ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit names Penn State student section best in the country

He’s said it before, but Kirk Herbstreit is saying it again — Beaver Stadium, during a whiteout, has the best student section in the country.

The ESPN analyst put out his annual “Herbie Awards” on Wednesday, with everything from best NFL prospect to unsung hero to impact coordinator hires. He ranked Penn State’s student section No. 1 ahead of LSU, Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Baylor, which rounded out the top 5.

Herbstreit also named Penn State RB Saquon Barkley his breakout player of the year. The other nominees were Washington RB Myles Gaskin, Ohio State DE Sam Hubbard, Florida State DB Derwin James and Boise State QB Brett Rypien.

Herbstreit has Ohio State beating Minnesota in the Big Ten title game, with the Buckeyes reaching the College Football Playoff.