The Penn Stated podcast is your destination for expert analysis and insight into Penn State football. Join host Donnie Collins, The Scranton Times-Tribune's Penn State beat writer, as he dishes out the nitty gritty on the Nittany Lions each week. Whether it happens on the field or behind the scenes, Donnie will break it down in an informative and entertaining show. From the casual to the diehard, Penn Stated is a must listen for any fan of the Blue and White.
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The overrated, the underrated and the most important
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Penn State knows where it's ranked (not that it matters). They'll sign up for finishing where they start, too. On this week's episode of the Penn Stated podcast, co-hosts Donnie Collins and Sam Fremin of The Times-Tribune in Scranton discuss the Nittany Lions' season-opening No. 8 ranking in the Associated Press poll, which was released on Tuesday.…
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Penn State's depth took a hit last week. Or, maybe more accurately, the reality of Penn State's depth at certain positions came to light. But as the Nittany Lions' local media day came and went last weekend. one theme emerged: There's guarded optimism around the program that enough players are ready to take the next step that we could be seeing a n…
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Penn State will play football this month, so let the conjecture begin. And, there is certainly plenty to conject (granted, that might not be a word) about as the Nittany Lions opened training camp this week. Hosts Donnie Collins and Sam Fremin give their thoughts on the suspensions of second-year standouts Jameial Lyons and Kaveion Keys and what th…
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Co-hosts Donnie Collins and Sam Fremin of The Times-Tribune in Scranton wind down the second season of the Penn Stated podcast with a look ahead to training camp opening in a month. But, they also celebrate Independence Day with an honest look at the realities the program and its head coach are facing. In the opening segment, the hosts discuss the …
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The Penn Stated podcast returns with discussion about expansions, and contractions. The Board of Trustees' approval to spend up to $690 million on the long-awaited renovation of Beaver Stadium dominates the discussion between hosts Donnie Collins and Sam Fremin of The Scranton Times-Tribune, with both expressing concerns over the project and also r…
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On Draft: A breakdown of the newest Nittany Lions in the NFL
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Fresh off the weekend's NFL Draft, Penn Stated hosts Donnie Collins and Sam Fremin took some time this week to discuss the landing spots for eight Nittany Lions chosen and the plight of some who weren't. Who went earlier than anticipated? What does the influx of Penn State players taken higher in the middle rounds than anticipated say about the pro…
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The wideout shuffle, and other post-BWG dances
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Well, the changes in the wide receiver room that most expected to see in the Blue-White Game last week started to take shape a few days before. Former top target KeAndre Lambert-Smith is in the transfer portal, and so is another veteran, Malick Meiga, who could have contributed toward replacing him. The question now for Penn State is, what's next a…
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Breaking down the biggest spring game in years
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Sam Fremin will be on the desk on Saturday, but Penn Stated co-host Donnie Collins will be at Beaver Stadium for his "favorite" day of the year, the Blue-White Game at 2 p.m. on Saturday. But both hosts think this game has a chance to be one of the most educational spring-practice-ending games in recent memory. On this week's episode of Penn Stated…
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Rounding out the spring...and the All-Franklin Team
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It's finally over. And we're not just talking about the All-James Franklin team, either. As spring practice inches closer to the annual Blue-White Game at Beaver Stadium on April 13, Penn Stated hosts Donnie Collins and Sam Fremin open this week's podcast by breaking down the most interesting storylines of the spring to this point...and how they ca…
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As spring practice started in the last week, much of the conversation revolved around two position switches: The oft-talked-about move of Abdul Carter from linebacker to defensive end, and sophomore safety Mekhi Flowers' much-less-bandied-about move to receiver. Head coach James Franklin said during a press conference last week that both moves were…
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With the latest round of betting odds on who will win the 2024 Big Ten football championship coming out this week, Penn State finds itself in a typical position: Behind both Ohio State and Michigan, with Oregon having better odds as well, at least when it comes to public perception. But, is that necessarily an accurate way to look at how the Big Te…
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It sure seems that way, if the reaction to Penn State's typically benign "competitors of the day" for winter workouts is any indication. With backup quarterback Beau Pribula practically sweeping the honor from quarterbacks coach Danny O'Brien in the early going during workouts, many commenters on social media are wondering if that gives the sophomo…
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Too far in to turn back; Too early to know where we're going
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Another week has passed, and college football has changed even more. That's the story of the game now, and it will continue to be for the foreseeable future. On this week's episode of the Penn Stated podcast, hosts Donnie Collins and Sam Fremin discuss Bill O'Brien to Boston College, Chip Kelly to Ohio State, and more moves that wouldn't have been …
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National Letter of Intent Signing Day -- the "traditional" one, anyway -- came and went rather silently for Penn State in 2024. But there was still plenty of recruiting talk on the latest edition of the Penn Stated podcast. Hosts Donnie Collins and Sam Fremin broke down the fall of the February signing period and delved into the reasons why arguabl…
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The longer you go without rules, the harder it will be to make rules. The NCAA might learn that lesson the hard way as it pursues sanctions against Tennessee for alleged recruiting violations stemming from a collective that works closely with athletes at the university in the Name, Image, Likeness realm. It's a story that affects all of college foo…
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Shall they inherit the playing time? That's the question hosts Donnie Collins and Sam Fremin set out to answer on this week's edition of the Penn Stated podcast, when they break down the 16 early enrollees on Penn State's spring roster. Which of them do Donnie and Sam believe will have the best chance to compete for playing time immediately with a …
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Preaching patience and sense (and talking a little bit of German)
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Changes abound in college football, and of course, Penn State wasn't immune to them in the last week. With special teams coordinator Stacy Collins off to Boise State, head coach James Franklin worked quickly to replace him by bringing in Vanderbilt's Justin Lustig. But the greater coaching chaos around the country obviously dwarfed the third coordi…
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The changing present, uncertain future and the Maize and Blueprint to navigate it all
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On a super-sized edition of the Penn Stated podcast, hosts Donnie Collins and Sam Fremin don't just talk about the many issues of the day surrounding the Nittany Lions and college football. They break down the scary hypotheticals. What happens when the transfer portal doesn't bring in a difference-maker? Penn State battled that at receiver next yea…
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The fine line between excuses and reasons
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Penn State lost the Peach Bowl on Dec. 30. Penn State also played the game without four of its top players and saw a handful of other stars play only in the first half. In this week's edition of the Penn Stated podcast, hosts Donnie Collins (The Scranton Times-Tribune) and Sam Fremin (The Citizens Voice) review the 38-25 defeat at the hands of Ole …
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And so it ends for Penn State in 2023. The Peach Bowl kicks off on Saturday at noon, and the Nittany Lions are a prohibitive favorite to end the 2023 season with 11 wins and hope for the 2024 season. But, will whatever happens on Saturday in Atlanta at Mercedez-Benz Stadium against No. 11 Ole Miss matter going forward? Hosts Donnie Collins (The Scr…
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There's a lot going on at Penn State and around college football, weeks after the regular season ended. The transfer portal remains open. Bowl prep is ongoing. National Letter of Intent Signing Day is a week away, and coaches everywhere are trying to lock down their final verbal commitments on the recruiting trail. Plus, in Happy Valley, there's th…
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Penn State has its bowl destination. It has another berth in a New Year's Six game. It has another chance to build excitement for 2024 with a signature win. Players have the transfer portal open, the right to reevaluate their current standing with a program, the chance to pursue something greater if they choose. It's the week of opportunity around …
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Penn State made it official on Friday, announcing the hiring of former Kansas assistant coach Andy Kotelnicki as its next offensive coordinator. The news broke Thursday, and Nittany Lions fans have largely been expressing their pleasure with the move since. So have the national writers and analysts who praise Kotelnicki for his creativity and innov…
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At some point in the next few days, it seems possible -- if not likely -- Penn State will name its next offensive coordinator. On this week's edition of the Penn Stated podcast, host Donnie Collins (Scranton Times-Tribune) makes his pitch against a big-name, outside-the-program hire to esteemed co-host Sam Fremin (Citizens Voice). That begs the que…
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The most important coordinator Penn State could get
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You may have heard, Penn State is in the market for an offensive coordinator. But, the most important coordinator to this team in 2024 is one that already is on the sidelines. On this week's episode of the Penn Stated podcast, hosts Donnie Collins (The Scranton Times-Tribune) and Sam Fremin (Citizens Voice) discuss both the contributions of defensi…
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Mike Yurcich is gone. Penn State's Big Ten championships hopes are, too. James Franklin is under questioning. And the Nittany Lions are going to be under the microscope as the season winds down. On this week's episode of the Penn Stated podcast, hosts Donnie Collins (The Scranton Times-Tribune) and Sam Fremin (The Citizens Voice) break down Frankli…
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Coming off its best offensive performance in a month, No. 10 Penn State has a shot at redemption. The problem is, it comes against No. 3 Michigan. On this week's edition of the Penn Stated podcast, hosts Donnie Collins (Scranton Times-Tribune) and Sam Fremin (Citizens Voice) talk about what the dominant performance against Maryland might mean this …
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What to do if Connor Stalions is in your living room...
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Guard your WiFi passwords. That man you don't know, sitting in your rocking chair...could be a Michigan operative. The rogue, low-level staffer still still seems quite chummy with Jim Harbaugh and his Michigan assistants as the Wolverines alleged signal-stealing scandal inches into November. And with new photos alleging that staffer, the ever slipp…
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Do you still believe in the program?
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It's the question most Penn State fans have been wrestling with since the Nittany Lions lost the latest in a long line of existential struggles against Ohio State last Saturday, and frankly, they should be used to the feeling by now. Penn State's 11-game winning streak and circled the drain yet again against the Buckeyes, leaving the rest of what o…
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The date that has been circled for months is almost here. For Penn State, it's the day that means everything. With the No. 7 Nittany Lions preparing for its annual existential struggle against No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday in Columbus, Penn Stated hosts Donnie Collins and Sam Fremin discuss every angle of the Big Ten's biggest game to this point in …
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Unpopular Answers and Unpopular Opinions
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After the bye week, Penn Stated podcast hosts Donnie Collins (Scranton Times-Tribune) and Sam Fremin (Citizens Voice) return with plenty to discuss as the No. 6 Nittany Lions host UMass on Saturday. Most of it, they freely admit, is absolute nonsense. Head coach James Franklin's comments on nonconference scheduling made quite a national stir this w…
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Penn State's defense so thoroughly dominated Iowa in the White Out last week, the numbers were difficult to believe. The helpless Hawkeyes went three-and-out -- or worse -- on eight of their 10 drives. They gained 2 total yards from the end of the first quarter until a garbage-time drive in the fourth. In a clinic on how creative, how explosive, th…
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Penn State-Iowa might be the second-most important rivalry in the Big Ten these days, and this weekend, it gets the White Out treatment at Beaver Stadium. On this week's episode of the Penn Stated football podcast, hosts Donnie Collins and Sam Fremin discuss the potential for this matchup to be an emotional one after their charged 2021 matchup. Of …
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He is a team captain. A walk-on turned scholarship recipient. A special teams maven. A valuable linebacker who someday may be a starter. But most of all, Wyoming Area grad Dominic DeLuca is "a nice guy." That's a rare compliment in football, but teammates say DeLuca's attitude has helped unite the team and make him one of the most respected members…
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So...Drew Allar lived up to the hype. Penn State's prized sophomore threw for 325 yards in his first career start and led the Nittany Lions to victory last Saturday against West Virginia. That didn't surprise hosts Donnie Collins and Sam Fremin, who talked in this week's episode of the Penn Stated podcast about what impressed them most about Allar'…
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The 2023 season is just a few days away, and plenty is going to change for Penn State. What shouldn't is what should be clear by now. Hosts Donnie Collins and Sam Fremin discuss the No. 7 Nittany Lions' season opener on this week's edition of the Penn Stated podcast, with a focus on the should-be starting quarterback Drew Allar and what he potentia…
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On Sept. 2, Penn State will storm onto Beaver Stadium for its home opener against West Virginia with a promising young offense that, someday, might be among the best in the nation. They also enter facing a much less enticing reality. That "someday" could be further down the road, while their best shot to claim a national championship is the one tha…
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There's a lot to talk about around the Penn State football program as June settles in, and Penn Stated host Donnie Collins hits on the biggest topics in this week's episode. Adjustments to the schedule make for a rather historic broadcast of an otherwise run-of-the-mill game against Delaware. A big recruiting weekend draws three solid prospects to …
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It's the third week in May, about the halfway point from the last Penn State football game at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 2 to the opener Sept. 2 against West Virginia at Beaver Stadium. But finally, the real 2023 Penn State football roster is starting to take shape. On this week's episode of Penn Stated, host Donnie Collins talks about some of the news …
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It's as quiet a time as you're going to get around the Penn State football program, with spring practices over, summer camps a few weeks from being started, preseason camp a few months away and the season opener another month after that. But there's still plenty to guess about when it comes to the future. This week on the Penn Stated football podca…
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Pack it in: A look back at Penn State players in the 2023 NFL Draft
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So much for Sean Clifford having to fight for an opportunity on the free-agent path after the 2023 NFL Draft. The record-setting Penn State quarterback and four-time captain's fifth-round selection by the Green Bay Packers on Saturday highlighted what was a big weekend for the Nittany Lions at the Draft in Kansas City. But what does his selection s…
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The NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday night, and with it comes the opportunity every young football player dreams about: A shot to hear their name called by commissioner Roger Goodell, and the realization that they're a professional football player. A slew of players who graduated from Penn State or declared early for the Draft after the 2022 season …
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For sure, there was plenty to talk about after last Saturday's Blue-White Game at Beaver Stadium. Omari Evans and Kaden Saunders may have cooled some of the doubt about the readiness of Penn State's second batch of receivers. For backup defensive ends, Dani Dennis-Sutton and Zuriah Fisher sure did look like gamebreakers. For true freshmen who would…
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The final score means nothing in a scrimmage, of course. But, the value of a spring game in college football may never have been higher. As Penn State prepares for a long-awaited return to a more traditional Blue-White Game on Saturday afternoon, Penn Stated host Donnie Collins and special guest Elton Hayes of CNHI Pennsylvania discuss the importan…
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Trey Potts, College Towns and the Best Penn State Football Game You Never Saw
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College days have been on the mind of Penn Stated podcast host Donnie Collins lately. His are long behind him, as the seemingly monthly trips to visit campuses with his son -- who will be going away to college in the fall -- remind him. And this week's episode of the podcast is a tribute to the memories made during Collins' college days. With the h…
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It's a new era for Penn State basketball. Baseball season is upon us. And, Penn State football is entering a new era with plenty of talent and questions. On this week's episode of the Penn Stated podcast, host Donnie Collins chats with The Reading Eagle Penn State beat writer Rich Scarcella about Mike Rhoades, Penn State's new men's basketball coac…
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Season 2 of the Penn Stated podcast kicks off in grand fashion this week as spring weather -- not to mention spring practice in Happy Valley -- is firmly upon us. Host Donnie Collins discusses some of the big questions surrounding the Nittany Lions as camp opens (visit The Times-Tribune to read about some of them), including head coach James Frankl…
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On the final episode of the first season of the Penn Stated podcast, host Donnie Collins breaks down the 2023 recruiting class and its newest member, four-star Maryland high school product Chimdy Onoh, an offensive lineman who signed his letter of intent during the traditional signing day on Wednesday. Where did Penn State do especially well in thi…
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Marques Hagans is a legend in Charlottesville, and the fact he left the University of Virginia coaching staff after 12 seasons overall and 10 as receivers coach to take the same position with Penn State this week doesn't change that. But it might change plenty for the Nittany Lions, who found the fresh face they needed at the helm of one of the mos…
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Coincidence Doesn't Knock Over the Dominoes
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There are no coincidences in sports. There is no such thing as interesting timing. Everything is planned. There is cause and effect. Things don't happen without reason. So when Penn State announced that it let go of receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield on Sunday night, and top transfer portal target receiver Dante Cephas said a half hour later that …
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