​There are an overwhelming number of respected voices in college football, but one of the more notable in recent years has been Kirk Herbstreit. He’s one of the faces of ESPN’s College GameDay, while he also makes tons of appearances on some of the network’s other programs.Herbstreit was most recently on the Pat McAfee Show, where he gave the boldest prediction that any major media member has given about Penn State so far. When asked what he thinks the ceiling for this Nittany Lions team is, Herbstreit said, “I think they go 10-2. I think they’re a playoff team.””I think Penn State are a playoff team and their schedule really favors them..I’m a big fan of Matt Campbell” ~ @KirkHerbstreit#PMSLivepic.twitter.com/0Mq37eZ7E9— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 27, 2026Like many people, the former Ohio State quarterback thinks that the easy schedule will factor into the team’s success. Herbstreit cited the fact that Penn State will avoid his Buckeyes and Oregon as reasons to be optimistic.He mentioned that there are some road games that could give the Nittany Lions trouble —  most likely referring to the battles against Michigan and Washington late in the season. But overall, there isn’t much potential for disappointment with this Penn State team. Really the only way they could be bad is if they drop the winnable out-of-conference games.Fans have been confident about the team for a while at this point, but now they finally have someone to validate that optimism. They’ll have a great chance to prove Herbstreit right once the season kicks off in eight days.FollowNittany Lions Wire on X and Facebook.If you purchase through our links, the USA Today Network may earn a commission. Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change.This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Kirk Herbstreit gives Penn State hot take on The Pat McAfee Show