Kirk Herbstreit admits we don't know how good Ohio State is yet ahead of The Game vs. Michigan

ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit admitted we don’t know how good Ohio State is ahead of The Game against Michigan. That’s one man’s opinion for the No. 1 team in the country.

But, there might be some validity to Herbie’s point. The Buckeyes had one big test: preseason No. 1 Texas during the season opener. Since then, Ohio State has practically blitzed every opponent.

So that’s either the product of a great team or a softer schedule. If they run by Michigan Saturday in Ann Arbor, perhaps they are the juggernaut Buckeye fans say they are. But if they struggle or even lose, maybe they’re more vulnerable than previously advertised. 

“I don’t think we know yet, I really don’t think we know yet how good Ohio State is,” Herbstreit said on SportsCenter. “They played Texas. What other game (did) they play (that) really let us know how good they are? I think even themselves, they’re curious to know how good they are, because the get into this game on the road, tough environment, against a very good defense, and the team that wants to control the line of scrimmage and a rivalry with everything at stake. 

“I don’t think you really know how good they are. They might win today big and you say, ‘Wow, they really are that team,’ or they might be in a competitive game, which you’d expect it to be, in a rivalry game. So I don’t think there is Ohio State and everybody else.” 

Coming up the rear of Ohio State is No. 2 Indiana, which trounced Purdue 56-3 Friday night to finish the regular season 12-0 and await, potentially, the Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship Game next week. Let’s not forget 11-1 Georgia, which punched its ticket to the SEC Championship for the fifth straight year and looks like a national title contender again.

“I think Indiana has proven who they are,” Herbstreit said. “Georgia seems to be catching fire here late in the year. So I think this year it’s wide open. I think that’s what makes this rivalry weekend so interesting. But I just don’t think even Ryan Day, at this point, knows what he really has because they have pounded everybody they played, but they’ve not really been tested, with the exception of Texas. We’ll find out what happens in this environment against this kind of defense today.”