The Obligatory PSU Podcast

Big Heads Media
  • 4.9 (128)
  • Football
  • Updated Weekly

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 Nittany Nation, the guys focus on the stories, issues, and personalities surrounding the Blue and White fan experience. The Obligatory PSU Podcast delivers fun and insightful commentary on the teams, University, and place that are beloved by many thousands of students, alumni, and fans. There’s no pretense of objectivity or “journalistic” distance here; these guys are here because they care, and their Penn State knowledge and love shine through in every installment. The goal is to touch on a broad variety of topics relating to the Nittany Lions in conversations that are frequently funny and occasionally profound, all while enjoying a few (or more) adult beverages. If you’ve got Penn State in your blood, you’ll enjoy sharing the journey with us.

  1. Aug 11

    FALL '26 Episode 6: The Last James Franklin Show

    Time to clear the cache. Penn State doesn't change head football coaches very often, and yet here we are. So before Matt Campbell leads the Nittany Lions out of the tunnel for the first time, we take one final look back at the good (considerable), the bad (undeniable), and the annoying across James Franklin's decade-plus tenure, one that bridged eras for one of college football's winningest programs. We remember the good times, correct the record when necessary, and anticipate how closely we'll watch Virginia Tech this season and beyond. HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani The Obligatory PSU Podcast is 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: GoldHenBloodyMary.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. Stock up for tailgate season today!

  2. Aug 5

    FALL '26 Episode 5: The Zen of Matt Campbell

    Fall camp opens this week. Summer graduation and Campus Move-In are right around the bend. Before you know it, Week Zero will be in the record books, and "Thundering Herd Hate Week" will be upon us. Many inquiring Nittany Lions want to know: Who is this guy set to lead the team out of the tunnel on September 5th? To gain deeper insight into Penn State's head coach of the future, the guys welcome back Mark Wogenrich, editor and publisher of Penn State on SI, the site for Nittany Lions sports on the Sports Illustrated network. Mark has covered the team dating back to the late Paterno era and has spent time reporting on Coach Campbell's first offseason both in Happy Valley and, recently, Big Ten Media Days in Chicago. He offers perspective on who Campbell seems to be as a coach, communicator, and person and contrasts this latest coaching transition with the prior two, which both occurred under far less conventional circumstances. HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris Buchignani GUEST: Mark Wogenrich 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 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.

  3. Jul 31

    FALL '26 Episode 4: Caught in the (Save College Sports) Act

    If reactions to our second podcast episode this season are any indication, the members of our panel aren't the only fans falling out of love with college football in its modern form. For all of you who share that disillusionment and dissatisfaction, we've got some good news, some bad news, and some decidedly worse news. The good news is that there's still time to prevent college football's out-of-control locomotive from irrevocably jumping the tracks. The bad news? That time is rapidly dwindling, with no further hope on the horizon if it runs out before changes happen. But worst of all, the entity who holds all our hopes, dreams, and aspirations for a return to sanity in the palms of their hands?The United States Congress. So, yeah... with the midnight hour close at hand, as darkness falls across the land, our crew takes a look at the Protect College Sports Act and, irrespective of its eventual fate, delves into whether the bill itself represents a cause worth championing for anyone who loathes the current trajectory of intercollegiate sports. HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Kevin Horne, Chris 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 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, reserve an autographed bottle of Gold Hen 58, and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

  4. Jul 23

    FALL '26 Episode 3: Generations of Greatness

    How much has playing football for Penn State changed between the late 1900s and the digital age? This week, we consult our in-house experts: Two former football players, separated by 30 years exactly (Brandon Noble, freshman 1992 & Landon Tengwall, freshman 2021), compare their experiences to see how much "being a Penn State Football player" has changed from one generation to the next and how it has morphed to fit the times. HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Landon Tengwall, Chris 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 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 and reserve your autographed bottle of Gold Hen Batch 58.

  5. Jul 16

    FALL '26 Episode 2: Where's Your Head At?

    With all the upheaval in Happy Valley and across the college football landscape, who's lost that loving feeling? You don't need to squint too hard to see the 2026 college football season on the horizon. Before you know it, September 5th will dawn, and you'll be gathering in front of the TV with family and friends, filing into Beaver Stadium with fellow tailgaters, or struggling to remember your streaming password as Penn State's kickoff against Marshall looms. It will mark the beginning of one of most unusual and consequential seasons in program history. So where's your head at? With roughly six weeks left before Matt Campbell unveils his take on Nittany Lions football, our resident fans got together for some raw and honest talk about their hopes, fears, frustrations, and disappointments, not simply around the condition of Penn State, but the state of college football itself. HOSTED BY: Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris 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 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 and reserve your autographed bottle of Gold Hen Batch 58.

  6. Jul 9

    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, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Landon Tengwall, Kevin Horne, Chris 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 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, reserve an autographed bottle of Gold Hen 58, and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

  7. 12/31/2025

    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 HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Mike "The Mailman" Herr, Kevin Horne, Chris 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 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 and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

  8. 12/23/2025

    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 HOSTED BY: Brandon Noble, Kevin Horne, Chris 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 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 and take 10% off at checkout with the promo code: MAILMAN

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4.9
out of 5
128 Ratings

About

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 Nittany Nation, the guys focus on the stories, issues, and personalities surrounding the Blue and White fan experience. The Obligatory PSU Podcast delivers fun and insightful commentary on the teams, University, and place that are beloved by many thousands of students, alumni, and fans. There’s no pretense of objectivity or “journalistic” distance here; these guys are here because they care, and their Penn State knowledge and love shine through in every installment. The goal is to touch on a broad variety of topics relating to the Nittany Lions in conversations that are frequently funny and occasionally profound, all while enjoying a few (or more) adult beverages. If you’ve got Penn State in your blood, you’ll enjoy sharing the journey with us.

Information

  • Creator
    Big Heads Media
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    218
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Blue White Media, Inc.
  • Show Website
    The Obligatory PSU Podcast