The Obligatory PSU Podcast

Penn State's 2025 football season officially came to a close with the Nittany Lions' 22-10 victory over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl. While both rosters were limited by player injuries and opt-outs, interim head coach Terry Smith and a Penn State team that went to hell and back over 12 regular season games plus the bowl both got to leave the stage as winners. The guys give their final thoughts on Penn State's victory at Yankee Stadium and the current state of bowl season in modern college football.Chris and Noble weigh in on Penn State's new defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn: https://youtu.be/rPjG5_9iSHMHOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast has been brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

As calendar year 2025 approaches its end, the guys pour some egg nog, gather around the yule log, and retell the long and winding tale of a crazy year in Penn State football. Sure to warm your heart and freeze your blood, it's the perfect distraction from (or contribution to) your holiday season stress.Check out our Pinstripe Bowl preview on this week's Pregame Show: https://youtu.be/f7rWyWasBLY?si=du0E-ACzSGEdQApiHOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

Penn State football has a new head coach! It may have taken Pat Kraft a couple of months, cost us a recruiting class, and ended with a stranger-than-fiction leaked audio scandal destined for memetic infamy, but Penn State's AD got his man in former Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell. The guys react to Campbell's introductory press conference - expanding on their thoughts from The Obligatory PSU Pregame Show and adding Brandon's perspective - and then consider what comes next on a roller coaster ride that (with roster retention, staff changes, a bowl game, and the transfer portal all looming) may be closer to its beginning than its end.More on the Matt Campbell hire from this week's Pregame Show: https://youtu.be/OAFT1ilAOik?si=owIdRjeCYBZdR2VHHOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

Mercifully overshadowed by the real news of the day (Matt Campbell to PSU), the largely innocuous leaked audio of athletic director Pat Kraft's behind-closed-doors meeting with leaders of the football team put one final, bizarre turd in the punch bowl of Penn State's wild, wacky, embarrassing, and yet somehow pretty successful head coaching search. We discuss the fallout and call for a ceasefire in the suddenly reignited civil war between Staters of good faith.Watch Noble and Chris discuss Matt Campbell here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D8SzofSev4HOSTED BY: Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

Is it gonna be Kalani Sitake? Jeff Brohm? Some shadowy mystery candidate? And whoever it ends up being, will that guy actually have a roster left to coach by the time he gets here? As we all sit on increasingly uncomfortable pins and needles awaiting resolution of Penn State's marathon head coaching search, the guys ponder whether Pat Kraft ever really had a plan at all and try to tie up some other loose ends that will still have relevance even if someone gets hired before you get a chance to listen. HOSTED BY: Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

BONUS CONTENT: As hinted at during this week's show, we couldn't let the Terry Smith momentum pass - along with quite possibly our last (God willing) opportunity to speculate about Penn State's head coaching search - without looping in Obligatory's two favorite Nittany Lions Lettermen. Before you sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, enjoy a side old school football talk and tough truth telling as both Brandon Noble and Landon Tengwall join the panel.We're always thankful for you, our audience, and we wish you the happiest of Thanksgiving weekends. Go State!HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Landon Tengwall, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comCHECK OUT THE STOREWIDE BLACK FRIDAY SALE – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

TER-RY! TER-RY! TER-RY!The Beaver Stadium crowd chanted for one of their own as he'd just vanquished a fellow Nittany Lion in a battle of Paterno legacies leading hobbled blue bloods. Kaytron Allen became Penn State's all-time leading rusher. A disappointing team that didn't give up on their season battled back to within striking distance of bowl eligibility, and at least for a day, the fans had something to celebrate. Without the services of our resident Lettermen, Obligatory's campus icon and two tackling dummies look back on a fun night that offered a rare bright spot in an otherwise bleak season, and we punch our tickets for the Terry Train before it sails off into the sunset.HOSTED BY: Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

Penn State's former coach, James Franklin, has officially locked down his next gig. Penn State's current coach, Terry Smith, got his first win, brought home the Land-Grant Trophy, and then brought down the house with an emotional press conference when he explained exactly what it means to him to be leading the football program at his alma mater. The guys talk about the future of Franklin at Virginia Tech and the future at Penn State and Terry's place in it.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

From the players to the coaches to the fans, everybody brought their Saturday best against Indiana, but in keeping with the theme of this cursed season, it wasn't enough. The Hoosiers prevailed, and in heart-breaking fashion, narrowly avoiding a costly upset loss and denying Coach Terry Smith and the beleaguered Penn State fanbase the signature win they deserve. And yet amid that disappointment there also arose a powerful reminder of everything that makes Penn State football great - the resilient stuff that will survive this moment as it has endured many tougher trials in the past and will be here waiting, strong as ever, when the storm breaks and the next coach arrives.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMANFor delivery before Thanksgiving, place your orders before kickoff of the Penn State-Michigan State game on Saturday, November 15!

Following the annual dispiriting loss to Ohio State - somehow both more AND less discouraging than usual - the unranked Penn State Nittany Lions return home to face undefeated and second-ranked Indiana as double-digit underdogs... IN FOOTBALL. What is this world coming to? And what's next? Real "wrath of God" type stuff. Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies. Rivers and seas boiling. Forty years of darkness. Earthquakes. Volcanoes. The dead rising from the grave. HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

Bye Week's over now. Back to the real world.Penn State didn't get the win in Terry Smith's debut as interim head coach versus Iowa, but they did cover the spread for the first time this season. Can the Nittany Lions make it a streak and keep the margin within three touchdowns in Columbus? It seems like the best a beleaguered Nittany Nation can hope for. The guys ponder PSU's quest for small comfort against the top-ranked Buckeyes and a college coaching carousel that is quickly spinning out of control.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

Time to refocus on football, concentrate on all that lies ahead, and make an uplifting episode about the future and its boundless possibilities. Or at least that was the plan for this week. Then Horne got into the good stuff, and, well, it turns out we're not all the way over the breakup just yet. Maybe next week. After all, just like the Penn State football team's season and the Athletic Department's quest for a championship-winning coach: If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

What began with such promise and hope in the wake of Bill O'Brien's departure has now come to an end in a fashion heretofore unseen at Penn State. James Franklin has been relieved of his duties as head football coach of the Nittany Lions.Athletic Director Pat Kraft has addressed Nittany Nation about the decision and interim head coach Terry Smith, a Nittany Lion through and through, has previewed what's next for the team's team six regular season games.Way more ground to cover than we can handle in a single episode, but the guys at least begin to unpack some of the most monumental news in the history of Penn State football.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

From bad to worse to inconceivable (and yes, we know what it means).After another picture-perfect afternoon and wonderful weekend of celebration in Happy Valley was soured by an inexplicably dysfunctional football performance, Kevin and Chris trudged their way down from Beaver Stadium to Landon's Downtown studio to lay down some instant reactions. "Enjoy" this little bonus content in its audio format here or as video on For The Blogy's YouTube: https://youtu.be/vkWsaL01UFwThe usual Pregame Show and Podcast with the full crew will be coming later in the week, and of course, we'll be responding to any and all breaking news in the world of Penn State football. Hang in there, Nittany Lions fans.HOSTED BY: Landon Tengwall, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

FRODO glances at SAM ... he is WEEPING. CLOSE ON: FRODO wrapping an ARM around SAM’S SHOULDER. FRODO (calm)I'm glad to be with you, Samwise Gamgee, here at the end of all things.HIGH WIDE: TWO TINY HOBBITS waiting to die amid a cataclysmic landscape ... LAVA erupts around them ... FIREBALLS rain down from the sky. We SLOWLY FADE TO BLACK... Happy Homecoming. Go State.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

Welp....Nothing quite like a fresh Obligatory when the guys are (sadly) at their best to cure what ails ya.Uncurl yourself from the fetal position, take your medicine, and crawl back into the saddle, because UCLA beckons, and you know you're too dumb, addicted, and masochistic to resist Saturday's siren song.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

PREEMPTIVE THERAPY! For us (some of us at least)? Certainly. For you too? Maybe also yes.Every so often, there comes a crucial inflection point so fraught with meaning and pregnant with possibility, mere contemplation of its monumental consequence can bring the beholder to the brink of insanity. Such is the state of affairs for much of Penn State's fan base leading up to the third-ranked Nittany Lions' clash with Oregon under the lights at the White Out. With so much on the line, and every criticism of coach and quarterback in the biggest games ringing in their ears, Chris and Kevin air their hopes, fears, and frustrations about one game that could very well shatter or cement every narrative that has dogged this program for a decade, sorting through the jangled nerves, rankled senses, and shattered confidence brought on by a decade of perpetual failures in the moment of truth. All the while, Brandon and Mailman marvel at the grotesque spectacle of their tortured thinking. If you need to share in the self-administered coping mechanisms to soothe your mania and hasten the long hours until game day (and GameDay), then join us and ease your troubled heart and mind. However, if you count yourself among the rational and well-adjusted, why then you can just kick back and join Mike the Mailman and Noble in their bemusement at the curious madness of Horne and Buchignani.Either way, we can think of worse ways to count down the minutes to what promises to be among the most consequential evenings in Beaver Stadium history.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

There's a shortage of folks who can seamlessly code switch between profane tirades over football minutiae and waxing poetic about the magic of the Nittany Valley, and the cast of this progrum oversamples that population to an absurd degree. With Noble again sleeping off old age this week, Mailman, Horne, and Buchignani are left to fill another hour-ish of nominally Penn State football-related #content, so kick back, relax, and enjoy the start to Penn State's bye week with the mix tape of eulogizing a Happy Valley icon, deep reflection on what it means to be a Penn Stater, and bitching about the insanity of the AP Poll that you didn't know you needed. HOSTED BY: Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

Two games into a purported national championship run, the Nittany Lions are playing like their national ranking - number two.Packed with the sort of therapeutic soul-searching, gut-wrenching overreactions to what, at the end of the day, was a 34-0 victory over a nothing opponent in early September that has made Obligatory the go-to Penn State podcast for mentally imbalanced fans across the internets, this entertaining tug-o-war between the neuroses of Chris and Kevin and the sunshine stability of Mike the Mailman is just another reminder of why we all can't wait for Noble to come back out of jetlagged hibernation.HOSTED BY: Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

Thanks to the podcast's Fall 2025 sponsor: Gold Hen *Use promo code MAILMAN at checkoutTo whatever extent a powerhouse football program grafted onto an R1 land-grant university can have a meaningful relationship with a billion-dollar multinational sneaker company built on, let's say, questionable labor practices, that is the sort of partnership Penn State formed with Nike. Back in the halcyon days when an apparel and marketing agreement could feel just a bit less, to borrow a term from Coach Franklin, "transactional," JoePa and Phil Knight shook hands on a deal that helped elevate their respective brands. That 30-year legacy became the latest casualty of upheaval across college football this week when it was announced Penn State is ending its long connection with Nike to become an Adidas school. The guys give their initial reactions before moving on to discuss the week that was in college football and what's next for Penn State after sending Nevada (Wolf) packing.HOSTED BY: Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

Once again Chris is joined by fellow LION 90.7fm alum Mike Levine, to analyze the Nittany Lions roster, this time turning to the defense. James Franklin poached Jim Knowles, who many consider to be the sharpest defensive mind in the modern game, away from national champion Ohio State only days after the confetti fell on the Buckeyes, making Knowles the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football, dealing a blow to the program Penn State's struggled to surpass, and putting the sport on notice that Old State is coming for it all. What kind of squad does our new $3 million man inherit? Mostly what you'd expect from a Nittany Lions defense: fast, tenacious, athletic, and balancing proven talent with promising potential. The raw material is there to be molded into the type of unit that can help Franklin's highest profile hire earn a ring for a second straight season. HOSTED BY: Chris BuchignaniGUESTS: Mike LevineThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

Per Obligatory tradition, one of our most popular features returns: the Penn State football preview in which Chris enlists the assistance of fellow LION 90.7fm alum Mike Levine, to analyze the Nittany Lions roster in two installments, beginning with the offense. As undergrads, they brought their half-dozen listeners such unforgettable gems as Joe Paterno's record-breaking 324th career win versus Ohio State and such forgettable disappointments as most other games in the 2001 season. Now they unpack the offensive talent set to take the field this season. Last year, this episode's description read: "New offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki is charged with coaxing more productivity and explosivity from an offense that faltered in the biggest moments last season. Can a supporting cast of promising offensive lineman, talented tight ends, and excellent running backs help lift up a blue-chip quarterback dogged by skeptics and a group of receivers with a lot to prove?"Let's just make a few edits here... Returning offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki is charged with coaxing more productivity and explosivity from an offense that faltered in the biggest moment last season. Can a supporting cast of proven offensive lineman, talented tight ends, and excellent running backs help lift up a blue-chip quarterback dogged by skeptics and a new group of receivers with a lot to prove?There. Perfect. Grab your pencil and your paper.HOSTED BY: Chris BuchignaniGUESTS: Mike LevineThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

As if the excitement and national hype - and the attendant dread and pressure that accompany them - couldn't get any more intense, Penn State made its AP preseason poll debut at #2, receiving only a handful fewer first-place votes than top-ranked Texas. State's dizzying perch near the top of the charts is the topic of conversation, but not without a characteristic diversion, this time in the form an opening monologue from our most beloved (and most reviled) cast member. Come for Kevin Horne's defiant confessional. Stay for a special guest appearance from Let's Talk Penn State co-host Steve Garguilo who helps the gang unpack the excitement-to-dread ratio for long-suffering, long-time Penn State fans headed into a season bursting at the seams with equal parts promise and peril. HOSTED BY: Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniGUEST: Steve GarguiloEnjoy the lighter side of every Penn State season with the guys at Let's Talk Penn State: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-talk-penn-state/id1305484061The Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

There's no denying it: Excitement is in the air in Happy Valley. Autumn's arrival always brings the energy of students returning to campus and the anticipation of another Penn State football season, but the attention and enthusiasm swirling around this year's version of the Nittany Lions is something special. With Penn State debuting at #3 in the Coaches Poll and a litany of national talking heads naming James Franklin's squad as the team to beat for the national title, the preseason hype has been cranked up to 11 for the first time since the salad days of the Paterno era. With this backdrop, Chris and Mailman talk about their trip to Football Media Day and discuss with Kevin the pros and cons of intense scrutiny like State hasn't seen since junior linebacker LaVar Arrington's turn on the cover of Sports Illustrated's 1999 season preview mag.HOSTED BY: Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

Welcome the podcast's Fall 2025 sponsor: Gold Hen *Use promo code MAILMAN at checkout The roster has never been deeper or more talented. The vibes have never been more positive. According to James Franklin, the alignment with administration and support from boosters has never been better. In Franklin's tenure, entering its 12th year, the expectations have never been greater, and that means the stakes have never been higher. So with all these top talents returning to Penn State for one final run and the national spotlight shining brightly on Happy Valley, does the elevated hype mean a higher standard for success this Fall? As we enter the final stretch of an offseason full of "championship or bust" talk, the guys kick off the new podcast season discussing how they define "success" for the 2025 Nittany Lions. HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniThe Obligatory PSU Podcast is brought to you all season long by Gold Hen, a Penn State alumni-owned company, makers of the truly one-of-a-kind Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix. Try it today by going to: GoldHenLLC.comThe unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient.The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

As with our Fall roster breakdowns, Chris enlists the assistance of fellow LION 90.7fm alum, former FIU and Miami Hurricanes broadcaster Mike Levine, to analyze the Nittany Lions' current complement of talent as Spring football comes to a close and yet another "transfer portal window" lurches toward merciful closure. With a lengthy list of returning stars, much is certain about the title-contending squad State will field in the Fall, and yet a surprising number of questions abound. Heading into Blue-White weekend, we detail the pitched position battles and critical depth chart decisions that will shape the destiny of the 2025 Nittany Lions (in probably far greater detail than listeners of this podcast need or want). Enjoy! HOSTED BY: Chris BuchignaniGUESTS: Mike Levine

Grab your pencil and your paper. We take one last, lingering look back at 2024, in all its glory and heartbreak, before turning our attention to a new season brimming with promise, as another Blue-White weekend ushers in a Summer of hope.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

BREAKING NEWS, BONUS CONTENT!James Franklin and Pat Kraft swung for the fences and made contact. Chris and Brandon give their snap reactions to Penn State's tectonic move to break the bank and poach Jim Knowles from the defending champion Ohio State Buckeyes to becomes the new Nittany Lions defensive coordinator.Full podcast to follow soon.Watch on For The Blogy's YouTube: https://youtu.be/wV9IJF-IWhU?si=DtiVHV7bd6nkjcShHOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Chris Buchignani

A sad fact of sports fandom is that most seasons end in disappointment. The higher you scale the ladder of anticipation, the harder the crash if you falter, and it is also an unfortunate truth that the pain of some losses can cut so deep and last so long that it crowds the many happy memories of the wins that came before. The Nittany Lions ended their historic 2024 campaign snatching misery from the jaws of euphoria. So with Noble at the coaches convention and Mailman probably off skulking around the dark and undesirable corners of State College, Chris and Kevin connected for an impromptu therapy session to being sorting it all out.We'll release a proper season retrospective with the full cast, but until we can assemble the complete team, please "enjoy" this spontaneous discussion we hope can serve as some chicken soup for the ailing Penn State fan's soul.HOSTED BY: Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

The NIL Era giveth, and it taketh away. On the veritable eve of the first-ever playoff game in Beaver Stadium, Penn State fans were hit with the double-whammy of two quarterback-related bombshells. While public confirmation of Drew Allar's long-rumored return for next season has fans and portal wideouts alike buzzing with excitement for 2025, that enthusiasm is tempered by the resulting departure of Beau Pribula, Allar's backup and a key cog in Andy Kotelnicki's offensive Rube Goldberg machine. What are Penn Staters adrift in the choppy seas of college football's anarchist phase to make of the hero of the Wisconsin game taking a pass on postseason glory in his pursuit of greener pastures? The guys risk cancellation by trying to explore a complicated issue with honesty and humor.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

The Obligatory Cinematic Universe expands with a blockbuster crossover event as the gang gets back in the podcasting saddle. Noble, Kevin, and Chris team up with Steve Garguilo and Tim Buckley of the Let's Talk Penn State Podcast (like The Avengers, but with idiots). Enjoy this "meeting of the minds" and perspective on the state of the program heading into the Maryland game. The regular gang returns next week to sum up a memorable season for the Nittany Lions heading into the postseason.Enjoy the lighter side of every Penn State season with the guys at Let's Talk Penn State: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-talk-penn-state/id1305484061HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

A video released by Penn State's Athletic Department after the famous 2016 Ohio State game that kick-started the program's revival from the sanction era showed Coach Franklin exhorting his team at halftime: "Opportunity is knocking." Eight years and zero wins over the Buckeyes later, opportunity is knocking again. This weekend, everything and the kitchen sink from the world of college football converges on Happy Valley, from two national pregame shows to a future Hall of Fame center (but no former Presidents). With the eyes of the world on a battle of 3 versus 4 inside Beaver Stadium, can the Nittany Lions kick an already-entertaining season into an entirely new gear, at once reframing the narratives around two head coaches, both their own and their opponent's, by finally, FINALLY defeating Ohio State? We'll know the answer soon enough. Until then, we're left to speculate about player health, debate the meaning of this matchup in the 12-team playoff era, and decide which coach is actually feeling the most pressure on a Saturday that will shape the remainder of the season.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

They called it a trap game. They said the Nittany Lions were vulnerable. They questioned our offense and dismissed our defense. But when the lights came on at Camp Randall, both units - each of them thriving in their own way this season under new coordinators - played complementary football, containing, and eventually bludgeoning, the Badgers. Even an injury at the most important position on the field couldn't slow this team on a mission, as Beau Pribula conjured memories of another Number 9 in relief of Drew Allar. Is all the "nobody believed in us" rhetoric a little over the top? You bet. But if Kirby Smart can get away it, so can we. Chris, Kevin, and Mailman break down the aftermath of Penn State's win over Wisconsin. We'll be back later in the week with a look ahead to Ohio State.HOSTED BY: Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

James Franklin and the Nittany Lions got the coveted, elusive, statement-making win they so desperately needed by defeating USC... or so it seemed. The Trojans' College Park Collapse over Penn State's Bye Week underscored the point that if the program is to make its first appearance in the college football playoff, then the team must keep stacking wins as the favorite. Another challenging road test awaits PSU when they travel to Madison for a night game against the Badgers in Camp Randall Stadium. Chris and Kevin tackle this week's show on their own, recapping Kev's trip to the West Coast for the memorable Lions win and looking ahead to a game with the barely discernible aura of a potential trap. Will Coach Franklin buck the trend and improve his sketchy record coming off the Bye? Grab your pencil and your paper. HOSTED BY: Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

It may take an extra bus trip to Harrisburg to get there, but the road date everybody circled on Penn State's 2024 schedule is finally upon us. Conference expansion has delivered the first-ever meeting of the Nittany Lions and Trojans as Big Ten foes, and even though USC's upset loss at the hands of Minnesota drained the contest of much of its fanfare, the stakes for Old State are unchanged. As top-ranked teams topple all around the them, the imperative for Penn State remains to survive and advance, to go 1-0 each week. Can the Lions set themselves up for a stretch run that ends in the playoffs? Can James Franklin begin to shake the stigma that he can't win when it matters the most? We ponder these questions and more ahead of Penn State vs. USC at the L.A. Coliseum. Grab your pencil and your paper.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

Well, "Bert" asked, and Nittany Nation answered. Penn State fans and media may have taken some liberties with the context around Bret Bielema's, "White Out Energy, whatever the hell that means," quotation, up to and including a passive-aggressive screening of a carefully-edited clip of it on the Beaver Stadium Jumbotron before kickoff. But find your fuel, right? When the Lions most needed their support, the raucous crowd intervened to impact the Illinois game at critical moments. The guys talk about the evolution of the Beaver Stadium vibe, the 1994 team returning to Happy Valley on Homecoming, and the almost shocking degree to which UCLA currently stinks at football.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

One mild upset in Lincoln and suddenly Penn State's Homecoming is set up for clash of nationally-ranked unbeatens under the Beaver Stadium lights that has fans calling for an impromtu and unofficial second "White Out" - a game that will surely have national viewers tuning in during the Georgia/Alabama commercial breaks.The University is also set to recognize the 1994 Big Ten Champion Nittany Lions. With an offense that may have been the most potent in the sport's history, the team certainly ranks among State's all-time best, featuring legendary stars like Kerry Collins, Ki-Jana Carter, Kyle Brady, and Bobby Engram along with a punishing offensive line that devastated everyone in their path. We took the opportunity for our own Brandon Noble, a sophomore defensive lineman pressed into early service on that team, to swap stories about that season with his friend and teammate Keith "Goon" Conlin. Specifically, the guys focus on that team's comeback on the road against Illinois that has taken on an almost mythological quality. Paraphrasing ourselves from before Obligatory's last '94 retrospective, for the team's silver anniversary: "For those who experienced it, it's hard to believe [30] years have passed since that special Autumn in Happy Valley. Enjoy this insider's look back at a time when the Lions ruled the sport like few before or since."AND WEAR WHITE ON SATURDAY!HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike Herr, Chris BuchignaniGUEST: Keith Conlin

During the dull offseason months when football-starved fans obsess over such things, many observers noted a conspicuous flaw in the final version of Penn State's 2024 schedule (not to be confused with the several other interim versions that came and went thanks to the ever-expanding ranks of the Big Ten). A bye week in only the third week of the season seemed less than ideal - too early in the year and sandwiched between two nothing opponents, it appeared neither useful for recovery nor as preparation for a big game. As it turns out, we were probably wrong about that. After a difficult outing against Bowling Green revealed the flaws of a team breaking in three new coordinators and a key player, leader, and team captain in K.J. Winston was bitten by the injury bug, the early off-week now feels like a Godsend for the team to retool and regroup. Not so for those us in the media world however. With only two games in the books, both of which have already been analyzed to death, filling time becomes a challenge. We'll do our best though!Grab your pencil and your paper, it's the Obligatory PSU Podcast.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

In retrospect, perhaps it was inevitable: the season-opening road trip, the convincing win over a team and fanbase that talked a big game and couldn't back it up, the sleepy noon kickoff time, the unintimidating competition. Each of these factors combined to render all of Penn State, from the players and coaches on the field to their loyal supporters in the stands, completely unprepared for the concussive opening salvos fired by the fearless Falcons of Bowling Green. Fans expecting to see the third team by the third quarter were instead "treated" to an unwanted afternoon of suspense, as a MAC opponent of modest accomplishment took the nation's number eight team to the brink. So how do we feel? Are we wringing our hands over the outrage that was Penn State's first-half defensive performance, a visible-from-outer-space dumpster fire for the ages? Or do we take a cue from Coach Franklin and stress gratitude for the chance to learn and improve while escaping with a win?Let's get into it. Grab your pencil and your paper, it's the Obligatory PSU Podcast.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

College football is back in all its glory, and for Penn State and many other would-be contenders across America, the rites of Fall have been renewed. The Nittany Lions began the journey of 2024 on the road for a statement game that told everyone from the legions of ludicrously overconfident Mountaineer fans to the doubting Thomases on this very program to the likes of Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, and Pat McAfee to shove it up their ass. And if the histrionics of suddenly-demonstrative quarterback Drew Allar, not to mention a few unfortunate snippets of live audio that served as a cautionary tale for the perils of live television, are any indication, they were a lot less polite about it.Optimism is running high, and the guys break down the many positives plus a handful of improvement opportunities coming out of Penn State's 34-12 pasting of West Virginia in Morgantown.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

Once again Chris is joined by fellow LION 90.7fm alum, former FIU and Miami Hurricanes broadcaster Mike Levine, to analyze the Nittany Lions roster in two installments, this time turning to the defense. Like the their counterparts on offense, the 2024 Nittany Lions D will be guided by a new coordinator, former Indiana head coach Tom Allen, who will be charged with continuing the tradition of great Penn State defense upheld so capably by now-Duke coach Manny Diaz. With playmakers at every level and a nice mix of young stars, returning talent, and promising portal additions, this group looks prepared to do just that.HOSTED BY: Chris BuchignaniGUESTS: Mike Levine

Per Obligatory tradition, one of our most popular features returns: the Penn State football preview in which Chris enlists the assistance of fellow LION 90.7fm alum, former FIU and Miami Hurricanes broadcaster Mike Levine, to analyze the Nittany Lions roster in two installments, beginning with the offense. As undergrads, they brought their half dozen listeners such unforgettable gems as Joe Paterno's record-breaking 324th career win versus Ohio State and such forgettable disappointments as most other games in the 2001 season. Now they unpack the offensive talent set to take the field this season. New offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki is charged with coaxing more productivity and explosivity from an offense that faltered in the biggest moments last season. Can a supporting cast of promising offensive lineman, talented tight ends, and excellent running backs help lift up a blue-chip quarterback dogged by skeptics and a group of receivers with a lot to prove?HOSTED BY: Chris BuchignaniGUESTS: Mike Levine

On the cusp of another season of Nittany Lions football, the guys get together to discuss their dreams, aspirations, and fears for this year's team. Can new coordinators Andy Kotelnicki and Tom Allen bring the fresh perspective that jolts this squad into a higher gear? Will the talented depth so meticulously stockpiled through recruiting bear fruit? Has Drew Allar maximized the offseason to progress as a player and leader? What perils lie in wait over a schedule that appears manageable yet includes several difficult road trips? Does James Franklin have what it takes to finally finish a regular season with fewer than two losses? Is this season, when it comes down to it, "Playoffs or Bust?" Dumb answers to these questions and many more await.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

From the 12-team playoff to the "green dot," the 2024 college football season promises plenty of changes, large and small. As Penn State's opening kickoff in Morgantown approaches, the guys pause to reflect on all the newness coming to the sport this year and speculate about how it all might turn out. They share plenty of (occasionally insightful) thoughts on Year One for the expanded playoff, new conferences that are more geographically nonsensical than ever, and on-field additions like coach-to-player helmet comms, iPads on the sidelines, and an NFL-style two-minute warning. Will the flame of our love for the definitely new and arguably improved version of the sport still burn brightly, or could so much change happening so quickly extinguish the flame?HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

Are you frustrated because the Nittany Lions appear to be losing out on recruits, at home in PA and across the country, because Old State can't seem to meet their lofty financial demands? Are you confused because even though we're nearly half a decade into the "NIL era," it still makes very little sense to you? Are you disappointed because you sense that Penn State's shortcomings in the NIL space may be costing the team otherwise winnable games? Maybe you're angry because after such a loss, an anonymous fan account or beat writer insinuated it was YOUR fault for being too cheap to donate to NIL. On the other hand, perhaps you're upset because you imagine an aging cadre of Paterno-loving millionaires is sadistically withholding their cash while desperately clinging to an increasingly-remote past.Even today, anyone who calls themselves an "NIL expert" is probably lying, so we make no claims on concrete answers on any of the above or the many other related issues not mentioned. Chris and Kevin do their best to have a thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation that offers some fresh perspective on one of the most potent forces currently reshaping the sport of college football.Remember, the best way to support our efforts here on the pod is to join the For The Blogy Donors Club. Join today: www.fortheblogy.com/clubHOSTED BY: Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

Hey folks. Great news (maybe). If you’re reading this, it’s probably at least good news: The most lovable, least reliable Penn State podcast on earth is back, and this our promise to you - we’ll be here for every week, at least once per week, from now until at least the end of the calendar year, all thanks to the support of the awesome folks at ForTheBlogy.com, the website and YouTube channel that brings you some of the best and most original coverage of the Nittany Lions out there.The best way to support our efforts here on the pod is to join the For The Blogy Donors Club. For a small, one-time donation of 10 dollars, you help us keeping this pod running, and allow For The Blogy to keep its YouTube and website content from going behind a paywall. And, best of all, as a thanks for your generosity, For The Blogy will send you a custom bottle koozie for your Saturday tailgates. So to join, go to www.fortheblogy.com/club today.In their latest return to this podcast, all four of the core Obligatory crew - Brandon Noble, Mike the Mailman, Kevin Horne, and Chris B. - take a look back at the personal journeys that led each of them to a lifetime of devotion and love for Dear Old State, and they relay an abridged version of how their paths converged to create a Penn State pregame show that has continued for nearly a decade. For any new arrivals out there, it's a solid introduction to the cast of characters who'll share their drunken reactions to Penn State football throughout the season, while returning fans will get answers to the burning questions they never knew they had - like, "how much does a six-pack of decent beer cost in Germany?"Here's to another season of Nittany Lions football; can't wait to share the ride. #WeAreHOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

Penn State wrapped up another 10-2 regular season that was, yes, in some respects a failure - a failure to achieve the lofty goals that were set justifiably high at the season's outset - but also represents a rarified outcome among all Power 5 programs. The guys look back on the how the 2023 campaign ended and discuss the future for the Nittany Lions and all of college football as we head into Championship weekend.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

What more can you say? We try to come up with something. The guys wrap up the Michigan win over Penn State that slammed on the door on the Nittany Lions' hopes for making the four-team playoff before the format is retired at the end of this season. Could fan favorite Joe Moorhead return to Happy Valley? Will Penn State be in the market for a new defensive coordinator as well? Can Rutger give the Lions a scare on Saturday. We're closing the book on the Wolverines (and 2023, really) and starting to look ahead. What else can you do?HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

For the second time in four weeks, James Franklin and the Nittany Lions are facing one of the biggest games in recent program history. This time, they will play in the welcoming environs of Beaver Stadium and carry the hopes, not just of Nittany Nation, but the entire nation, with them. Can Penn State - America's Team for this one week - play the scrappy underdog hero to Michigan's 80's teen movie villain? Or will we add another entry to the list of disappointing losses against top competition? The guys know their answer and can't wait for the ridicule if they're wrong.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

Penn State narrowly escapes what would have been a devastating loss to a terrible Indiana Hoosiers team and instead travels to College Park to face nose-diving Maryland with a hint of momentum from Drew Allar's game-winning deep strike. Will this faint hope prove to be merely a mirage, or did Allar's first interception unlock something crucial in his development as a quarterback? The guys review the near-debacle versus Indiana and touch on the week's biggest college football stories - the first playoff rankings of the season and the ongoing drama around Michigan and Connor Stalions.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani