The Obligatory PSU Podcast

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 moment of truth. All the while, Brandon and Mailman marvel at 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: MAILMANv

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