As the calendar inches closer to January and both the college and NFL regular seasons start winding down, Kirk Herbstreit - who’s been straddling the line between Saturdays and Sundays for a few years now - is starting to look ahead to the biggest game of the year. Yes, it’s early, but that hasn’t stopped the longtime voice of College GameDay and Amazon’s Thursday Night Football from offering a Super Bowl prediction that might raise a few eyebrows.
In a recent conversation, Herbstreit admitted that calling this year’s Super Bowl matchup is no easy task. “What a year to try to predict the Super Bowl,” he said.
“There’s so much parity.” And he’s not wrong - the 2025 NFL season has been anything but predictable.
Injuries, breakout performances, and midseason surges have kept the playoff picture cloudy. But with three weeks left in the regular season, Herbstreit sees two teams starting to pull away from the pack.
On the NFC side, Herbstreit pointed to the Los Angeles Rams - and interestingly, their upcoming Thursday night opponent, the Seattle Seahawks - as two teams that could emerge as legitimate contenders. “I think the Rams.
I’m going to actually call Rams, Seahawks [on Thursday night]. The winner of that game could be a team that could, in the NFC, become in the driver’s seat,” he said.
That’s a bold take, especially considering the top-heavy nature of the NFC earlier this season. But Herbstreit’s not just looking at records - he’s watching momentum, health, and how teams are peaking at the right time. The Rams, in particular, have quietly built a case down the stretch, and a prime-time win over a divisional rival like Seattle could be the kind of statement that propels them into the postseason spotlight.
As for the AFC? That’s where things get even murkier.
“The AFC is just so wide open,” Herbstreit said. “There’s been such interesting stories with New England and Denver, and even Indy with Daniel Jones.
Now with that injury, I don’t know if they’re going to be able to hold up.”
It’s true - the AFC has been a weekly rollercoaster. From the Patriots clawing their way back into contention to the Broncos’ midseason surge, and the Colts’ surprising run with Daniel Jones under center, it’s been tough to pin down a clear favorite.
But injuries, as always, are starting to reshape the landscape. And with that in mind, Herbstreit floated a matchup that might’ve seemed unlikely a few months ago: “I would say maybe a Rams … Don’t hold me to this, but I would say I think a Rams, New England [Patriots] Super Bowl would be a strong possibility as we sit here.
But it’s still a long way to go.”
It’s a fascinating pairing - a rematch of Super Bowl LIII, but with very different rosters and storylines. And while Herbstreit was quick to hedge his prediction, it’s clear he sees something brewing with both squads.
Off the field, Herbstreit also found himself in the social media spotlight this past week, after posting a clip with fellow analyst and former Ohio State standout Joey Galloway. The video, which was captioned “Saturday not having college football threw us for a loop,” didn’t sit well with fans - especially considering that seven games were played that day, including the storied Army-Navy rivalry.
The post was quickly flagged with a Community Note, and Herbstreit followed up with an apology. “We posted the video with a caption that was very misleading about ‘weird not having any CFB this weekend,’” he wrote. “Some took that out of context and ran with it - that’s on me… my apologies for any disrespect (albeit unintentional) to the teams that played last weekend - especially @ArmyWP_Football and @NavyFB.”
Herbstreit went on to clarify just how much that game means to him personally. “Not sure there is a game I personally look forward to more EVERY year than Army and Navy - they play for the love for each other and love for the game - and anybody who has ever watched me for the last 30 years on TV knows how I feel about that game.”
It was a rare misstep for one of the most respected voices in football, but his quick and heartfelt response helped smooth things over - especially with the Army-Navy game holding such a revered place in the sport’s culture.
Now, with the College Football Playoff just days away and the NFL postseason race heating up, Herbstreit is back in full swing. He’ll be on the call Thursday night alongside Al Michaels for the Rams-Seahawks showdown - a game that, based on his own words, could have serious implications for who ends up in Las Vegas this February.
So whether you're locked into the college playoff bracket or watching the NFL playoff picture evolve week by week, one thing’s for sure: Kirk Herbstreit will be right there with you - breaking it all down, one broadcast at a time.