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PODCAST

The Obligatory PSU Podcast

Big Heads Media

The Obligatory PSU Podcast features wide-ranging discussions of Penn State sports, Nittany Lions football in particular, and all things Penn State and Happy Valley from the cast of The Obligatory PSU Pregame Show: Former Penn State and NFL defensive lineman Brandon Noble (’92-97), campus icon Mike “the Mailman” Herr, Mount Nittany Conservancy Board Secretary Kevin Horne, and seven-time Sam"s Club Member Chris Buchignani. Along with a rotating cast of characters from around State College and across

sports football

All Episodes

44:22

FALL '20 Episode 11: A College Offense Explosion?

The Obligatory PSU Podcast ·

2020/09/29

It's a grab bag of Penn State and college football topics as we get closer to once again enjoying Nittany Lions football Saturdays. James Franklin and staff continue their aggressive approach on the recruiting trail, so proactive, in fact, that they've offered a prospect in the Class or 2026. Scott Paterno began sharing a treasure trove of previously-unseen Joe Paterno footage on Twitter. With the bizarre 2020 college football season ramping up and fans of a Top 10 Penn State already

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47:29

FALL '20 Episode 10: Eating Ice Cream & Opting In

The Obligatory PSU Podcast ·

2020/09/25

The guys wrap up the conversation on college football recruiting, preview the Penn State Berkey Creamery's Fantasy Flavor League by dissecting the recipes and intangibles for Alumni Swirl and Scholar's Chip, and ponder whether Micah Parsons might not end up the last player sitting out for 2020 as Purdue's Rondale Moore announces his return to college football. Plus, Mike the Mailman's "certain to pay off 100% of the time they pan out" gambling trends for the weekend of September 26.HOSTED

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47:34

FALL '20 Episode 9: Penn State Football Recruiting w/...

The Obligatory PSU Podcast ·

2020/09/22

Like it or not, recruiting is what separates the great from the elite in college football, and no less authoritative a source on Penn State's recruiting than James Franklin himself just called out the program's recent efforts there. Ryan Snyder of Blue White Illustrated joins the show to break down all the key news and narratives around the talent pipeline in Happy Valley. What impact has the COVID-19 pandemic had on college recruiting, at PSU and elsewhere? Who are some as-yet-unseen young

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46:54

FALL '20 Episode 8: Penn State Football Escapes Limbo

The Obligatory PSU Podcast ·

2020/09/18

It may have taken some time, a lot of confusion, frustration, and a few false starts (and it may not even be a very wise idea!), but Penn State football is coming back, and dammit, we're gonna celebrate. The guys share their initial reactions to the announcement of an eight-game Big Ten season for 2020, start talking a little actual football, and give the things they're most excited to see in this most unusual upcoming campaign for the Nittany Lions. Plus, Mike the Mailman's eerily

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48:38

FALL '20 Episode 7: To Play, Or Not to Play?

The Obligatory PSU Podcast ·

2020/09/15

Does anyone have even the vaguest clue what is happening with Big Ten football in 2020? Doesn't seem like it. Not the cast of The Obligatory PSU Podcast. Not the endless stream of media talking heads and random program "insiders" on Twitter. Probably not even the people who are supposedly in charge of it (maybe them least of all). Recording as we all wait on the latest round of alleged "votes" that will perhaps finally determine the fate of Penn State football this season, Kevin, Chris, and

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62:54

FALL '20 Episode 6: Undrafted Nittany Lion to NFL Vet

The Obligatory PSU Podcast ·

2020/09/11

With the NFL season upon us, the guys follow up on the last show about former Penn State players who survived cuts to make a professional roster by giving Brandon Noble a platform to share his own journey of Happy Valley to the pros. Like several current Nittany Lions, Brandon had to take the tougher path of an undrafted free agent. He explains the process of going from Big Ten champ and Fiesta Bowl MVP to a career in Dallas and Washington via Barcelona, Spain. Plus, Chris and Kevin purge

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103:13

FALL '20 Episode 5: Penn Staters in the NFL feat....

The Obligatory PSU Podcast ·

2020/09/08

When James Franklin arrived at Penn State, he listed preparing his players for a shot at the NFL among his top goals, and the program has had great success sending alumni to the next level. With the 2020 NFL season about to commence, numerous Nittany Lions survived cuts to make pro rosters and practice squads: against-the-odds warriors like Trace McSorley and Jason Cabinda, decorated vets such as Sean Lee and Robbie Gould, and young stars set to break out in the likes of Miles Sanders and

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65:34

FALL '20 Episode 4: Penn State Game Day Rituals

The Obligatory PSU Podcast ·

2020/09/04

After plowing through the festering heap of college football "news" from this week - from unsolicited phone calls from the POTUS to unfounded Twitter rumor-mongering from oddly-named accounts - the guys move to swapping stories and fondly recalling their favorite traditions and rituals of a game week in Happy Valley. Brandon goes in depth about the experiences of his playing days and how the team prepared to play in Beaver Stadium. It's a brief return to simpler times with lots of

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59:10

FALL '20 Episode 3: Why All the Big Ten Secrecy?

The Obligatory PSU Podcast ·

2020/09/01

Thanks to pretrial action for a lawsuit that presumably stands little chance of actually succeeding in court, we can finally confirm that there was, in fact, a vote by university leaders to cancel the 2020 Big Ten season, that it was 11-3 in favor, and (probably) that Penn State's Eric Barron joined with the majority. So why did it take the threat of litigation to squeeze this info out of the conference, and what was the point of hiding this information in the first place? The guys discuss

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52:22

FALL '20 Episode 2: Classic Nonsense

The Obligatory PSU Podcast ·

2020/08/28

What better time for a classic Obligatory digression than the pretend start of a non-existent football season? As the gang assembles (like The Avengers, but very different) to begin filming Season 5 of The Obligatory PSU Pregame Show (game optional in 2020), Chris, Mike the Mailman, and Kevin (actually joining from the car ride back to Happy Valley) link up to record the podcast. Predictably, the conversation quickly takes a few left turns and, before you know it, we're all deep down the

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83:22

FALL '20 Episode 1: Countdown to Remote at Penn State?

The Obligatory PSU Podcast ·

2020/08/25

Place your bets. Mike the Mailman sets the official Obligatory over/under on weeks until Penn State becomes the latest to make the move to remote learning. With students returning to Happy Valley and bringing the bad press with them - East Halls twerking parties, suspended fraternities, and the student body president calling for online classes on CNN - Brandon, Chris, Kevin, and Mailman spend time talking about the complex lose-lose situation facing the University's leadership and students

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60:45

SUMMER '20 Episode 16: College Sports Chaos w/ Dr. R....

The Obligatory PSU Podcast ·

2020/08/21

Some technical issues held up release of this latest episode, recorded literally as the first news of the Big Ten season's cancellation reached the public. The late-breaking news fit perfectly, however, with the knowledge and background of previously-scheduled guest Dr. Scott Kretchmar, a distinguished Penn State emeritus professor of Kinesiology. Dr. Kretchmar reacts to the prospect of a Fall without football in Happy Valley and beyond alongside Chris, Noble, and Mailman, offering

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70:38

SUMMER '20 Episode 15: Fake Schedules & No Fans feat....

The Obligatory PSU Podcast ·

2020/08/07

The first week of August brought more Penn State and college football news than we've had in like three months - from the release of the Nittany Lions' 2020 schedule to the announcement that the Beaver Stadium bleachers will be empty for the games. Micah Parsons opted out; the Big Ten's players united, and a PSU starter blocked Kevin on Twitter. The guys welcome in one of the hardest workers on the Penn State beat - Thomas Frank Carr - to break it all down. T-Frank, as he's known on the

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60:32

SUMMER '20 Episode 14: A Ticket to Ride

The Obligatory PSU Podcast ·

2020/08/04

Enough of these wide-ranging conversations with interesting guests; time to get back to the basics of Obligatory. With Brandon Noble off for the day, Mailman, Kevin, and Chris get the stage to themselves. A conversation that begins with technical glitches and discussion of frozen pizza commercials from 30 years ago strays into an explanation from Kevin about the fascinating backstory behind some of Penn State baseball's alumni (or a "possible alumnus" in one case) and the curious history of

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65:05

SUMMER '20 Episode 13: Mark Wogenrich, Sports...

The Obligatory PSU Podcast ·

2020/07/31

Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn Sate football since 1999, as the long-time Nittany Lions beat reporter for The Morning Call in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and most recently for Sports Illustrated’s Penn State channel. Mark joins Brandon, Chris, and Mailman to sift through the shifting signals and steamed hams regarding the chances for college football in 2020. After the requisite (obligatory?) conclusion that no one knows anything for sure, the conversation shifts to Mark's article on James

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71:55

SUMMER '20 Episode 12: Let's Talk Penn State

The Obligatory PSU Podcast ·

2020/07/21

It's never a bad time to welcome in the hosts of our sister podcast "Let's Talk Penn State." Steve Garguilo and Tim Buckley join the show to talk about the process of producing a Penn State-centric show with even less football content than Obligatory, their days in the Penn State Blue Band, becoming the go-to podcast of Appalachian State fans everywhere, and the unfortunate, inevitable cancellation of the 2020 college football season. Come for banter between old friends; stay for the

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82:32

SUMMER '20 Episode 11: Chad Washington, PSUHouston.org

The Obligatory PSU Podcast ·

2020/07/17

A Texas native, Chad Washington picked Penn State site unseen after meeting a campus recruiter. After arriving in Happy Valley, he experienced snow, wrote for the Daily Collegian, and like so many others, quickly embraced life a Nittany Lion. After graduation in 1998, Chad worked for outlets like CNN and Gannett Newspapers and covered the college football programs at Houston, Rice, Louisiana-Lafayette and LSU. Currently, he writes news and sports for the Fort Bend Herald (a suburban Houston

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74:09

SUMMER '20 Episode 10: College Players Retro #1

The Obligatory PSU Podcast ·

2020/07/14

With decades of passionate Penn State fandom and, in the case of Brandon Noble, five years wearing the Blue and White followed by a decade in the pros, the guys have witnessed a lot of incredible talents suit up for both the Nittany Lions and their opponents. In this installment, they reminisce about some of their favorites, from PSU greats like Aaron Harris and Courtney Brown to loathed, but respected enemies like Juice Williams, Orlando Pace, and Antwaan Randle El. Few of sports fandom's

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94:51

SUMMER '20 Episode 9: "Sunshine" Shane McGregor

The Obligatory PSU Podcast ·

2020/07/10

Shining a ray of Sunshine into dark times. Shane McGregor, who is easily Happy Valley's most recognizable and beloved scout team quarterback, thoughtfully reflects on his five-year (2008-12) journey as the "Forrest Gump" of Penn State football - on the sidelines, in the meeting rooms, and behind the scenes for perhaps the most eventful stretch of Penn State football history, spanning Joe Paterno's last contender to Bill O'Brien's Iron Lions. From the funny to the thought-provoking, these

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75:47

SUMMER '20 Episode 8: Extra Points with Matt Brown

The Obligatory PSU Podcast ·

2020/07/07

College football author and journalist Matt Brown (not to be confused with State College's own college football author and journalist Matt Brown) specializes in covering the deeper stories behind the usual headlines in college football. He joins the Obligatory crew to shed light on a number of issues set to impact the sport's near and long-term future, including COVID-19 and impending decisions about the 2020 season at all levels of football, a potential fissure between the Power 5

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208 results

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