Kirk Herbstreit and his ESPN colleagues have taken plenty of heat from fans throughout the College Football Playoff, but he insists the Worldwide Leader in Sports has no bias toward the SEC.

The advent of the 12-team College Football Playoff has only intensified the debate over the teams that should make the cut, and many fans have felt that ESPN’s pundits – particularly Herbstreit – gave too much credit to SEC teams in his analysis.

Herbstreit caused a stir with his claim Indiana “shouldn’t have been on the field” with Notre Dame after losing 27-17 in their first-round clash in South Bend last month, suggesting three-loss Alabama or Ole Miss should have had the opportunity.

SEC teams, however, have flopped in the playoffs. Tennessee was demolished 42-17 by Ohio State in the first round, and No. 2 Georgia was beaten comfortably by Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. Texas is the last SEC team standing ahead of this week’s semifinals – but only after the Longhorns survived a massive scare and needed two overtimes to beat double-digit underdog Arizona State in the Peach Bowl.

The comments made by Herbstreit and his ‘College GameDay’ colleagues over the course of the playoff have given many a reason to claim ESPN holds a bias toward the SEC – given the large viewership it generates. But the former Ohio State quarterback dismissed that notion, telling the ‘Andy & Ari On3 Podcast that the Big Ten is, in fact, better for business for ESPN due to the might of schools like Ohio State and Michigan.

Herbstreit insists the Big Ten drives more viewers than the SEC

Herbstreit insists the Big Ten drives more viewers than the SEC

“Let me straighten the record on one last thing,” Herbstreit began. “ESPN loves the SEC so much that we could not have paid for a better final four with Notre Dame and Ohio State and Penn State and Texas. The only one missing is Michigan.

“If you could somehow wedge Michigan [into the CFP] — so, this idea that we want Alabama and Texas A&M and Auburn. Are you kidding me?

“Like, if you’re asking us who we would want, ‘Uh, we’ll take Ohio State every year, Notre Dame.’ This is a ratings bonanza. So if you’re going to accuse us of anything, you should accuse us of wanting Ohio State, wanting Notre Dame and these big brands.

“If you knew anything about ratings, that’s who you’d want. You don’t want these small little Clemsons and these small little southern schools when it comes to cheering for ratings. Ratings are big, massive Big Ten brands — that’s what ratings are.”

Herbstreit and his broadcast partner Chris Fowler will be in the booth for Friday’s Cotton Bowl Classic between Ohio State and Texas in Dallas. He will also be in Miami for a special edition of ‘College GameDay’ before the Orange Bowl between Notre Dame and Penn State.