Here's What Kirk Herbstreit Said on College GameDay

There is a lot going on in college football on Saturday, and ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit had plenty to say on ESPN's three-hour College GameDay show. Here's the best of what the game's top analyst said.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — College GameDay is back on everyone's TV screens on Saturday mornings with week 1 of the college football season, and with a lot of Big Ten matchups to open the season, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit had a lot to say on the conference and more.

GameDay was at Clemson for the Clemson-Georgia game, and there was a man with an Indiana T-shirt on in the crowd, and Herbstreit said he doesn't think they've ever been somewhere for a non-Indiana game and saw someone with a Hoosier shirt on.

That led to the crew previewing the Indiana at Iowa game, where they pointed out the stat that Iowa has gone 22-straight games without allowing 25 or more points in a game.

"To me, this feels like a game you'd see in late October," Herbstreit said. "Iowa's defense on the back end is much more experienced than you think. As good as Michael Penix is, and I love Ty Fryfogle, but they need to be careful with that secondary."

Herbstreit picked the Hawkeyes in that game. Then there's Lee Corse, and of course, he picked the Hoosiers as well.

Here's what else he had to say from around the Big Ten:

- On Penn State versus Wisconsin

"Wisconsin's defense goes back to Paul Chryst. They've given an average of 16 points per game. Jim Leonard is a tough ask for (Penn State's offensive coordinator." Penn State has some dudes that can play. I like the weapons Sean Clifford has around him."

- On new Notre Dame quarterback Jack Coan, a transfer from Wisconsin

"I can't wait to see Jack Coan in this system. They have the best tight end in the country. I think more RPO (run-pass-option) from Coan. Don't just say, 'eh, he's an OK quarterback.' This kid has a chance to be something special."

- On Oregon State at Purdue

Herbstreit's super dog pick was Oregon State +7 against Purdue.

"Oregon State going into the Big Ten, I think they can win that one. I'm going Oregon State outright. I like Purdue this year with Plummer at quarterback, but I think Oregon State can surprise them."

- On West Virginia at Maryland

"I'm going Maryland. I think they have an offense, going up a very good defense in West Virginia, but I think Maryland will find a way."

Related Stories on Indiana Football:

  • INDIANA HOPES FOR NEW AND IMPROVED DEFENSIVE LINE: Indiana added a number of transfers to its defensive line in the offseason, and the Hoosiers know how important that part of the defense will be, especially against a physical team like Iowa. CLICK HERE
  • POWER RANKINGS (Week 1): Publisher Tom Brew posts his weekly power rankings, with four-time defending champion Ohio State and the top and plenty to argue about afterward. And a new cellar-dweller after Nebraska's embarrassing performance in Week 0. CLICK HERE
  • MATTHEWS FINDS HOME AT INDIANA: It was a trying time at Florida State for former 5-star wide receiver and returner D.J. Matthews with all the coaching changes there, and he's embraced the stability at Indiana and is looking forward to getting a fresh start. CLICK HERE
  • ALLEN, COORDINATORS READY FOR NEXT STEP: Back-to-back successful seasons has Indiana thinking big in 2021, and Hoosiers coach Tom Allen continues to trust the process as the program grows into a title contender. CLICK HERE

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Dylan Wallace
DYLAN WALLACE

Dylan Wallace is a reporter for Sports Illustrated Indiana. He is a 2020 graduate of Indiana University in Bloomington, and is from Crown Point, Ind.