BWI Live: A Penn State football podcast from Blue White Illustrated

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BWI Daily: Penn State set up for final recruiting push, Indiana best bets and preview Nov 04, 2022

Show notes

Penn State football takes on Indiana Saturday in Bloomington to start the final month of the 2022 season. It's also the final push before the 2023 National Signing Day. So, where does Penn State stand with the remaining prospects on its board? And how does this month work with recruiting? Recruiting insider Ryan Snyder joins host Thomas Frank Carr to discuss. Subscribe to the BWI Daily Edition on YouTube, so you don't miss the show! https://bit.ly/3KzEcqK

Snyder and T-Frank begin the show by talking about how slow the season's final month is for Penn State recruiting. Then, Snyder goes through a list of factors, including some you might not expect, as to why that is. One aspect that has to do with Penn State's already full class. Finally, Snyder breaks down the remaining prospects that Penn State is recruiting and explains where they sit in the bigger picture.

So while things are slow right now, Snyder doesn't want fans to check out just yet. Instead, he highlights the games that he thinks can generate recruiting juice for the last stretch of the season.

After a World Series chat, the pair discuss several hot-button topics circling the Penn State fans sphere this week. They take on the Sean Clifford conversation and the value of the final four games in the 2022 season.

Next, they look outside of Penn State to get Ryan Snyder's Best Bets. This week's game includes the following:

As always, they take the final segment of the show to break down the matchups in the Penn State game against Indiana. Next, t-Frank discusses what he's seen on film from the Hoosiers. They'll also spend a good length of time discussing Penn State's offensive line situation and how that unit can drastically change the game's outcome. Lastly, they give their picks to end the show.

BWI Daily: Penn State vs. Indiana preview Nov 04, 2022

Show notes

Penn State football takes on Indiana Saturday in Bloomington to start the final leg of the 2022 season. The Nittany Lions are 6-2 and coming off of a 44-31 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes at home, finishing the most important three-game stretch of the season 1-2. How will they rebound to finish the season? The BWI Daily Edition goes live to preview the game with the Hoosiers this weekend. Join the show live at 7:30 pm, or check out the replay on YouTube. Join the show as senior Editor Nate Bauer, and publisher Sean Fitz discuss the upcoming game and what they saw at practice this week.

They start the show with where Penn State stands after the loss to Ohio State and the mood around the program this week, especially given the loud calls for starting quarterback Sean Clifford to head to the bench. The duo will discuss how they feel about that situation and what the reality is for Penn State.

Next, they'll get into practice observations from Wednesday night and the state of the offensive line. Which players were absent, and who lined up in the starting roles when the media was viewing practice? They'll discuss that topic and the growing issue up front for the offense.

Next, they'll preview the Hoosiers and how the season is going for Indiana. Fitz and Bauer will preview the offense, which has gone stagnant for Indiana in a five-game losing streak. Finally, they'll address the quarterback situation for head coach Tom Allen's team and if that will make a difference.

Next, they'll examine the defense. What's the issue with Indiana's normally challenging secondary? Next, the team will examine that side of the ball and which players Penn State fans should be wary of on Saturday. Finally, they'll give their predictions for the game.

BWI Daily: Scouting the Indiana Hoosiers with Zach Osterman of the Indianapolis Star Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

Penn State must rally after a crushing fourth-quarter loss to Ohio State last weekend when they travel to Bloomington to face the Indiana Hoosiers. To understand what type of opponent is awaiting the team on Saturday, host Thomas Frank Carr sits down with Zack Osterman of the Indianapolis star on the BWI Daily Edition. They’ll discuss the season for Indiana, the offensive issues, and the reversal of fortune for the Hoosier’s defense. Subscribe to the BWI Daily Edition on YouTube, so you don’t miss the show! https://bit.ly/3KzEcqK

After a 3-0 start, Indiana is now 3-5 and took a five-game losing streak into its bye week to end October. So what has happened with the team? Osterman says the issues start with the offense. The team has failed to score points, putting even more pressure on the defense, which has underperformed. Find out how the situation with first-year offensive coordinator Walt Bell and where the trouble spots are for his offense.

Osterman thinks that the issue has gotten bad enough that starting quarterback Connor Bazelak’s job may be up for grabs coming into this game against the Nittany Lions. He and T-Frank discuss what a quarterback change could mean for the offense and how it operates.

Next, they discuss the situation at receiver, running back, and finally, offensive line. Unfortunately, Osterman doesn’t paint a rosy picture for Penn State’s next opponent.

Defensively, T-Frank has always enjoyed watching head coach Tom Allen’s defense. But this season, something seems to be missing. Despite having the majority of players back for 2022, the unit has underperformed. So what’s the issue? Osterman points to the defining concepts of Indiana’s defense as the problem because certain aspects of the game aren’t happening this season.

Next, they discuss the impact of Cam Jones and his status for this weekend before expanding that conversation to involve the front seven. He says something special is missing from that group, so Osterman and T-Frank discuss the successive impact of that unit affecting the secondary.

T-Frank wraps up the show by asking Osterman what he thinks of Penn State and what he thinks will decide the game’s outcome.

Recruiting Show: Recapping the Penn State-Ohio State visitor list Nov 01, 2022

Show notes

Recruiting insiders Ryan Snyder and Sean Fitz discuss the list of players that showed up to see Penn State battle Ohio State on Saturday. They also recap the initial reaction from players they've spoken with since.

BWI Daily: Is Penn State closer, or farther away from catching Ohio State after hard-fought game? Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

Penn State football played a tough, close game with Ohio State on Saturday but ultimately fell to the Buckeyes 44-31 at Beaver Stadium. It was another 28-point fourth-quarter collapse for the Nittany Lions against the team from Ohio.

Or was it? That’s what the BWI Daily Edition will try to extract from Saturday. Host Thomas Frank Carr and Blue White Illustrated publisher Sean Fitz discuss the game, the major factors that led to Penn State’s loss, and how they ended up losing a game they controlled for three and a half quarters.

They’ll also try to figure out what to do with Sean Clifford’s performance on Saturday. He was responsible for four turnovers that cost Penn State 28 points. Again, was he? They’ll try to parse through the blame game after every tough loss and come to a reasonable resolution.

Fitz and T-Frank will also break down the offensive performance of Penn State and the schemes they used to attack the Buckeyes. Fitz and T-Frank will discuss Parker Washington’s 179-yard performance as well.

Next, they’ll flip to the defense and break down Penn State’s gritty performance that fell apart late in the game. How should you feel after a team gives up 21 points in the final eight minutes? Finally, they’ll go through Ohio State’s performance, the uneven play calling of Ryan Day, and some of Diaz’s mistakes.

Finally, T-Frank and Fitz will try to tackle the bigger-picture questions coming out of the game. Is Penn State closer or further away from its stated goal of competing with Ohio State, given what we saw on Saturday? And are they back to a position of growth after two down seasons in 2020 and 2021?

BWI Live Postgame Show: Penn State hangs with Ohio State, can't survive fourth quarter onslaught Oct 29, 2022

Show notes

Penn State football gave the Ohio State Buckeyes its stiffest test of the season, playing the second-ranked team in the nation deep into the fourth quarter. Tune into the BWI Live Postgame show to discuss the game and find out how it happened. Host Tom Hannfian and film analyst Thomas Frank Carr take your questions.

However, a quick-strike three-play drive by Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud gave the Buckeyes the lead. Then a strip sack by J.T. Tuimoloau set Ohio State up for another score 35 seconds after the first. Tight end Cade Stover broke three tackles on the way to a 24-yard touchdown and a two-score lead. Those four plays were too much for Penn State to overcome.

That sequence came after a 13-play 75-yard drive that gave Penn State the lead deep in the fourth quarter. The Lions then responded with a field goal set up by a 27-yard breakout run by freshman runner Kaytron Allen.

Up eight, Ohio State stayed aggressive, throwing the ball six times, connecting to Emeka Ebuka 42-yards downfield to set up a Tre'Veon Henderson touchdown run. However, Penn State couldn't overcome the late fourth-quarter deficit.

Ohio State wasn't done. Tuimoloau caught an Sean Clifford pass and returned it for a back-breaking touchdown to make the score look more lopsided than it was. The Nittany Lions fall to 6-2 with losses to the Buckeyes and Ohio State. The next game up for Penn State will be a road trip to Indiana next Saturday. Subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube.

BWI Daily: Penn State vs. Ohio State recruiting and game preview | Best Bets Oct 28, 2022

Show notes

Penn State football takes on Ohio State Saturday at Beaver Stadium. To get fans ready for the full experience this weekend, recruiting insider Ryan Snyder joins host Thomas Frank Carr to discuss the important recruiting elements of the weekend against Penn State’s top home opponent. They’ll also review the reverberating impact of the White Out game and get to Snyder’s Best Bets later in the show. Finally, they’ll wrap up the show discussing the on-field matchups that will determine the game between the two Big Ten East powerhouses. Subscribe to the BWI Daily Edition on YouTube so you don’t miss the show! bit.ly/3KzEcqK

Snyder and T-Frank start the show with some good Penn State news. Snyder placed an RPM pick for Penn State on Friday and he discusses his reasons with T-Frank for why he made the move. If Snyder is right, it’s a great addition for Penn State in the Class of 2024 and might signal an increased relationship with a quality high school program in the region.

Next, T-Frank and Snyder recap the news of the week in Penn State recruiting. Snyder caught up with several prospects that attended the White Out game last Saturday and he shares some of the reaction he got from players and coaches. They discuss defensive end Joseph Mupoyi, linebacker Anthony Speca and Florida receiver Chance Robinson. Snyder has plenty of positive news surrounding Speca and the relationship with St. Thomas Aquinas.

They round out the recruiting discussion with a preview of the players attending Penn State’s matchup with Ohio State on Saturday. Snyder explains why Kyle Altuner is an important player to pay attention to, then updates viewers on the situation with four-star Pittsburgh athlete Quinton Martin. Also, there is a special contingent of players coming from California this weekend, which Snyder details during the show.

Finally, they get to Ryan Snyder’s Best Bets of the week. Here are the official plays, but Snyder adds more during the show to sweeten the pot.

Arizona State (-12) at Colorado

Notre Dame (+3) vs. Syracuse

Missouri (+4) at South Carolina

Ohio State (-14.5) at Penn State

As always, the game of the week is Penn State vs. Ohio State. Snyder admits that he’s struggled with his Penn State picks this year so he and T-Frank discuss the game before he makes his official pick. Tune in to hear what T-Frank thinks of Penn State’s chances on both sides of the ball and where he thinks the game will pivot on Saturday.

BWI Daily: Official Penn State vs. Ohio State preview Oct 27, 2022

Show notes

Penn State football faces its toughest test of the season when they host the Ohio State Buckeyes at Beaver Stadium on Saturday. The Nittany Lions held an open practice on Wednesday, and Penn State insiders Nate Bauer and Sean Fitz break all of that down on the BWI Daily Edition. Subscribe to our YouTube channel, so you don’t miss a beat of PSU football coverage. https://bit.ly/3KzEcqK

As always, Fitz and Bauer begin the show discussing Penn State’s open practice on Wednesday evening. The Nittany Lions give the media a short window in which they can view the team’s preparation for that week’s opponent, and the duo gives their impressions of the event. They touch on what they observed from a health standpoint. The offensive line comes into focus as they discuss the health of Landon Tengwall, Caedean Wallace, Nick Dawkins, and others. Will the team need to go to the emergency reserves and play freshmen Drew Shelton and Vega Ioane? They discuss what they saw.

The Penn State offensive line isn’t the only story from yesterday evening. The pair also discuss what they saw from the offense, including the team’s focus on certain passing situations and the health of receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith. Finally, they go over what head coach James Franklin heard and what the media discussed with him after practice.

Then, they break down the upcoming game by discussing Ohio State. They start on the offensive side of the football and go through the weapons at the disposal of quarterback CJ Stroud. One of the bigger changes for the Buckeyes is upfront. Fitz highlights Donovan Jackson, a five-star lineman that he thinks is changing a certain aspect of the offense.

Defensively, they give credit to new coordinator Jim Knowles and his job refocusing the Ohio State defense. What can Penn State fans expect from that side of the ball? They highlight the players at each level of the defense that they think will be a factor in the game.

Finally, they discuss how Penn State can attack and defend the Buckeyes. Which players will come to the forefront? They’ll discuss that and then give their predictions for the game.

BWI Daily: Ohio State breakdown with Spencer Holbrook of Lettermen Row Oct 26, 2022

Show notes

On Saturday, Penn State football faces its most formidable challenge of the 2022 football season when they host the Ohio State Buckeyes at Beaver Stadium. The Buckeyes come into the game undefeated and ranked second in the nation. They’re also one of the country’s most explosive offenses, scoring 40 or more points in every game except week one. To better understand how they’ve done that and what Penn State is facing, Spencer Holbrook joins host Thomas Frank Carr on the BWI Daily Edition. Subscribe to the Blue White Illustrated on YouTube, so you don’t miss the show at 7 pm!

T-Frank and Holbrook begin the discussion with the Ohio State offense and quarterback CJ Stroud. Yes, the numbers are impressive, but how has he played if you extract Stroud from the playmakers around him? That’s the first thing that T-Frank asks Holbrook to understand the Buckeyes’ trigger man better. Next, Holbrook gives his thoughts on how the redshirt sophomore quarterback has played this season and how Penn State will test him.

Before discussing the rest of the offense, T-Frank and Holbrook examine the Ohio State running game, which has come on strong in 2022. Next, T-Frank wants to know the difference for the Buckeyes this season and what Penn State’s defense is facing on Saturday. Miyan Williams and Tre’Veon Henderson provide a potent combination, but according to both analysts, the offensive line is the difference. Hear how Ohio State has re-tooled the front four to make a more cohesive unit up front.

Finally, they discuss what T-Frank thinks makes the Buckeyes click; the receivers. Holbrook details what he knows about the status of Jaxon Smith-Njiba, who is playing through a hamstring injury. They also discuss the play of former Penn State prospect Julian Flemming in his third season with the Buckeyes. The discussion leads T-Frank to ask Holbrook if this group is more talented than the trio last year that featured two top-15 NFL Draft picks.

Finally, they transition to the defense to discuss the impact of new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. What effect has he had on the Ohio State defense? Holbrook and T-Frank describe the differences between the Ohio State team that Penn State faced last season and the team they will see on Saturday. They also dip into the significant changes the team has seen over the previous year relating to scheme and freedom of play from the Buckeyes.

Recruiting Show: White Out reaction and attendance report Oct 25, 2022

Show notes

Host and recruiting insider Ryan Snyder discusses the response by recruits to the White Out game with fellow insider Sean Fitz.

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