ESPN College GameDay went to Tuscaloosa, Ala. for Week 6 to preview the match between No. 11 Alabama and No. 17 Vanderbilt. During the show, the dashboard asked how many games will No. 7 Penn State lose in 2025 and Kirk Herbstreit shared just an ounce of confidence in the Nittany Lions (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten).
Breakdown of Penn State's remaining schedule:
Week 7 : v. Northwestern
Week 8: at Iowa
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: at Ohio State
Week 11: v. Indiana
Week 12: at Michigan State
Week 13: v. Nebraska
Week 14: at Rutgers
Looking at this lineup, Herbstreit went over and ruled out all opponents he believes the Nittany Lions will take care of no problem. UCLA, Northwestern, Michigan State, Nebraska, and Rutgers won't be a trouble for Penn State to handle. However, Iowa, Ohio State, and Indiana is where things get tricky. Herbstreit said that out of those three games, the Nittany Lions lose one.
College GameDay says Penn State loses to either Iowa, Ohio State, or Indiana and goes 10-2
Herbstreit didn't specify which team he thinks ultimately hands Penn State its second loss of the season, but not immediately claiming that the Buckeyes will dish out the loss is somewhat hopeful news. After the devastating loss at home to Oregon in Week 5, the Nittany Lions need to pull out a statement win. Beating the Hawkeyes on the road is a big deal and beating the Hoosiers at Beaver Stadium is still a huge task, but beating Ohio State on the road seems like a dream. The No. 1 team in the country on the road is almost an impossible challenge, expecially for a team like Penn State that still struggles under pressure.
By the time Week 10 rolls around, after their second bye week too, the Nittany Lions might pull out a shocking win. That would certainly turn heads, make a statement, and throw them right back at the top of national title contention conversations that late in the season. It is also a huge momentum booster going into Week 11 against Indiana. Even if they lose against the Buckeyes in Week 10, but keep it a close game, the drive to pull out a Week 11 win is even greater. Either way, the game at Ohio State is going to light some kind of fire under Penn State and the Hoosiers will have a tough match on the road.