FALL '25 Episode 23: Opting In

FALL '26 Episode 1: Everything is Awesome (or Awful?)

Aaaaaand... we're back. Roughly six months into the Matt Campbell era in Happy Valley, Penn State is sinking like a stone in the national recruiting rankings, repeatedly beclowned by former bluechip commits who ultimately spurned the Nittany Lions for the likes of Nebraska and Rutgers. Chronically-online, minutiae-obsessed superfans are wringing their hands raw. Meanwhile, the ranks of the unplugged traditionalists are gushing over Campbell's embrace of history, and casual fans are still blissfully huffing that new coach smell. For this, our inaugural podcast of the season, the full Obligatory crew - Landon included! - pointlessly speculate about the program's future with limited insight and even less concrete information. Indeed, it is the plethora of unknown commodities and unanswerable questions that will continue haunting Nittany Nation until the Lions can finally play actual football this September. Is Penn State football's new leadership playing the "Moneyball" long game while restoring the spirit of Success with Honor or placating a shrinking segment of the fanbase as the rest of college football passes them by? HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble [https://twitter.com/B_Noble75], Mike "The Mailman" Herr [https://www.facebook.com/mikethemailman16802/], Landon Tengwall [https://x.com/LandonTengwall], Kevin Horne [https://twitter.com/kevinhornepsu], Chris Buchignani [https://twitter.com/buchignani] The Obligatory PSU Podcast will be brought to you once again this season 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.com [https://www.goldhenllc.com/] The unique flavor profile of Gold Hen Bloody Mary Mix complements a variety of alcohols and makes an excellent marinade or cooking ingredient. This year, the guys at Gold Hen are teaming up with Landon Tengwall to put a distinctly Penn State spin on their signature product with a special batch of Blue-and-White-themed Gold Hen 58. The best way to support the show this season is to try some for yourself – go to GoldHenLLC.com [https://www.goldhenllc.com/], reserve an autographed bottle of Gold Hen 58, and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

FALL '25 Episode 23: Opting In

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_9iSHM [https://youtu.be/rPjG5_9iSHM] HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble [https://twitter.com/B_Noble75], Mike "The Mailman" Herr [https://www.facebook.com/mikethemailman16802/], Kevin Horne [https://twitter.com/kevinhornepsu], Chris Buchignani [https://twitter.com/buchignani] The 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.com [https://www.goldhenllc.com/] The 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 [https://www.goldhenllc.com/] and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

FALL '25 Episode 22: Look Back on Penn State's WILD 2025

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-ACzSGEdQApi [https://youtu.be/f7rWyWasBLY?si=du0E-ACzSGEdQApi] HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble [https://twitter.com/B_Noble75], Kevin Horne [https://twitter.com/kevinhornepsu], Chris Buchignani [https://twitter.com/buchignani] The 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.com [https://www.goldhenllc.com/] The 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 [https://www.goldhenllc.com/] and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

FALL '25 Episode 21: Introducing Matt Campbell

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=owIdRjeCYBZdR2VH [https://youtu.be/OAFT1ilAOik?si=owIdRjeCYBZdR2VH] HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble [https://twitter.com/B_Noble75], Mike "The Mailman" Herr [https://www.facebook.com/mikethemailman16802/], Kevin Horne [https://twitter.com/kevinhornepsu], Chris Buchignani [https://twitter.com/buchignani] The 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.com [https://www.goldhenllc.com/] The 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 [https://www.goldhenllc.com/] and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

FALL '25 Episode 20: Legally Recorded Audio

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=3D8SzofSev4 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D8SzofSev4] HOSTED BY: Kevin Horne [https://twitter.com/kevinhornepsu], Chris Buchignani [https://twitter.com/buchignani] The 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.com [https://www.goldhenllc.com/] The 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 [https://www.goldhenllc.com/] and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN