BlueWhite Tailgate Pawcast

BlueWhite Tailgate Pawcast S2 Ep11 Season Preview, Nathan Stupar Talks Linebackers and PSU's Top LB's

The wait is over and Penn State's march to their ultimate goal of a national championship begins Saturday against Nevada. The #2 ranked Nittany Lions seemed poised to make this an historic season. As camp breaks, what did James Franklin say that has surprised us? What freshman have the green light early on? Who is the breakout player that Nittany Lions sees step up?
These are some of the topics and questions that Frank Bodani, Mike Gross and Andrew Kalista get into on this season preview episode. Who has the Lions winning the Big Ten and who has an undefeated regular season with some postseason heartbreak?
Joining the show this week is former Penn State Linebacker and eight year NFL vet Nathan Stupar. The State College native talks about his expectations for this season, and what he likes about the leadership of the squad. Stupar also dives deep into his career at Penn State and the grind that it took for him to earn and keep a roster spot in the NFL.
Stupar also talks past Penn State linebackers, would some of Penn State's best be able to play in today's game? Which linebacker had that craziness on the field?
We close out the show with some predictions for the week and also our ranking of the top Linebackers to play at Penn State. Is the list dominated by modern era players or do historical players top the list?
Listen and find out!
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BlueWhite Tailgate Pawcast S2 Ep10 PreSeason Camp in Full Swing - Who Steps up at LB

The AP poll and coaches polls have dropped and Penn State is not a preseason #1! Andrew Kalista predicted the Lions would be, but the hype around Manning at Texas was too much to overcome as Penn State fell just five points short of #1. We aren't complaining, but we dive into the poll and see what has surprised us.
Camp continues for the Lions in a hot and steamy State College. We hear from Zane Durant about the motivation staying high in these dog days of summer.
New DC Jim Knowles talks everything on the defense including who he trusts! Not many at the LB position apparently. Knowles also tells us what he is looking for as players compete for a spot in the rotation. Former AA LB Dan Connor is in his first year taking over the position. Dan has a chat comparing his development as a player at Penn State to him developing as a coach Jim Knowles relies on and trusts to implement his defense.
As kick-off nears, we dive deep on the BlueWhite Tailgate Pawcast.
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BlueWhite Tailgate Pawcast S2 Ep9: Lavar Arrington Talks Everything Penn State Football 2025

Penn State has massive expectations in 2025. One man who knows a thing or two about expectations, hype, and meeting those expectations is Penn State great Lavar Arrington. For nearly an hour, Arrington hits on a variety of topics from the team to NIL and the legacy of the "Grand Experiment."
The All-American and All-Pro dives deep on the BlueWhiteTailgate podcast with the guys as he gives us his impressions of DC Jim Knowles. Is the media making too much of how difficult his defense is to run? The great LB dives deep into the X's and O's with this years Penn State squad. What sets this defense apart from other past schemes? Does Arrington see a weak spot on the team?
Lavar also talked about his legacy with the Blue & White. How did his #11 become a symbol worn by great defensive players and maybe the most well known number at Penn State? Making sure to pay homage to #31 and LB greats that have worn that jersey, Arrington talks about his conversations with Tom Bradley and setting his own path, the Stix City nickname, the talks with NaVorro Bowman, Micah Parsons, Brandon Bell and Abdul Carter. How does Arrington see the allocation of the number playing out in the future?
Did you know the man known for the Lavar Leap was once a prized D-1 basketball coach for some of America's biggest programs? You do now and Arrington tells some great stories of his basketball days.
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BlueWhite Tailgate Pawcast S2 Ep8 Who is the Preseason #1 & Landon Tengwall Brings Us Behind the Wall

The calendar turns to August and the hype train is full steam ahead for Penn State in 2025.  Who do you have as the preseason number one team in the nation?  At least one among Andrew, Frank and Mike sees Penn State being ranked #1 in the AP poll. 
 
Former Penn State offensive lineman Landon Tengwall, who is building a media empire featuring his Behind the Wall podcast and College Football Show joins the discussion. Mike, Frank, Landon and Andrew dive into it all.  Is James Franklin a better coach than Ryan Day?  Does Penn State have a better staff than the Buckeyes?  Is it a national championship or bust for the Lions?  How is the Lions D going to implement the Jim Knowles defense?  Who can Penn State ill afford to lose to injury this year if they want to compete for the championship? 
 
These are just some of the questions the guys dive into in a wide ranging show.
 
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BlueWhite Tailgate Pawcast S2 Ep7- James Franklin Embraces Expectations, Not Vegas Vibe

The heat is up and we mean way up as Penn State hits Big Ten Media Days in Vegas. The only thing hotter than the temps are the expectations around the 2025 Nittany Lions. At Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Penn State was represented by James Franklin, QB Drew Allar, OL Nick Dawkins, and S Zakee Wheatley.
Frank, Mike and Andrew dive right into Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti continuing to advocate for four automatic bids each for the Big Ten and SEC in the CFP and what about this idea for a play-in round in the CFP to "connect" the regular season to the postseason?
Penn State was the star of the show on the strip as the preseason hype has peaked. The KGB gang talks about everything from preseason Big Ten honors for a trio to the Lions being tabbed the top team in the conference and country by multiple outlets. How does James Franklin handle the pressure? Well he pushed back on preseason rankings, emphasizing: “Rankings don’t matter the work does.” He urged focus on daily grind over headlines.
All that and more in this edition of the BlueWhite Tailgate Pawcast.
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BlueWhite Tailgate Pawcast S2 Ep6: McKenna brings PSU to New Heights, Coach Cawley Awarded ESPY

Talkin' Hockey Valley in JulyMike, Frank, and Andrew welcome Penn State Author and writer Ben Jones to the show to talk Penn State Hockey as Gavin McKenna commits to the Lions. What does this generational talent mean for expectations for next season? Is there more pressure on Penn State to make this marriage work out? Penn State's program has had a meteoric rise in the decade since Pegula Ice Arena was built, what is the driving force behind their success since they dropped the puck against Army in the first game? All that and more with Ben Jones.
Penn State football topics on the docket includes a fan email that says we need to evaluate all QB's the way we evaluate Drew Allar.Most importantly we talk Penn State volleyball and the ESPY Awards with head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley as she is awarded the Jim Valvano Perseverance Award for her courageous fight against cancer.
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BlueWhite Tailgate Pawcast S2 Ep5: The Tides of Recruiting & PSU Wrestling in the news

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The tides of recruiting are as unpredictable as the Drake Passage. Top recruiting targets that seem like a lock suddenly bolt across the country spurning the home state school. A week later a long shot decides to make a pledge. Part of that intrigue is what makes college football great all year long.
The world of recruiting continues to evolve and Penn State over the past few weeks has experienced both the highs and the lows.
We dive right into the discussion regarding James Franklin's class of 2026.
Penn State wrestling is dominating the headlines and social media. media but not in. a good way. A former champion, Aaron Brooks, faces adversity with an illness and then makes a mistake that costs him off the mat.
A report out of State College from the Collegian puts Carter Starocci's name in the headlines for some wrong reasons. Frank, Mike and Andrew discuss the report.

BlueWhite Tailgate Pawcast S2 Ep4: Zack Mills talks playing QB at PSU & ranking PSU's best QB's

It is the slowest time of the year for Penn State football, the recruiting trail has unfortunately gone quiet but we can still make some noise with the Blue & White.
Former Penn State quarterback Zack Mills joins the show to talk some ball. How does the former QB1 see the development of Drew Allar coming along and what steps he sees Drew taking in his final off season? Mills dives into how he sees Penn State being perceived by recruits and schools in the DC area. Zack also talks about the current state of college football.
After a chat with Mills the guys go through and discuss Penn State's best signal callers from the Big Ten era and also all time. Where does your favorite player rank? Take a listen and find out!
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BlueWhite Tailgate S2 Ep3: College Football Playoff Whats Next

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The College Football Playoff has undergone some changes. No more conference champions earning an undeserved first round bye. Now the top four teams to finish the season will actually be rewarded the path they deserve. And as we are headed for a 16 team playoff, we debate if this
Is good for college football? Will the Big Ten and SEC control eight of those spots? Is that fair and will it leave good teams out who aren't considered "major material." Are we headed to an era where only major brands get in?
The guys also talk James Franklin and staff's recent media availability. What was interesting? Frank tells us Terry Smith has high praise for one of his guys and Mike has a chat with Dan Connor.
Plus a little basketball recruiting for Penn State and coach Mike Rhoades.

BlueWhite Tailgate Pawcast S2 Ep2: Portal Happenings & Who Should be Preseason #1, Plus lets debate the best Penn State RB of all-time

Who should be preseason #1? I
s Penn State getting too much credit in some way to early polls just for clicks?
Penn State has some great history at the running back position. Who is the best of all time? Is it Saquon, Lenny Moore or someone else.
Frank, Mike and Andrew talk about the history of Penn State running backs and Andrew has some "choo choo" interesting comments.
 
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