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Black Shoe Diaries

https://www.blackshoediaries.com/ | 612 entries published

DOMINATE THE STATE

Latest Entries

Big Ten Power Rankings – Week 9

Hello there and welcome to the Big Ten Power Rankings! Each week we’ll rank how the teams across the conference are playing, in the hopes of seeing just who is a contender, and who is a pretender over the course of the season. The rules are few, but resolute: Teams are ranked by how they’re […]

4 months ago | 3 reads

Big Ten Superlatives: Week 9

Penn State was – thankfully? – off last week, but Big Ten football was played. It wasn’t exactly a thrilling week in the conference, but here are some of the highlights. Best Win of the Week: Iowa? Playoffs? Iowa played its most complete game of the year and maybe its best half in some time […]

4 months ago | 3 reads

MMQB – Back Half

Well, the first 7 weeks of the season have not gone as we’d all hoped. The Lions sit at 3-4, and are winless in conference play. Riding a 4-game skid that most recently included a 1-point loss to Iowa on the road, Penn State now gets to head west to take on #1 Ohio State. […]

4 months ago | 3 reads

Poll Watch: Nittany Lions Face No. 1 and No. 2 back-to-back

Penn State is still out of the Coaches Poll and the Associated Press ranking and they face the top-ranked team in the country on Saturday. Ohio State remains No. 1 in both polls, with other conference foes Indiana (2nd in both polls) Oregon (6th in both polls), Michigan (21st in both polls), and USC (23rd […]

4 months ago | 8 reads

Penn State Heads Into Ohio State Game as Major Underdog

Not long ago, the possibility of Penn State’s trip to Ohio State would be a #1 vs. #2 match-up seemed likely – perhaps inevitable. However, what was forecasted as the biggest game of the regular season has lost its luster thanks to the Nittany Lions 0-4 start in Big Ten play. The Buckeyes will be […]

5 months ago | 9 reads

Penn State 4, Stonehill 2: On to Columbus

No. 5 Penn State completed the sweep of Stonehill with a 4-2 win on Saturday night. Shea Van Olm scored his first goal of the season to give the Nittany Lions an insurance tally in the third period. Penn State will head to Columbus to start conference play next week with a 7-1 record and […]

5 months ago | 4 reads

Bye Week #2 Open Thread

Penn State is (mercifully) off this weekend, but there’s a whole bunch of football going on. Hang out with us while we watch all day!

5 months ago | 5 reads

Penn State 3, Stonehill 2: Wiebusch & McKenna Save The Day

JJ Wiebusch deflected home a shot by Gavin McKenna in the final minute of regulation to lift No. 5 Penn State to a 3-2 win over Stonehill on Friday night. Penn State once again struggled with a less talented team on home ice, potentially a bad sign of things to come in Big Ten play, […]

5 months ago | 1 read

The B1G Preview: Week 9

Now that Penn State’s season is down the toilet, we can focus all our energy in hating the other 17 teams in the conference! There’s always a silver lining! [Ed. Note: I’m not changing that opening paragraph for the rest of the season ~Eli] Saturday, October 25 The Best Northwestern at Nebraska12:00 PM ET, FS1 […]

5 months ago | 1 read

The 7 College Football Games to Watch in Week 9

(#8)Ole Miss at (#13)Oklahoma Noon, ABC Two one-loss teams fighting for survival in a crowded SEC field. Both teams are coming off disappointing losses – who is ready to bounce back? John Mateer hasn’t quite been himself since returning from injury, and a win against Ole Miss could set up the Sooners for an exciting […]

5 months ago | 10 reads

BSD Mailbag: 10/24/2025

Alright folks, time for Yours Truly’s first-ever set of mailbag answers! Big thanks to everyone who posted in the comments thread of our post earlier this week, as this segment wouldn’t be possible without you. Fudd, Elmer J asks: 1) What is the likelihood that PSUs next head coach will be named before the season […]

5 months ago | 5 reads

Penn State Hockey Series Preview: Stonehill

No. 5 Penn State will finish off its six-game homestand with a pair of games against Stonehill this weekend. The Skyhawks are in their third season as a Division I program. With the Big Ten opener against Ohio State looming, this is the Nittany Lions’ last chance to iron out the wrinkles before the grind […]

NHL

5 months ago | 5 reads

30 Random Thoughts On Penn State’s Coaching Search 12 Days Into It

1. If there’s one thing about me, it’s that I *LOVE* a coaching search. The rumors, the searching of coaches, the flight trackers — it’s what makes college sports great. 2. People forget I connected the dots on Mike Rhoades probably being the hire for Penn State. 3. The most important thing during all of […]

5 months ago | 9 reads

Fall Sports Update: Women’s Volleyball Splits on West Coast

Women’s Volleyball (11-7) The women’s volleyball team dropped a hard-fought five-set match to Washington on Friday night. Gillian Grimes had 24 digs in the match for the Nittany Lions, but a slow start for the offense allowed the Huskies to build a two-set lead and force Penn State to play from behind. Penn State forced […]

5 months ago | 8 reads

The 5 Things About College Football from Week 8

Another Vintage Miami Performance The ‘Canes had me fooled. I wasn’t a believer heading into the season, but watching them dominate both lines of scrimmage had me thinking they were the clear class of the ACC. That unraveled on Friday night, as Miami’s tackles struggled to protect Carson Beck all night against Louisville. The Cardinals […]

5 months ago | 7 reads

Snap Counts: Iowa

40 Penn State players had at least one snap in Saturday night’s 25-24 loss to Iowa in Terry Smith’s first game as the interim head coach. NOTE: Season totals are in parentheses Offense: 76 snaps (452) Quarterbacks Ethan Grunkemeyer: 70 (98)Jaxon Smolik: 11 (12) Running Backs Kaytron Allen: 52 (234)Nicholas Singleton: 37 (225) Wide Receivers […]

5 months ago | 6 reads

Midweek Musings – 444 to Go

With 5 games left in his collegiate career (I don’t dare say 6 with a bowl game in thrown in), Kaytron Allen sits in third place on the all-time leading rushers list with 3,489 yards to his name. In second place is Saquon Barkley at 3,843 yards, and in first place is Evan Royster with […]

5 months ago | 3 reads

Penn State Football Commits In Action: Star RB Returns

Well. The herd continues to thin out. But, Penn State football still has a decent chunk of recruits committed to its 2026 class. This is, obviously, subject to change when a new head coach comes to town. As of now, it’s still a top-20 class in the country. Small wins. Four-star running back Messiah Mickens […]

5 months ago | 5 reads

Bowl Projections 2025: Week 8

Welcome back to our weekly series tracking some of the bowl/CFP picks for Penn State football following each game, This season, we will follow ESPN, Yahoo, College Football News, and CBS Sports, with occasional bonus picks from other publications. Yahoo Sports/College Football News: Bowl/CFP Seed: Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl Location: New York, NY Date: […]

5 months ago | 5 reads

This Week in Happy Valley: Second Line Keeps Rolling

Just how dominant has Charlie Cerrato been for Penn State hockey? Penn State’s second line has been college hockey’s most dominant force this season. Hockey moves back into the top five after last weekend’s sweep of LIU. Former Penn State hockey assistant and current Lindenwood head coach Keith Fisher earned an upset win over Denver […]

NHL

5 months ago | 5 reads

Blessed & Honored: List of Decommits Grows

Troy Huhn Decommits 2026 four-star quarterback Troy Huhn decommitted from Penn State last week: The move leaves Penn State with no quarterback recruits in the 2026 class. Jaziel Hart Decommits 2026 four-star cornerback Jaziel Hart has decommitted from the program: Penn State has 19 recruits remaining in the 2026 class following Huhn and Hart’s decommitments. […]

5 months ago | 4 reads

How to Make the Most of Your Gameday Experience at Penn State

Greet the Team Coming off the Blue Buses Fans gather on Porter Road prior to each home game to greet the team as they arrive at Beaver Stadium approximately 90 minutes prior to kickoff. You can feel the excitement build as the line of old-school light blue buses comes down the street, with the starting […]

5 months ago | 3 reads

Nittany Lions in the NFL 2025: Week 7

Here’s a list of the current Nittany Lions in the NFL listed by 53-man roster: *Just a reminder that again this season, I will not include players like Juwan Johnson and KeAndre Lambert-Smith that did not finish their college career at Penn State* Arizona Cardinals: Blake Gillikin, PJ Mustipher Atlanta Falcons: Arnold Ebiketie Baltimore Ravens: […]

5 months ago | 5 reads

Mailbag Questions – Bye Week No. 2

Cari is on travel this week, but much like the Postal Service, the mailbag will continue delivering. So, leave your questions for Yours Truly (Tim) in the comments below, and I’ll have your answers this Friday: Same bat time, same bat channel!

5 months ago | 4 reads

Big Ten Power Rankings – Week 8

Hello there and welcome to the Big Ten Power Rankings! Each week we’ll rank how the teams across the conference are playing, in the hopes of seeing just who is a contender, and who is a pretender over the course of the season. The rules are few, but resolute: Teams are ranked by how they’re […]

5 months ago | 15 reads