Kirk Herbstreit is a 1993 Ohio State University graduate with a degree in business administration; he was a four-year Buckeye letterman as a quarterback (1989–1992). He also graduated from Centerville High School in Centerville, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton. He was the Ohio Player of the Year as a senior for Centerville, as well as a standout baseball player. His father, Jim, is a former Buckeye and once was an assistant coach under Woody Hayes.

Chris Fowler and Lee Corso sit alongside Herbstreit on the set, discussing the day's college football scores, and analyzing highlights and players. College Game Day frequently makes Saturday road trips to various colleges around the United States to preview the school's upcoming football game. Herbstreit usually presents himself as a rational, thoughtful analyst of college football, contrasting with Lee Corso, who tends to make more sensational and controversial statements. He was nominated for a 1997 Sports Emmy Awards as television's top studio analyst, along with Cris Collinsworth (eventual winner), Howie Long, Terry Bradshaw and Steve Lyons. He is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine. In 1997, he wrote a weekly in-season column—"Inside The Game With Kirk Herbstreit"—for The Sporting News. He also works Thursday night games for ESPN as a color commentator. Through the 2005 college football season, he was partnered with Mike Tirico for those games. With ESPN's February 2006 announcement that Mike Tirico will be working Monday Night Football in 2006, it was recently announced that Herbstreit will work those games with Chris Fowler.

Herbstreit is also a contributor to the Columbus, Ohio based AM radio station 1460 The Fan; 1460 is also an ESPN Radio affiliate. When not on assignment for ESPN, Herbstreit is a co-host of the 4–7 pm show called "The Big Show," along with Bruce Hooley.