Overview
- On his Nonstop podcast, the ESPN analyst told critics alleging SEC favoritism to "F off," saying he focuses on identifying the best 12 teams for the College Football Playoff.
- Herbstreit cited consensus measures such as the Sagarin ratings, the AP poll, and the coaches’ poll as the basis for his assessments of conference depth and team quality.
- He stressed he does not "give a sh*t about the SEC," framing his role as evaluating resumes rather than promoting any league, and noted his three decades at ESPN.
- Coverage referenced ESPN’s long-term SEC media-rights deal, reported through 2034, as a key reason fans suspect bias despite Herbstreit’s claims of objectivity.
- Reports noted the latest rankings and playoff projections featuring multiple SEC programs, a backdrop that has renewed public debate over perceived favoritism without any public response from ESPN.