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=DtiVHV7bd6nkjcSh

HOSTED 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/id1305484061

HOSTED 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