Kirk Herbstreit Stunned by Number of Tennessee Fans Invading Ohio Stadium for CFP

To say the Volunteers' backers traveled well is an understatement.

Kirk Herbstreit on Dec. 21, 2024. / Adam Cairns-Imagn Images via the USA Today Network

When No. 6 Ohio State and No. 7 Tennessee were drawn together in the first round of the College Football Playoff, many speculated Volunteers fans would come out in full force. Columbus and Knoxville, Tenn. are only five hours apart, after all.

This, however, is something else entirely.

Tennessee fans absolutely swarmed Ohio Stadium Saturday, leading former Buckeyes quarterback Kirk Herbstreit—an Ohio lifer and Volunteer State resident—to marvel at their power on ABC's broadcast.

"I've been coming here since 1975, I've never seen this many colors of the opposing team in this stadium. It's very eerie. It's creating a lot of hype for this game," Herbstreit told play-by-play announcer Chris Fowler.

"I've been coming here since 1975, I've never seen this many colors of the opposing team in this stadium. It's very eerie. It's creating a lot of hype for this game."

- Kirk Herbstreit on the amount of orange in Ohio Stadium. pic.twitter.com/IMoxVGpdt4

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 22, 2024

Herbstreit later went on to estimate a staggering 40,000 Volunteers fans made the trip, a number Fowler good-naturedly disputed.

However many Tennessee backers were in the building Saturday, there's no doubting that they made their presence known—a development that will prompt soul searching throughout the Buckeye State.

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