Kirk Herbstreit Reveals Pick for Heisman Trophy Favorite on ESPN's College GameDay

The No. 6 Oregon Ducks are on the road against the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions, and ESPN's College GameDay also made the trip to State College, Pennsylvania for the highly anticipated matchup. On the popular morning show, college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit picked Oregon quarterback Dante Moore as his favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

College GameDay Crew Loves Oregon, Dante Moore

oregon ducks dante moore Kirk Herbstreit Heisman Trophy favorite John Mateer Oklahoma Sooner — oregon ducks dante moore | oregon ducks on si darby winter

In the first hour of the show, the crew answered a number of questions in a segment called "Grab Bag." GameDay cast member and former Heisman winner himself Desmond Howard was asked which team is the best in the Big Ten.

"The most impressive team, I’d say, was Indiana last week. But I think the best team is gonna play in this stadium tonight, and they ain’t wearing blue baby," Howard said as he picked the Ducks.

.@DesmondHoward sounds off on the best team in the Big Ten 🔥 pic.twitter.com/554hYl7VIm
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 27, 2025

Picking against Penn State in front of the Nittany Lions crowd brought boos down on Howard, but Herbstreit made matters worse on the next question. Herbstreit was asked who is Heisman favorite is after Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer injured his thumb, and he pointed to Dante Moore's name on the screen.

"This is bad after your comment, I apologize. I'm going this guy. I like this guy," Herbstreit said while circling Moore.

As Herbstreit declared his favorite, the Penn State crowd descended boos on him while Howard and fellow College GameDay analyst Pat McAfee repeatedly said, "Uh oh."

Pat McAfee, right, talks to Kirk Herbstreit on the set of ESPN College GameDay prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Heisman Trophy Betting Odds

According to ESPN BET, Moore's odds of winning the Heisman +1100, the third-best in the country. Here is the current leaderboard for the Heisman Trophy per ESPN Bet.

+800 Fernando Mendoza, Indiana Hoosiers quarterback
+1000 Carson Beck, Miami Hurricanes quarterback
+1100 Dante Moore, Oregon Ducks quarterback
+1200 Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver
+1600 Gunner Stockton, Georgia Bulldogs quarterback
+1600 Marcel Reed, Texas A&M quarterback
+1600 Jayden Maiava, USC Trojans quarterback

Sep 12, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) throws a pass prior to the game against the Indiana State Sycamores at Memorial Stadium. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is currently the favorite, but a road win for Moore and Oregon against Penn State boost propel the Ducks quarterback's odds.

The College GameDay crew has yet to release their picks for the game, but the early comments from Howard and Herbstreit imply that some plan on picking Oregon to upset Penn State on Saturday.

Through Oregon's first four games, Moore has thrown for 962 yards, 11 touchdowns, and one interception. He's been sacked once, but he's shown off his athleticism with 87 yards on the ground, averaging 6.2 yards per carry.

The Ducks quarterback has shown his poise, but Moore has yet to face a defense like Penn State's. Will Moore take advantage of the opportunity, or will the Nittany Lions suffocate him?

Oregon and Penn State will kickoff at 4:30 p.m. PT on NBC.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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