Kirk Herbstreit ranks top 7 teams of college football Week 7

Oct. 12 was a date circled on the college football calendar for a long, long time. Rarely do these moments live up to the hype but with how many good, big-time games played out — fans across the country were more than happy. ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit was right in the middle of it all, spending his day in Eugene and then Dallas.

As usual, Herbstreit decided to recognize a few programs for their displays on Saturday. He named seven top-performing teams from Week 7 of the 2024 season, six of which come from power conferences.

You can check out the full list of seven from Herbstreit down below, beginning with a head coach who finally broke through on the big stage.

1. Oregon Ducks

Any team with a win against a top-three-ranked team is likely going to take the top spot on Herbstreit’s list. Dan Lanning and Oregon are those people today, taking down Ohio State in what might wind up as game of the year in college football.

For all the good Lanning has done with the Ducks, a true marquee win was lacking. There are no longer any questions about that as the party in Eugene might still be ongoing.

2. LSU Tigers

For years, LSU has seemed inevitable when playing in Death Valley on a Saturday night. In fact, Brian Kelly entered the Ole Miss matchup undefeated in the setting and walked off the field the same.

LSU was considered an underdog coming in but overtime magic from Garrett Nussmeier got the job done. A huge win for the Tigers as their long-term season outlook gets a massive boost.

3. Penn State Nittany Lions

In the new-look Big Ten, teams traveling multiple time zones have struggled mightily. Penn State overcame the odds as they went into Los Angeles and got a win over USC.

Not without some dramatics, though. A come-from-behind effort was required before capping things off in overtime thanks to a Ryan Barker field goal.

4. Texas Longhorns

Getting a rivalry win always feels good but Texas was not in much of a contest against Oklahoma, taking them down 34-3 from Dallas. The Golden Hat is heading down I-35 to Austin after spending the last year in Norman.

Yes, the first quarter was shaky for the Longhorns but once Quinn Ewers and the offense settled down, the pendulum swung their way. Steve Sarkisian has now won two out of the last three Red River Shootouts in impressive fashion.

5. Arizona State Sun Devils

Not many expected Arizona State to be in the middle of a challenge for the Big 12 this season. But the Sun Devils welcomed preseason favorite Utah to Tempe and pulled off the upset win.

Now sitting at 4-1, ASU has maybe been the surprise story of the college football season thus far. Some love is now coming from Herbstreit, landing at No. 5 on his Week 7 list.

6. Nevada Wolf Pack

Year One of Jeff Choate has already brought some tough moments in Reno but Nevada secured a great win against Oregon State on Saturday. A high-scoring affair, the Wolf Pack edged it out 42-37 after a second-half explosion.

Almost none of the offensive success came through the air, throwing for just 69 yards on 13 attempts. Nevada crammed it down Oregon State’s throats, rushing for 353 yards and three touchdowns.

7. Iowa State Cyclones

Another Big 12 program getting some love, Iowa State is one of the conference’s two undefeated teams remaining. Going on the road to Morgantown is no easy task but Matt Campbell headed back to Ames with a 12-point victory.

Iowa State is 6-0 for the first time since 1938 when Jim Yeager was the program’s head coach. Campbell has the Cyclones playing great football and right in the mix for a spot in the College Football Playoff.