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Kirk Herbstreit evaluates Penn State's future as College Football Playoff contender

Stephen Samraby:Steve Samra•12/28/22•

SamraSource

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ESPN College GameDay football analyst Kirk Herbstreit speaks with head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions on the field before the game against the Auburn Tigers at Beaver Stadium on September 18, 2021 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Kirk Herbstreit believes Penn State is knocking on the door of a future College Football Playoff appearance.

According to the College GameDay analyst, James Franklin’s bunch is similar to Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan program before they finally broke through last season, and he explained similar success could be in the Nittany Lions’ future.

“I feel like they’ve been kind of heading in that direction for the last few years,” stated Herbstreit. “We were just talking about that Rose Bowl with USC, with Saquon Barkley. I feel like really the last four or five years that this team and this program have been so close, and I know their fan base wants to get over that hump and ultimately win and get into the playoff. I just feel like they’re a program that’s where Michigan was prior to last year, kind of knocking on the door, but not quite getting that signature win to be able to get them into the playoff. But it doesn’t mean they’re way beyond even imagining that. They’re right there.

“To me, I think there’s stability. I think there’s continuity despite the losses with coordinators and players over the years. I feel like overall James has done a really good job there and I feel like they continue to recruit at a pretty consistent level to give them a chance to be that close. And as we expand to 12, it’s hard to imagine not having Penn State in the playoff as we move forward into this next era of college football.”

Of course, Penn State has had some fascinating College Football Playoff cases during Franklin’s tenure, including being left out in 2016 following a Big Ten title. While the Nittany Lions had some bumps in the road since — a 4-5 record during the 2020 season sticks out — it seems as if Penn State is back on track after they amassed a 10-2 record this past season.

Kirk Herbstreit believes the future is more than bright for Penn State, and it’s easy to see why. It’s up to James Franklin and the Nittany Lions to prove him, and the rest of their supporters, right.