Is it gonna be Kalani Sitake? Jeff Brohm? Some shadowy mystery candidate? And whoever it ends up being, will that guy actually have a roster left to coach by the time he gets here? As we all sit on increasingly uncomfortable pins and needles awaiting resolution of Penn State’s marathon head coaching search, the guys ponder whether Pat Kraft ever really had a plan at all and try to tie up some other loose ends that will still have relevance even if someone gets hired before you get a chance to listen.

The Beaver Stadium crowd chanted for one of their own as he’d just vanquished a fellow Nittany Lion in a battle of Paterno legacies leading hobbled blue bloods. Kaytron Allen became Penn State’s all-time leading rusher. A disappointing team that didn’t give up on their season battled back to within striking distance of bowl eligibility, and at least for a day, the fans had something to celebrate. Without the services of our resident Lettermen, Obligatory’s campus icon and two tackling dummies look back on a fun night that offered a rare bright spot in an otherwise bleak season, and we punch our tickets for the Terry Train before it sails off into the sunset.

Penn State’s former coach, James Franklin, has officially locked down his next gig. Penn State’s current coach, Terry Smith, got his first win, brought home the Land-Grant Trophy, and then brought down the house with an emotional press conference when he explained exactly what it means to him to be leading the football program at his alma mater. The guys talk about the future of Franklin at Virginia Tech and the future at Penn State and Terry’s place in it.

From the players to the coaches to the fans, everybody brought their Saturday best against Indiana, but in keeping with the theme of this cursed season, it wasn’t enough. The Hoosiers prevailed, and in heart-breaking fashion, narrowly avoiding a costly upset loss and denying Coach Terry Smith and the beleaguered Penn State fanbase the signature win they deserve. And yet amid that disappointment there also arose a powerful reminder of everything that makes Penn State football great – the resilient stuff that will survive this moment as it has endured many tougher trials in the past and will be here waiting, strong as ever, when the storm breaks and the next coach arrives.

Following the annual dispiriting loss to Ohio State – somehow both more AND less discouraging than usual – the unranked Penn State Nittany Lions return home to face undefeated and second-ranked Indiana as double-digit underdogs… IN FOOTBALL. What is this world coming to? And what’s next? Real “wrath of God” type stuff. Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies. Rivers and seas boiling. Forty years of darkness. Earthquakes. Volcanoes. The dead rising from the grave.

Bye Week’s over now. Back to the real world.

Penn State didn’t get the win in Terry Smith’s debut as interim head coach versus Iowa, but they did cover the spread for the first time this season. Can the Nittany Lions make it a streak and keep the margin within three touchdowns in Columbus? It seems like the best a beleaguered Nittany Nation can hope for. The guys ponder PSU’s quest for small comfort against the top-ranked Buckeyes and a college coaching carousel that is quickly spinning out of control.