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 Buchignani

GUESTS: Mike Levine

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

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 Buchignani

GUEST: Steve Garguilo

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/id1305484061

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

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 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