ESPN caller Kirk Herbstreit tried playing the bold prophet on College GameDay, taking Kentucky over Alabama. It blew up right in his face. The Wildcats got steamrolled 45-17 in Lexington on September 12. While there isn’t an organized push from network executives, fans on social media are loudly calling for accountability, demanding he explain how a top-tier analyst missed the mark so badly.

 “I just have lasting images of calling the Rose Bowl, where, in my opinion, Alabama quit against Indiana,” Herbstreit said, per X post of SPG. “And now you have Kentucky on the road for the first time. I believe those guys don’t have the stones to pull the trigger. I’m gonna pull the trigger.”

“I’m going with Kentucky at home. Everyone says Will Stein, Will Stein! Kenny Minchey is a quarterback. CJ Baxter is a Texas Longhorn who’s now playing. Their whole team is a transfer portal. Will Stein is bringing a chip-on-his-shoulder attitude. Kentucky at home,” Herbstreit further added.

Herbstreit’s pick was not completely out of thin air. Kentucky was coming off a dominant Week 1 win under new head coach Will Stein, with Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey looking sharp at quarterback. Factor in Texas transfer CJ Baxter running the ball and a fiery home crowd in Lexington, and a top-12 Alabama team playing its first road game of the season did look like a prime upset spot.

For about two and a half quarters, Herbstreit’s pick did not look strange. Kentucky took a 17-16 lead with less than five minutes left in the third quarter, while its defense had already come up with a pick-six, a fumble recovery, and three stops that forced Alabama to settle for field goals. But that’s when everything fell apart.

Alabama then scored 29 unanswered points over the final 18 minutes and quickly turned the game to its advantage. Kenny Minchey finished 18 of 31 pass attempts for 146 yards and was sacked four times, while Kentucky managed to put together a drive longer than 31 yards just once over its 12 second-half possessions.

Rather than a formal campaign to pull him off the air, the pressure on Herbstreit comes from a relentless stream of online jabs, where fans are calling out his bold take after Alabama turned the game into a rout.

The fans’ pile-on turned into one of Herbstreit’s familiar GameDay habits, where he brings his pet golden retrievers on set. Though it’s a fan favorite, the tradition became an easy punchline after his Kentucky pick fell apart.

“Go walk your dog, Herbie,” one fan wrote.

Another fan poked fun at his favorite team getting crumbled as the Texas Longhorns won against No. 1 Ohio State.

“Listen to him crumble on the broadcast last night while Texas was coming back beating his beloved Ohio State was so satisfying!” another X user commented.

One commentator took aim at his TV standing entirely, mocking that he is trying to be another Pat McAfee, as he is gaining popularity despite wrong picks.

“Kirk is getting jealous of all the attention Pat is receiving now! He’s got to try and create a buzz somehow?” an X user wrote.

Another X user mocked Herbstreit’s prediction, suggesting it sounded like the kind of unreliable pick a drunk man might make.

“I think Herbie had a few too many gulps from his flask before the picks. Bless his heart,” another X user commented.

One fan threw Herbstreit’s own words at himself after watching Kentucky lose in the final quarter, after hyping Will Stein’s program to beat the Crimson Tide.

“How does your ‘stones’ feel about this pick was horribly wrong? Oh! Not to mention Ohio State choked!” one X user wrote.

Taking wild shots is nothing new for Herbstreit on GameDay. He often picks his weekly “Superdog” upset special to generate TV hype, but his season-long accuracy numbers usually keep him among the most reliable analysts on air. The problem here is that when you question an opponent’s heart on national television and call an upset that loses by 28 points, social media is never going to let you live it down.

Though the Wildcats’ pick looked reasonable for much of the game, Kentucky’s collapse gave fans plenty more chances to mock Herbstreit’s call for this season.