota on Monday.

The Spartans can usually rely on veteran leadership, but what we've learned so far early in this Big Ten season is that Tom Izzo and the Spartans really miss Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman.

Michigan State doesn't have a 'go-to' guy, nor can they rely on a leader defensively, SpartanNation's McLain Moberg wrote.

He said Izzo is still searching for rotations that work, and that remedy requires latching on to the basic standards of MSU basketball: playing hard-nosed defense, rebounding, and running in transition.

"We're not going to be defeated. We're not going to give up on ourselves," said Michigan State captain Foster Loyer. "We're going to go back, watch our film and learn what we need to fix."

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