Black Shoe Diaries
DOMINATE THE STATE
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5 Potential Cyclones To Know
The transfer portal opens on Friday, January 2nd and we’ll have a full rundown of players to know, including a spreadsheet I’m linking right here. But before we do deeper dives into those guys, I wanted to start us off with some Iowa State names to know. I’d anticipate around 15 Iowa State players — […]
Report: Special Teams Coordinator Justin Lustig Remaining At Penn State
Yesterday, Matt Campbell reportedly filled his defensive coordinator vacancy with D’Anton Lynn. Today, Matt Campbell is reportedly filling the special teams coordinator role by retaining Justin Lustig from the previous staff. Lustig is a highly-respected special teams coordinator who just completed his second season with the Nittany Lions. In a year that was marred by […]
Tuesday Bowl Open Thread
As requested by livingsb, here’s an open thread for those of us enjoying Tuesday’s bowl games. It’s a nice little appetizer ahead of the playoff quarterfinals, featuring two Big Ten squads. Enjoy. Independence Bowl Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech2 p.m., ESPN Music City Bowl Tennessee vs. Illinois5:30 p.m., ESPN Alamo Bowl USC vs. TCU9 p.m., […]
This Week in Happy Valley: Hockey Returns
Gavin McKenna posted a hat trick for Canada at the 2026 World Junior Championships last night. The US Collegiate Selects team- coached by Guy Gadowsky- has reached the semifinals of the Spengler Cup. Aiden Fink recorded two assists on Sunday, an excellent sign for his return to the lineup for the second half of Penn […]
Blessed & Honored: More Quarterbacks?
Alex Manske To Enter Transfer Portal Iowa State freshman quarterback Alex Manske plans to enter the transfer portal: Manske was the No. 36 quarterback in the 2025 class. Time will tell if he makes the decision to follow Matt Campbell to Penn State, but the Nittany Lions’ quarterback room appears to be in good hands […]
College Football Playoffs Quarterfinals Preview
WEDNESDAY (#10)Miami vs. (#2)Ohio StateCotton Bowl 7:30 p.m., ESPN A year ago, Ohio State cruised to a national championship after coming off a 13-10 loss to Michigan where missed field goals cost them a chance at victory. Now they enter the playoffs on the heels of a 13-10 loss to Indiana where a late missed […]
LEAVING PENN STATE TRACKER: True Freshman QB Entering Portal (12.30.25)
Like we are doing for the Pinstripe Bowl opt out thread, we’ll be updating this post as players enter the transfer portal. As a reminder, players can’t officially enter until January 2. Right now, they are just announcing their intentions to do so. QB Bekkem Kritza (12/30/25) True freshman QB Bekkem Kritza is the latest […]
Penn State 90, NCCU 67: Yuck
Does the period between Christmas and New Year’s Eve really exist? What day is it? Do I have work today? Is Penn State basketball really playing at 1 p.m. right now? Well, it seemed like the Nittany Lions didn’t know they had a game, either. Penn State came out to such a sleepy and sloppy […]
REPORT: Penn State Expected to Hire D’Anton Lynn as Defensive Coordinator
Ever since Jim Knowles left to take the defensive coordinator job at Tennessee, one name seemed to be garnering the most juice as to who would take over the vacant spot in Happy Valley: D’Anton Lynn. According to the Centre Daily Times’ Jon Sauber, the current USC defensive coordinator and former Nittany Lion player is […]
Penn State vs NC Central Preview, Open Thread: Last Non-Conference Cupcake
Alright folks, let’s make this one quick. The North Carolina Central Eagles are bad bad. They’re 351st in Kenpom, out of 365 teams in division 1 basketball. This game was theoretically decided when it was scheduled, so anything other than a demolition by the hands of the Nittany Lions should be a cause for concern […]
MMQB – Player Retention
With their 22-10 win over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl, Penn State’s (oft turbulent) 2025 season has come to a close. The Lions end the year 7-6, riding a 4-game win streak into the off season. There have already been announcements from players that are looking to transfer, and others that will be heading to […]
They Said It: Ruminations on the Culture behind Penn State Wrestling Dominance
Salty fans of proud wrestling schools will tell you: Penn State Wrestling is so good because Cael Sanderson and Co. land the best recruits in the land. Of course they do! But why? And how do they identify the best? Let’s see what Cael says: “We’re not relying on facilities to get recruits—those aren’t the […]
Position Grades: Clemson (Pinstripe Bowl)
No opt-outs here! Whether it’s a win or loss, home or away game, playoff game in a tropical climate or a mid-tier December bowl game in freezing temps/snowy weather in New York City, the position grades will be graded out. Think of this like your local mail carrier. Quarterback: A After a tough first half, […]
Penn State Closes Season with Satisfying Pinstripe Bowl Victory: Post-Game Link Dump
Terry Smith talks about leading Penn State as the greatest moment of his life. Clemson was just not cut out to play in the cold. Trebor Pena was named Pinstripe Bowl MVP with a 100-yard receiving day that included an electrifying fourth quarter touchdown. Quinton Martin Jr.’s 101-yard rushing day could lead to big things […]
Oh, Hello: 2026 Virginia Three-Star WR Ben Whitver Commits To Penn State
THE SKINNY Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 190 poundsHometown/High School: Powhatan, VA (Powhatan H.S.)Ranking: ★★★ (0.8711 247Sports — No. 1,008 overall)Notable Offers: JMU, Wake Forest, UNLV HIGHLIGHTS OUTLOOK Ben Whitver committed to James Madison in June and signed with the Dukes on December 3rd. Once JMU head coach Bob Chesney left Harrisonburg for UCLA, Whitver was able to […]
Three Takeaways From Penn State’s 22-10 Win Over Clemson
1) Bad weather? No problem Below-freezing temperatures, swirling winds, and flurries of precipitation certainly worked in Penn State’s favor. Both teams struggled with the cold football, but the Nittany Lions proved to be the grittier team in the end. Ryan Barker, who was the clear MVP of the first half, stepped up when his team […]
Penn State 22, Clemson 10: A Fine Finish
Penn State’s tumultuous 2025 football season came to a close Saturday afternoon in Yankee Stadium. Thankfully, it ended with a fourth straight win, a little bit of fun, and some big plays from both familiar faces and some guys who were thrown into the fire. Ethan Grunkemeyer threw two touchdown passes in the final quarter […]
BSD YouTube Show: Pinstripe Bowl Postgame
The 2025 Penn State football season and the short (but sweet) Terry Smith era is officially in the books, and we now turn our full attention to the Matt Campbell era. Jared and I (Tim) break it all down for you beginning around 3:30 PM EST.
BSD YouTube Show: Pinstripe Bowl Postgame
The 2025 Penn State football season and the short (but sweet) Terry Smith era is officially in the books, and we now turn our full attention to the Matt Campbell era. Jared and I (Tim) break it all down for you beginning around 3:30 PM EST.
Pinstripe Bowl Fourth Quarter Open Thread: Penn State-Clemson
Fourth quarter let’s goooooooooooooooooo!
Pinstripe Bowl Third Quarter Open Thread: Penn State-Clemson
Onto the second half!
Pinstripe Bowl Second Quarter Open Thread: Penn State-Clemson
We’re a quarter of the way through the action!
Pinstripe Bowl First Quarter Open Thread: Penn State-Clemson
Penn State takes on the Clemson Tigers at 12:00 ET on ABC, come hang out with us while we watch!
Early Morning Open Thread: Pinstripe Bowl – Penn State vs. Clemson
It wasn’t long ago these teams were starting the season in the top 5 with national title hopes. It’s not the ending we were hoping for, but it’s one last time to watch the 2025 Nittany Lions. Let’s hope for a fun game in the snow with the good guys in blue and white coming […]
Tracking Penn State’s Pinstripe Bowl Opt Outs: Four More Sitting Out (12.26.25)
Folks, instead of doing an individual post for each player that opts out of the Pinstripe Bowl, we’ll be updating this post instead. OL Nick Dawkins, OL Drew Shelton, OL Nolan Rucci, and TE Khalil Dinkins (12/26/25) We can add for more opt outs to the list as Terry Smith announced Friday that Dawkins, Shelton, […]
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