The Obligatory PSU Podcast

Like the phoenix rising from the ashes, or brain-eating zombies rising from the dead, or Notre Dame football underperforming unearned lofty expectations - the Obligatory podcast is back, and with it, perhaps a whiff of increased normalcy in our college football lives. After surviving a close call against Purdue in their now-traditional road conference opener and delivering a routine September ass-kicking to the MACrificial lamb Ohio Bobcats (exacting revenge for spoiling Gerald Hodges' 2012 debut at punt returner), Penn State looks ahead to an inflection point on its 2022 schedule, a road trip to SEC country to face the Auburn Tigers. Will the stifling Alabama heat (well, the humidity, really), absurd travel arrangements, and the second of numerous [color]-Outs awaiting on this year's slate prove sufficient to stymie the now 22nd-ranked Nittany Lions? Brandon and Kevin resuscitate our long-dormant pod to discuss. #BeatAuburnHOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Kevin Horne

The format wasn't exactly a game, but if you traveled to Happy Valley or tuned to the Big Ten Network for exciting football action, your cause was already long since lost. Town and campus once again buzzed with the energy of excited students (many near the end of their Penn State journey) and returning alumni and fans; grills were fired up, and beer was drunk; the Sun did indeed come out (eventually), and perhaps we ever learned a useful thing or two about the 2022 Nittany Lions. Jim and Chris offer their takeaways, on and off the field, from the first normal Blue-White Weekend in some time.FEATURING: Chris Buchignani, Jim GalantiYou can hear the Keystone Kickoff Show three times a week on the airwaves across Pennsylvania - go to KeystoneSportsNetwork.com for a list of radio stations and more - or listen whenever you want by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform. But your best bet is to download the Keystone Sports App, available in the App Store and Google Play.

The first "normal" Blue-White Weekend in nearly three years is nearly upon us, so Chris and Jim ruminate on the appeal of the overall event weekend, the scrimmage itself, and whatever possible nuggets of intel fans might expect to glean from this glorified practice that mostly offers a convenient excuse for a return trip home to Happy Valley. Will Penn State fans learn anything useful about the 2022 Nittany Lions? Doubtful. But with a promising forecast and the first chance to enjoy a conventional Spring Game since before the pandemic, it's equally doubtful that it will matter to the legions of fans who'll flock back to campus, many of whom will even make it inside Beaver Stadium to watch some fake football.FEATURING: Chris Buchignani, Jim GalantiYou can hear the Keystone Kickoff Show three times a week on the airwaves across Pennsylvania - go to KeystoneSportsNetwork.com for a list of radio stations and more - or listen whenever you want by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform. But your best bet is to download the Keystone Sports App, available in the App Store and Google Play.

Every sports fan forms lasting connections with certain players on their favorite teams, whether because of skill, toughness, personality, or all three. Sometimes it's an unforgettable performance in a crucial moment, others we simply gravitate toward a certain player for reasons even we don't understand. When it comes to standout performers worth remembering, Penn State football fans have been blessed with an embarrassment of riches. Crack open some beers and get a long-time fan going on their favorite Lions to don the Blue and White, and you might be entertained for hours. As KSN's Keystone Kickoff show looks back over Penn State football throughout the decades, Jim asked Chris to follow up last week's list of favorite games with reflections on some of his favorite players. In this episode, they discuss 10 Nittany Lions he's had the opportunity to see play in person and who's contributions to Penn State football left a lasting impression.FEATURING: Chris Buchignani, Jim GalantiYou can hear the Keystone Kickoff Show three times a week on the airwaves across Pennsylvania - go to KeystoneSportsNetwork.com for a list of radio stations and more - or listen whenever you want by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform. But your best bet is to download the Keystone Sports App, available in the App Store and Google Play.

What is your favorite memory of Penn State football? Practically every fan of the Nittany Lions has at least one play, moment, or game from which they can recall almost every detail - what happened, and where they were, how they felt, and who was with them, when it did. As KSN's Keystone Kickoff show looks back over Penn State football throughout the decades, Jim asked Chris for some of his own favorite recollections from the program's past. In this episode, they discuss his personal top 10 of Penn State moments he's witnessed live over more than a quarter-century of attending games at Beaver Stadium. FEATURING: Chris Buchignani, Jim GalantiYou can hear the Keystone Kickoff Show three times a week on the airwaves across Pennsylvania - go to KeystoneSportsNetwork.com for a list of radio stations and more - or listen whenever you want by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform. But your best bet is to download the Keystone Sports App, available in the App Store and Google Play.

Astronomical payouts to star recruits, entire position groups, and even full recruiting classes have headlined the first year of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) monetization in college sports. Penn State hasn't managed any splashy numbers, and perhaps a pair of recently-announced NIL collectives can help change that. Are the Nittany Lions poised to catch up, or are they already hopelessly behind? Chris and Jim give their thoughts and chart a possible course for PSU's survival in the new Wild West of intercollegiate competition.FEATURING: Chris Buchignani, Jim GalantiYou can hear the Keystone Kickoff Show three times a week on the airwaves across Pennsylvania - go to KeystoneSportsNetwork.com for a list of radio stations and more - or listen whenever you want by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform. But your best bet is to download the Keystone Sports App, available in the App Store and Google Play.

With Penn State Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Sandy Barbour announcing her retirement plans, the search is on for the next person to lead State's athletics programs at a crucial juncture in the evolution of college sports. Jim and Chris discuss Barbour's legacy at PSU along with what qualities they'd want in the next athletic director and potential candidates for the job.FEATURING: Chris Buchignani, Jim GalantiYou can hear the Keystone Kickoff Show three times a week on the airwaves across Pennsylvania - go to KeystoneSportsNetwork.com for a list of radio stations and more - or listen whenever you want by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform. But your best bet is to download the Keystone Sports App, available in the App Store and Google Play.

In a very short time, the transfer portal has become the talk of the college football world, with the sport's de facto free agent market emerging as a key element in modern roster-building. Now that the dust has settled on the first normal season shaped by the wide-open transfer market, Jim and Chris assess the landscape and discuss which programs are having the most success in the portal and whether Penn State has been a winner or loser so far.Remember to subscribe to the Keystone Kickoff podcast (see below) to get next week's installment of The Obligatory Keystone Crossover.FEATURING: Chris Buchignani, Jim GalantiYou can hear the Keystone Kickoff Show three times a week on the airwaves across Pennsylvania - go to KeystoneSportsNetwork.com for a list of radio stations and more - or listen whenever you want by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform. But your best bet is to download the Keystone Sports App, available in the App Store and Google Play.

While starting quarterback Sean Clifford's decision to return and play one final season for the Nittany Lions may have divided Penn State's online fan base, KSN's Jim Galanti harbors no reservations about the value of Clifford's comeback choice. Jim and Chris break down the reasons they're glad Clifford will again don the Blue and White for the 2022 season.Remember to subscribe to the Keystone Kickoff podcast (see below) to get next week's installment of The Obligatory Keystone Crossover.FEATURING: Chris Buchignani, Jim GalantiYou can hear the Keystone Kickoff Show three times a week on the airwaves across Pennsylvania - go to KeystoneSportsNetwork.com for a list of radio stations and more - or listen whenever you want by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform. But your best bet is to download the Keystone Sports App, available in the App Store and Google Play.

All over the college football landscape, loyalties and fortunes (in every sense of the word) are shifting at breakneck speed as head coaches are making bigger moves for bigger money than ever before. With James Franklin locked up and Penn State focused on replacing any assistants swept up in the chaos, Jim and Chris survey the carnage and pass snap judgement on the winners and losers.Remember to subscribe to the Keystone Kickoff podcast (see below) to continue getting every weekly installment of The Obligatory Keystone Crossover.FEATURING: Chris Buchignani, Jim GalantiWe're excited to be partnering with the team at Keystone Sports, more folks who love the Nittany Lions like we do.You can hear the Keystone Kickoff Show three times a week on the airwaves across Pennsylvania - go to KeystoneSportsNetwork.com for a list of radio stations and more - or listen whenever you want by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform. But your best bet is to download the Keystone Sports App, available in the App Store and Google Play.

After a brief update on the status of the regular podcast, Chris and Jim take a broader look at the landscape of college football and the mounting challenges to the four-team format of the first-ever college football playoff. Conventional wisdom tells us that expansion is inevitable - eventually - but could the move to include more teams in the postseason happen sooner than you think? A variety of practical concerns driving the sport's sudden and rapid evolution could combine to hasten yet another substantial change.Remember to subscribe to the Keystone Kickoff podcast (see below) to continue getting every weekly installment of The Obligatory Keystone Crossover.FEATURING: Chris Buchignani, Jim GalantiWe're excited to be partnering with the team at Keystone Sports, more folks who love the Nittany Lions like we do.You can hear the Keystone Kickoff Show three times a week on the airwaves across Pennsylvania - go to KeystoneSportsNetwork.com for a list of radio stations and more - or listen whenever you want by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform. But your best bet is to download the Keystone Sports App, available in the App Store and Google Play.

With all the rumors swirling around James Franklin's future at Penn State and many talking heads insisting that certain jobs are obviously better than others, Jim and Chris take a step back to ponder what factors combine to actually make certain head coach positions "destination jobs." Does the conventional wisdom hold up that rabid fans, unreasonable boosters, over-the-top facilities, and fertile recruiting grounds can be quantified into an objective ranking of available jobs, or is there more to it? Could many of the qualities that make certain college jobs appealing on the surface turn out to be the very liabilities turning many prestige posts into revolving doors, as schools cycle through one coach after another, searching for the quick fix?Remember to subscribe to the Keystone Kickoff podcast (see below) to continue getting every weekly installment of The Obligatory Keystone Crossover.FEATURING: Chris Buchignani, Jim GalantiWe're excited to be partnering with the team at Keystone Sports, more folks who love the Nittany Lions like we do.You can hear the Keystone Kickoff Show three times a week on the airwaves across Pennsylvania - go to KeystoneSportsNetwork.com for a list of radio stations and more - or listen whenever you want by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform. But your best bet is to download the Keystone Sports App, available in the App Store and Google Play.

Maybe moral victories are the best we can hope for when it comes to Penn State versus Ohio State. As another year passes without a win over the Buckeyes (this time handing OSU its longest winning streak against the Nittany Lions - five games and counting), most of Nittany Nation seems satisfied that the team played well and didn't get embarrassed. How much of that stems directly from the team's inspired and generally competent play in Columbus so starkly contrasting with the previous weekend's circus of ineptitude and shame versus Illinois is up for debate. What can't be disputed is the opportunity still awaiting Penn State if the Lions can continue to build on their solid, if insufficient performance at the Horseshoe. Two teams awaiting in the final four weeks of the regular season appear in the top ten of this year's first (and quite possibly the dumbest) edition of the college football playoff rankings. Mailman, Chris, and Kevin wrap up the Ohio State game, grouse about the lunacy of the selection committee's twisted and contradictory ranking logic, and look ahead to Penn State's trip to College Park to face Maryland.HOSTED BY: Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

One relatively routine hit on QB Sean Clifford during the first quarter of the Iowa game produced a dramatic ripple effect on Penn State's 2021 season and, quite possibly, beyond. A dominating offensive performance that, had it been sustained, would have likely resulted in the Lions leaving Kinnick victorious and destined for the top two instead fizzled, and an undefeated season with championship aspirations gave way to a two-game (and counting) losing streak. Even as rumors continue to swirl around James Franklin's candidacy for job openings at USC (again), LSU, and perhaps elsewhere, the sudden run of bad fortune on the field has left the attitudes of both Penn State's fans and Franklin's would-be future employers are in flux. Chris and Jim dive into those shark-infested waters in this week's episode.Remember to subscribe to the Keystone Kickoff podcast (see below) to continue getting every weekly installment of The Obligatory Keystone Crossover.FEATURING: Chris Buchignani, Jim GalantiWe're excited to be partnering with the team at Keystone Sports, more folks who love the Nittany Lions like we do.You can hear the Keystone Kickoff Show three times a week on the airwaves across Pennsylvania - go to KeystoneSportsNetwork.com for a list of radio stations and more - or listen whenever you want by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform. But your best bet is to download the Keystone Sports App, available in the App Store and Google Play.

Over four agonizing, rain-soaked quarters and 75 overtime periods only vaguely resembling the sport of football, what had mostly felt like a decidedly-different, and potentially-special, season for James Franklin and the Nittany Lions descended into depressingly-familiar disappointment, as Penn State slowly transformed a campaign full of promise and a Top 10 ranking into a disfigured wreck with a mind-numbingly idiotic Homecoming loss to 2-5 Big Ten basement dweller Illinois. So here we are, yet again, picking up the pieces of another year gone wrong amid Franklin-to-USC rumors that are as persistent as they are exhausting. We all need some group therapy, and this was our shot at it - for us, and maybe by extension the audience. It's a long one, and just like the Joker's plastic surgeon, we did the best we could do with what we had to work with (including our own battered psyches). Raw, spontaneous, and reflective of the complicated contradictions of this beautifully stupid thing we call fandom, we hope our catharsis can be yours as well. Let's Go State.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

As the Nittany Lions prepare to return to action, Chris and Mailman are joined by Nathan Wilmot, the analytics columnist for For The Blogy, who has developed his own advanced metrics for quantifying the performance of college football teams. Nate looks back over Penn State's ups and downs through the first six games of 2021, a Top 10 half-campaign dominated by a defense that so far stands alongside its proudest peers in program history, whether you're using the eye test or going by the numbers. With the hapless Illinois Fighting Illini headed to Happy Valley, he also previews the Homecoming matchup and looks ahead to a stiff test in Columbus against Ohio State the following weekend. A lifelong PSU fan, Nate also gives his view on the team so far, the quarterback situation (of course), and whether Bret Bielema has already given up on this year. It's fresh perspective on a familiar topic to take you into Homecoming Saturday and beyond.Check out For The Blogy Throwback "Penn State vs. Illinois 2012"HOSTED BY: Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Chris BuchignaniGUEST: Nate Wilmot

Even as the Nittany Lions chase another Big Ten title, fighting to defend a Top 10 ranking while battling the injury bug, it wouldn't be a season of the podcast without a couple of #Obligatory digressions, and what better time for one than coming off Penn State's bye week? (Boiler Up.) It has become increasingly difficult over the last 12 months for even the most casual college football fans to evade news stories and commentary about the social and legal battles roiling the future of the NCAA and college sports. From the halls of the United States Supreme Court to the memoranda of the National Labor Relations Board, public opinion and political willpower are shifting in ways that could drastically transform the future of college sports at Penn State and beyond. In order to start unpacking a dense and complicated topic, Chris and Kevin enlist the help of Sam C. Ehrlich, J.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Legal Studies in the Department of Management at Boise State University. Are student athletes destined to become university employees? Where and how did this process start, and what does the future hold? We spend a solid hour with an expert, exploring the answers to these questions and others driving the most volatile era for college athletics in at least 50 years. HOSTED BY: Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniGUEST: Dr. Sam Ehrlich

Hair metal rockers Cinderella perhaps put it best with their 1988 hit: "Don't Know What You Got (Til It's Gone)." Sean Clifford was shredding the vaunted Iowa Hawkeyes defense in hostile environs until an injury put him out of the game early in the second quarter. At that point, Penn State fans the world over, many of whom had harbored doubts about the third-year starter (and were rarely shy about expressing them), realized just how vitally important Cliff is to this team's success. Jim and Chris review the carnage from Kinnick and results from around the country and ponder just how essential recruiting and developing the QB position will be to James Franklin's pursuit of that elusive "elite" status. Remember to subscribe to the Keystone Kickoff podcast (see below) to continue getting every weekly installment of The Obligatory Keystone Crossover.FEATURING: Chris Buchignani, Jim GalantiWe're excited to be partnering with the team at Keystone Sports, more folks who love the Nittany Lions like we do.You can hear the Keystone Kickoff Show three times a week on the airwaves across Pennsylvania - go to KeystoneSportsNetwork.com for a list of radio stations and more - or listen whenever you want by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform. But your best bet is to download the Keystone Sports App, available in the App Store and Google Play.

A game that began with the promise and excitement of a top 5 matchup for your Penn State Nittany Lions rapidly devolved into a frustrating and dispiriting war of attrition that ended, as nearly all such games at Kinnick Stadium do, in an agonizingly close loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes. As one key Lion after another limped to the sidelines, the only thing more miserable than the mounting injury toll was the behavior of Iowa's fans when players went down. But what's done is done. Penn State has lost its chance at an unblemished season, but opportunities for redemption await. Though questions abound, the upcoming bye week affords James Franklin, his staff, and their players the time to find the answers. The second half of the schedule will tell the tale of 2021, and we'll help you flush the latest edition in the godawful saga of Penn State versus Iowa and go on to the next. HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

Wrapping a week's worth of Penn State football news into one whirlwind podcast, our full cast of characters share one long, lingering glance back at the Stripe Out before closing the book on the Nittany Lions' non-revenge-game "Revenge Game" shutout of the Indiana Hoosiers. Brandon Noble, who once upon a time played for college-legend-turned-NFL-punchline Steve Spurrier, shares some perspective on the current controversy embroiling analyst-turned-laughingstock Urban Meyer, and the guys give their thoughts on what will be the biggest game yet of a season sure to be full of them for #4 Penn State, a road trip to the hostile environs of Kinnick Stadium to take on the #3 Iowa Hawkeyes.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

In the midst of an exciting season that has seen the Penn State Nittany Lions rise to fourth in the nation after five weeks and on the eve of their biggest yet against Iowa, Jim and Chris take a moment to stop and smell the roses - specifically, to appreciate quarterback Sean Clifford and receiver Jahan Dotson, who connected for two scores against Indiana and, in so doing, surpassed Todd Blackledge and Kenny Jackson as State's all-time passing touchdown combo. We appreciate their accomplishments along with those with whom they share the record books and reflect on how lucky Penn Staters have been to watch so many great players represent the Blue and White.FEATURING: Chris Buchignani, Jim GalantiWe're excited to be partnering with the team at Keystone Sports, more folks who love the Nittany Lions like we do.You can hear the Keystone Kickoff Show three times a week on the airwaves across Pennsylvania - go to KeystoneSportsNetwork.com for a list of radio stations and more - or listen whenever you want by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform. But your best bet is to download the Keystone Sports App, available in the App Store and Google Play.

No Penn State fan needs to be reminded about what transpired the last time the Nittany Lions faced Indiana's football team. The debacle of sloppy and undisciplined play, uninspired playcalling, and unearned bravado, capped off with a highly-controversial replay review, began State's disastrous fake season with a whimper. Now, undefeated Penn State prepares to host the Hoosiers under the lights with far loftier goals than "revenge" against the likes of Indiana. Still, this moment recalls the 2008 White Out, when Illinois - another traditionally-middling conference cellar dweller coming off its second-ever win against Penn State the previous year and awash in self-importance - was rewarded with a night under the lights at Beaver Stadium and a subsequent ass-kicking. Will this season see a similar result? Time will tell. We begin this episode with a brief revisitation of our mental state immediately following the 2020 Indiana game and take it from there.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

Maybe it's time to go back to "Legends" and "Leaders." After years of the scales tipping in favor of the Big Ten's East division, home to college football powerhouses Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan, the disparity between the two halves the conference seems even more pronounced in 2021. Chris and Jim look at the might East versus the lowly West while pondering whether the sketchy post-Penn State performance of the Nittany Lions' prior foes is worthy of concern.FEATURING: Chris Buchignani, Jim GalantiWe're excited to be partnering with the team at Keystone Sports, more folks who love the Nittany Lions like we do.You can hear the Keystone Kickoff Show three times a week on the airwaves across Pennsylvania - go to KeystoneSportsNetwork.com for a list of radio stations and more - or listen whenever you want by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform. But your best bet is to download the Keystone Sports App, available in the App Store and Google Play.

No matter how rosy and promising the big picture may appear, no matter how satisfying and cathartic the experience has been, no matter how well your expectations have been met (and probably exceeded) thus far, four games into a 4-0 season for Penn State that has seen the Nittany Lions climb the rankings all the way to number four in the nation, there is still one nagging inconsistency that has yet to be adequately addressed in what has otherwise been a basically perfect beginning to this literally perfect start: We're of course referring to the University choosing to senselessly scan the bar code of every tailgate parking pass on the way into the lots before big games. But it could also apply to Penn State's maddening inability to run the football, an increasingly troubling trend that extended into the Lions' otherwise relatively thorough beating of the Villanova Wildcats. Brandon and Chris get into all of that and more.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Chris Buchignani

With nearly all of Penn State's divisional opponents in the Big Ten East showing substantial improvement early in the 2021 season and a number of difficult road contests still awaiting the Nittany Lions, there look to be precious few breathers on the upcoming schedule. That makes this weekend's visit from the FCS Villanova Wildcats an important opportunity to sit starters early and get playing time for players down the depth chart. It also offers an opportunity to pause and reflect on an entertaining three-game opening stanza that has seen the Lions rocket up the rankings. Ben Jones, Penn State beat reporter for StateCollege.com, joins the show to reflect on covering a team that has pleasantly surprised many of even its most devoted fans on the way to the program's first-ever 3-0 start to feature two wins over ranked opponents.Read Ben Jones' Penn State football coverage at StateCollege.com: http://www.statecollege.com/news/authors/ben-jones,191/HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike Herr, Chris BuchignaniGUEST: Ben Jones

We have been hearing from James Franklin and many others about the immense talent Penn State has at tight end this season and waiting to see how new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich would put it to use. The wait is over, and the timing couldn't have been better, with a ranked Auburn team in town for a White Out. Jim and Chris discuss a breakout night for all three of the team's top tight ends and what it tells us about Yurcich's ability and willingness to utilize the weapons at his disposal.FEATURING: Chris Buchignani, Jim GalantiWe're excited to be partnering with the team at Keystone Sports, more folks who love the Nittany Lions like we do.You can hear the Keystone Kickoff Show three times a week on the airwaves across Pennsylvania - go to KeystoneSportsNetwork.com for a list of radio stations and more - or listen whenever you want by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform. But your best bet is to download the Keystone Sports App, available in the App Store and Google Play.

There are but a precious few places where the forces of the college football universe can all align to create a special and resonant moment that touches the lives of thousands of people in hundreds of ways, uniting people of all different backgrounds - young and old, near and far away - in a shared appreciation of a unique American ritual. Luckily for all of us, Happy Valley is such a place, and for those of us fortunate enough to call ourselves Penn Staters, it is a second home that beckons strongest on Autumn Saturdays when the home team does battle for love and loyalty to Alma Mater beneath the watchful gaze of Old Mount Nittany. Whether you watched at home or from the stands, dressed all in white, you were treated to a beautiful four-quarter masterpiece that, at its conclusion, indelibly etched another memorable chapter into the already-legendary chronicles of Penn State football. We pause to appreciate it all, from the profane to the profound.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

A big weekend in Happy Valley looms. In under two decades, the Beaver Stadium White Out has cemented its status among the most distinctive traditions of the great American ritual that is college football. After the coronavirus pandemic denied Penn Staters the opportunity to take part in 2020, the White Out returns for a huge non-conference battle - a rare Northern road trip for an SEC school as #22 Auburn arrives to take on #10 Penn State - and ESPN's College GameDay is once again back in the Valley to mark the occasion. The guys talk about the evolution of the tradition, GameDay's newfound affection for State College, and what to expect when the Nittany Lions take on the Tigers. All this plus Brandon Noble's memories from the 1996 Outback Bowl, the waterlogged game that gave Penn State its half of the all-time series with Auburn that is currently tied 1-1. Here's hoping the Lions break the stalemate in our favor on Saturday. #WeAreMoxie: The Worst-Tasting Soda on EarthFor the Blogy: Quantifying the White OutHOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Chris BuchignaniGUEST: Mike Levine

When you run the company, you can't get fired. When you're publishing your own podcast, you can't get canceled. And so, the Obligatory Keystone Crossover, an experiment in collaboration (in our case) and tolerance (in theirs) between Obligatory and the Keystone Sports Network is back for a second installment. In this episode, Chris handles the hosting duties and has some sage career advice to drown out the clickbait for James Franklin, while Jim zeroes in on what's changed for Penn State, and its third-year QB, since beginning the 2020 fake season at 0-5.FEATURING: Chris Buchignani, Jim GalantiWe're excited to be partnering with the team at Keystone Sports, more folks who love the Nittany Lions like we do.You can hear the Keystone Kickoff Show three times a week on the airwaves across Pennsylvania - go to KeystoneSportsNetwork.com for a list of radio stations and more - or listen whenever you want by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform. But your best bet is to download the Keystone Sports App, available in the App Store and Google Play.

After 651 days of barren tailgate fields, empty bleachers, and often-uninspiring football played in eerie silence, Happy Valley's home game drought is over. The crowds and energy that are the lifeblood of town and campus in Autumn came flooding back into State College last weekend, welcoming home a team led, in the best tradition of the program, by their defense. After two outings, it looks like a unit capable of keeping them in every game they'll play. For two classes of Penn State students, it was their first time experiencing the magic of Nittany Lions football inside Beaver Stadium, and for many thousands of others, the day marked a joyful reunion after a long and painful separation. There were some kinks to work out, on the field and outside the stadium, but nevertheless, the day itself was pretty much perfect. We take a final look back at Penn State's win over Ball State before turning our attention, along with eyes across the college football world, to a White Out under the lights against a ranked SEC opponent.HOSTED BY: Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

Happy Valley is ready for a family reunion. After an impossibly long layover nobody could have foreseen when the 2019 Nittany Lions closed out their home schedule with a win over Rutgers on Senior Day, the Greatest Show in College Football returns to Beaver Stadium this Saturday (and the next three to follow). The spirit of the Valley will be felt again in the Downtown on Friday afternoon. The tailgating fields will fill up early on the morning of gameday. The student section will be rocking with the energy that sustains campus and community. And fans of a certain age will grudgingly figure out how "Apple Wallet" works on their way into the stadium. Handling this episode on their own, Chris and Kevin (on the road back from the Baseball Hall of Fame inductions in Cooperstown, NY) wax poetic about the return of fans and the accompanying home game atmosphere, ponder the necessity of virtual tickets and numbered lots, and talk through the game scenarios for Penn State's matchup with an experienced Ball State team looking to play spoiler after its MAC Championship season in 2020.HOSTED BY: Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

Introducing the Obligatory Keystone Crossover, an "alliance" (if you will) between two teams of content creators who share a mutual love for Penn State and the sound of their own voices. As part of this new collaboration, our personalities will connect each week for some crossover conversation, sharing different perspectives on the Nittany Lions' season as it unfurls. We'll take a little bit of this and a little bit of that from our two shows, mash it all together, and make you some extra football content for the middle of your week. Enjoy this first-episode "beta test." There's plenty more to come.FEATURING: Chris Buchignani, Jim GalantiWe're excited to be partnering with the team at Keystone Sports, more folks who love the Nittany Lions like we do.You can hear the Keystone Kickoff Show three times a week on the airwaves across Pennsylvania - go to KeystoneSportsNetwork.com for a list of radio stations and more - or listen whenever you want by subscribing on your favorite podcast platform. But your best bet is to download the Keystone Sports App, available in the App Store and Google Play.

The wait, long and miserable though it may have been - through global turmoil and an on-again, off-again season that maybe would have been better left staying "off-again" - was worth it. With a gutsy road performance against a higher-ranked opponent that recalled the glory days of Penn State football, led by a defense that could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the many legends who wore the Blue and White before them, James Franklin and the Nittany Lions began the 2021 campaign in style, pulling out a dramatic 16-10 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers. Penn State went 1-0 this week to start 1-0 this season, and the possibilities that now lay before this team hold a promise for all those who love the name of Dear Old State.

The long wait - in many respects, far longer than is usual for this time of year - is finally almost over. Penn State travels to Madison, Wisconsin this weekend to take on a Badgers team facing many of the same questions haunting James Franklin's squad coming off the Big Ten's bizarre and frustrating fake season in 2020. In many ways, a road trip to face a ranked opponent in a hostile environment may seem a less than ideal way to launch a comeback campaign, but perhaps this early test of the 18th-ranked Nittany Lions' mettle represents exactly what they need - a chance to show their fans, and themselves, that last year is over, and that better, more focused coaching and a return to a conventional offseason are the keys to unlocking the talent on a roster primed to compete for a New Year's Day bowl and perhaps more. We sound off on all the challenges, from without and within, that await Penn State at kickoff.HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani

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 alumni to analyze the Nittany Lions roster in two installments, in this case the defense. As with our offensive preview, regular contributor Mike Levine returns alongside Villanova Athletics and Big East Network broadcaster Nick Mantegna, reuniting a student radio broadcast team 20 years after 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.Joe often said that quarterbacks receive too much credit when the team is winning and too much blame when the team is losing. In this era of unprecedented point-scoring in college football, that disproportionate ratio extends to the entire offense. It has perhaps provided a smokescreen for Brent Pry's defense, which has quietly failed in key situations when State faltered over the past few seasons and then totally cratered during the team's infamous losing streak to start last year. There are bright spots to suggest an impending reversal, to be sure, with the arrival of potentially-impactful new additions through the transfer portal, a secondary stocked with pro-caliber talent, and a few linebackers who appear poised to turn the corner. Will it be enough to offset attrition, injury, and inexperience along the all-important defensive line? Chris and our ringers explore this question and more as they scrutinize Penn State's talent on the defensive side of the ball. HOSTED BY: Chris BuchignaniGUESTS: Mike Levine, Nick Mantegna

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 alumni to analyze the Nittany Lions roster in two installments, beginning with the offense. This year, former FIU and Miami Hurricanes broadcaster Mike Levine returns, per usual, and he is joined by Villanova Athletics and Big East Network broadcaster Nick Mantegna, reuniting a student radio broadcast team 20 years after 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. After a disastrous fake season in which first-year offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca's unit did little to prevent a historically-bad 0-5 start, James Franklin was quick with the hook, replacing Ciarrocca with the highly-coveted Mike Yurcich, whose rapid rise through the coaching ranks has included successful stints at Oklahoma State, Ohio State, and Texas. The cupboard is far from bare for Yurcich, who'll scheme plays for some of the most talented running backs and tight ends in the country plus a returning duo of wideouts who should rank among the most dangerous in the Big Ten. But as ever, it all comes down to the guys up front. Can offensive line coach Phil Trautwein coax the breakout performance Penn State have waited on for years? Will it matter if third-year starting quarterback Sean Clifford cannot elevate his play under Yurcich's tutelage? Chris and our ringers tackle these questions and more as they scrutinize Penn State's talent on the offensive side of the ball.HOSTED BY: Chris BuchignaniGUESTS: Mike Levine, Nick Mantegna

We wrap up our 2021 Summer semester with this extended conversation with returning guest Tom Gathman, better known to outdoor and adventure enthusiasts across the globe as The Real Hiking Viking. A Marines Corps combat veteran, Tom grew up around Penn State football and Joe Paterno - really - his dad produced Joe's famous Holsum Milano bread advertising campaign, which he discussed during our short introductory conversation with him earlier this year. These days, he backpacks all over the world, pitting himself against the elements in long treks far from civilization, but never so far that he misses a Nittany Lions kickoff during the Fall. Sought-after as an outdoor brand ambassador and a die-hard Penn State football fan, Tom also produces the weekly Blue & White Brothers Podcast during the season. In this wide-ranging interview, Chris and Mailman go in-depth with Tom about life on the trail, loving the Lions, and the best way to avoid being eaten by a bear.The Real Hiking Viking's website: http://www.therealhikingviking.com/Tom's previous appearance on the podcast: https://www.statecollege.com/obligatory-psu/spring-21-episode-22-the-award-winner-the-hiking-viking/HOSTED BY: Mike Herr, Chris BuchignaniGUEST: Tom Gathman (The Hiking Viking)

On July 1, 2021, the epoch of college football that began in 1869 with Rutgers and Princeton playing a bizarre combination of soccer and rugby came to a close, and a whole new era began. That might be overstating things a bit, but not much! If nothing else, the advent of name, image, and likeness (NIL) monetization for college athletes marks an end to the NCAA's increasingly-controversial notion of amateurism as the foundation of intercollegiate athletics, an idea dating back to the early 1900s. One week in, the early returns have included much of the chaos and uncertainty you'd expect from the ruling body's hands-off, Wild West approach to perhaps the most significant change in its history. If nothing else, on the Miami Hurricanes' next trip to the national title game, they'll all be able to afford their own fatigues (although after 16 years in the ACC, maybe they ought to focus on their first appearance in the conference title game to get started). There will plenty of time to assess the new world of college football and plenty more good discussions about it here on the show. For now, we give our early reactions and predictions for how Penn State can navigate this volatile, new landscape.HOSTED BY: Mike Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniSupport Our Great Sponsors:Sign up for a free 30-day trial of Audible: audibletrial.com/ObligatoryPSUHappy Valley Adventure Bureau: HappyValley.comCentral PA Tasting Trail: CentralPATastingTrail.com

Once upon a time, Joe Paterno's Penn State Nittany Lions were the new kid on the college football block, struggling to earn respect among the established titans of the sport while battling entrenched stereotypes about the inferiority of "Eastern football." It felt like a rigged game in which even going undefeated wasn't nearly enough. Today's Group of Five conference contenders - Boise State, UCF, Cincinnati - face a similar uphill climb, but the coming expansion of the college football playoff may finally afford these programs and their frustrated fans a chance to escape the on-deck circle. Meanwhile, Old State has long since graduated to the ranks of the bluebloods, and the move to 12 teams has far different implications for the Lions and their current head coach in the pursuit of a coveted national title. From opening doors for the sport's scrappy underdogs to impacting - positively, we hope - everything in Happy Valley from recruiting to the fans' psyches, we further explore the near-future of college ball in the chaotic playoff era."Taking 'The Walk' with James Franklin" by Ben Jones of StateCollege.com: https://www.statecollege.com/penn-state-football-taking-the-walk-with-james-franklin/Part 1 of our Playoff Expansion discussions: https://share.transistor.fm/s/b75ef3e6HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniSupport Our Great Sponsors:Sign up for a free 30-day trial of Audible: audibletrial.com/ObligatoryPSUHappy Valley Adventure Bureau: HappyValley.comCentral PA Tasting Trail: CentralPATastingTrail.com

When is losing 9-0 more embarrassing than losing 6-4? When you're the governing body of one of the nation's most venerable and popular sports leagues and you're handed a unanimous legal shellacking by a politically-divided Supreme Court in the most charged atmosphere of partisan polarization in a century. Many Americans have wondered what force could possible compel us to come together in unity, and that turned out to be the venal cynicism and stupefying incompetence of the NCAA. The organization and its nincompoop president Mark Emmert certainly make fun rhetorical punching bags, and there's good, clean fun to be had from reveling in their deeply-deserved embarrassment and misfortune. But once the dunk tank is closed, is the new course being plotted for college athletics one that will ultimately please fans and preserve what made it worth caring about in the first place? Are we even asking the right questions to find out before it's too late?NCAA Financial Calculator (USA Today): https://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/finances/SPRING '21 Episode 13: The NCAA on Trial: https://share.transistor.fm/s/e0e11d0cHOSTED BY: Mike Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniSupport Our Great Sponsors:Sign up for a free 30-day trial of Audible: audibletrial.com/ObligatoryPSUHappy Valley Adventure Bureau: HappyValley.comCentral PA Tasting Trail: CentralPATastingTrail.com

Few teams have been more consistently cheated of the chance to prove their worthiness as title contenders on the field than the Penn State Nittany Lions. Joe Paterno famously coached four teams that went undefeated and uncrowned, and as he was for so many of college football's eventual innovations, Joe was an outspoken advocate for a playoff system to determine a champion. After years of hearing it would never happen, an actual four-team playoff still left the 2016 Big Ten Champion Nittany Lions on the outside looking in. So news that the college playoffs are set to expand to include 12 teams in the near future should be welcome in Happy Valley, where the home team would have made a 12-team field in four of the last seven years. But might moving from four top contenders to 12 teams overall prove "too much of a good thing?" That's the question we tackle as we begin our examination of the college football playoff's inevitable expansion.12-Team Playoff Brackets (2014-20): https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-playoff-expansion-how-a-12-team-field-would-have-looked-in-each-of-last-seven-seasons/HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniSupport Our Great Sponsors:Sign up for a free 30-day trial of Audible: audibletrial.com/ObligatoryPSUHappy Valley Adventure Bureau: HappyValley.comCentral PA Tasting Trail: CentralPATastingTrail.com

With the announcement that Penn State's highly-anticipated non-conference matchup with Auburn will kick off under the lights at Beaver Stadium, anticipation is high that the marquee matchup will also see the triumphant return of the Greatest Show in College Football: The Beaver Stadium White Out. While some fans consider this a welcome opportunity to shift the annual (except during global pandemics) White Out off the alternating schedule of Michigan and Ohio State, others see November's visit from the Wolverines an opportunity to White Out the Beav for a second time, an unprecedented move for highly unusual times. So in this episode, we kick around the question of how much is too much of a good thing and reminisce about some of the greatest night game environments in the history of Penn State football.HOSTED BY: Mike Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris BuchignaniSupport Our Great Sponsors:Sign up for a free 30-day trial of Audible: audibletrial.com/ObligatoryPSUHappy Valley Adventure Bureau: HappyValley.comCentral PA Tasting Trail: CentralPATastingTrail.com