The Obligatory PSU Pregame Show: Penn State vs. Illinois

Homecoming Week: Penn State looks to survive and advance playing a backup QB against the struggling Illinois Fighting Illini.

Even though the Nittany Lions were idle last weekend, Penn State fans still got to enjoy one of the most satisfying college football wins imaginable courtesy of the unranked Purdue Boilermakers, who ruined Homecoming for #2 Iowa by embarrassing the Hawkeyes on their home field. You hate to see it. The guys are all the more relaxed and gleeful coming off a no-stress week and ready to focus on the challenging schedule awaiting PSU in the season’s second half.

They look at results from around the country and how those games could potentially impact Penn State’s postseason outlook as well as the team’s record coming off the bye week since joining the Big Ten. Back for a second straight year are the team behind the Centre Film Festival, a rapidly-growing annual event that brings film festival energy to Happy Valley. Penn State professor of Booze and Culture Dr. Kirk French makes his first appearance of the year, sponsored by the Central Pennsylvania Tasting Trail, bringing with him some homemade hooch sourced from local orchards. Brandon, Kevin, Mailman, and Chris give their score predictions for the Homecoming game against Illinois + Mike the Mailman looks ahead to some of next weekend’s best gambling plays in his weekly Trends to Treasure segment.

More About Obligatory:
Entering its sixth season, The Obligatory PSU Pregame Show presented by The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau is a TV “tailgate” full of the fun, camaraderie, and passion - from joy to heartbreak and back again - that make Penn State football the healthy obsession of students, alumni, and fans. For every loyal Nittany Lion who can’t be there in person, it’s the next best thing: A weekly dose of Happy Valley to kick off the football weekend. The show’s lovable cast of loyal Penn Staters features former Penn State and NFL defensive tackle Brandon Noble, beloved campus icon Mike the Mailman, former Onward State managing editor Kevin Horne, and five-time Sam’s Club member Chris Buchignani.

Filmed from some of the most iconic college bars and recognizable locations in Happy Valley, each weekly episode features not just lively commentary on the games, but also tourism features, town and campus interest stories, visits to sites on the Central PA Tasting Trail, and some sports wagering tips from Mike the Mailman. Our show thrives because it is different. It is engaging because it allows viewers to enjoy a spontaneous, frivolous, and contagious peek into a world that feels an awful lot like four guys simply enjoying themselves while talking college football. The on-field exploits of the Nittany Lions are the focus, but the chemistry between the show’s hosts and the raw honesty stemming from their genuine love of school, team, and place are what distinguish Obligatory from the usual cookie cutter fare.

Penn State football fans can find The Obligatory PSU Pregame Show each week through our key cable affiliate partners:

Next Level Sports (6pm Friday / 9am Saturday)

AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh (3pm Friday / 9am Saturday)

NBC Sports Philadelphia PLUS (9pm Friday / 6am Saturday)

NESN National (8:30pm Friday; 8pm Friday NESN PLUS)

MASN Sports (7AM & 11AM Saturday)