Columns
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Inside/Outside State College: Happy Valley Is Unique – and Not
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Inside/Outside State College is a regular column by Jeff Deitrich offering views on downtown and the outdoors within a 30-minute driving distance. I’ve heard people use the word unique quite often regarding their own lives and towns, and certainly I’ve heard our town described that way, too. State College and the surrounding area can easily be…
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Paterno: It Is Time to Act Before College Football’s Hubris Becomes Its Undoing
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“We’re aware of the fan sentiment, and that many fans aren’t in favor of expansion. That was certainly weighed into the decision and it was considered. … I mean, the CFP has a responsibility to our fans, they’re the lifeblood of college football. … We appreciate our fans. We did take into account their sentiment……
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What Happens to Penn State in the Third Quarter? Matt Campbell: ‘Mental Relapse’
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The first step is admitting you have a problem. And this week, coach Matt Campbell acknowledged his Penn State football team has a Big Ten Third Quarter Problem. It is a big small-point problem that has, in fact, been a major contributor to the Nittany Lions’ 2-4 record in conference play in 2026. Penn State,…
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Frank: When It Sounds Too Good to Be True…
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We newsies are supposed to be skeptical. “If your mother says she loves you,” we say, “check it out.” My problem is, my Jewish mother doted on me so much – baby of the family, only son, etc. – that my default is to take everyone at their word. Proof of my gullibility: I was…
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Hook: The Problem With That Beaver Stadium Allstate Commercial
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My very kind and generous wife likes to tell me that I have high moral standards. That I’m not one to “play the game.” Her interpretation of that phrase being I won’t follow expected conventions or unwritten customs simply in order to succeed. Which may be one of the reasons I don’t get along well…
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Penn State Wrestling: Jeff Byers Sees No Imminent End to the Dynasty
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The word “dynasty” is a tripwire for disputes in the world of sports. There’s no end to the squabbles over that term or whether it applies to this team or that. But regardless of your definition of the word or its exact requirements, you simply must agree that Penn State now reigns atop the world…
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Does the Final Drive vs. Washington Start to Define the Campbell Era at Penn State?
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With 303 first-half yards and a 28-6 lead, Penn State had a win over Washington on the road on Saturday in the bag. Until it didn’t. The Huskies came roaring back to pull within 28-25 with 7:40 left in the game. And maybe, in a lot of ways, left in Penn State’s season 2026 as…
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Column: Enjoy the Ride, Penn State Fans
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SEATTLE — Set in front of the greatest backdrop in college football and greeted by relatively stellar weather for an early-November Big Ten clash, the healthy contingent of Penn State fans who made the trip to Seattle were treated to a 28-25 victory over Washington on Saturday afternoon. The hundreds of thousands watching from home…
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Audavion Collins Is on a Special Run for Penn State Football. Let Us Count the Ways
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Penn State’s Audavion Collins, one of the top cornerbacks in college football, is on the run. Up the stat chart of top pass defenders in the nation. Against opposing defenses. For the Nittany Lions’ offense against Purdue. In the 40-yard dash. And up the NFL Draft board. And, in a good way, the unheralded transfer…
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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Pulpit: Local Pastor Emerges as Stand-Up Comedian
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He’s a rarity, that’s for sure. A guy who’s equally at ease while preaching from the Bible in a church or delivering a punch line at a comedy club. That’s right, State College’s Jonathan Weibel is both an ordained pastor and a professional stand-up comedian. Appropriately enough, he jokes about his curious combination of professions. …