It's the first offseason podcast of the year. In Episode 48 of the TCFA Podcast, Tim and Mike reflect on the passing of Joe Paterno. They also talk about recruiting, and how they find the entire recruting thing to be quite unseemly. Other topics: Baseball, something called "The Super Bowl," and Tim's recent efforts to reclaim his fast-disappearing youth through a new exercise regimen. Good times.

More: Podcast, Episode 48

Inside. Outside. Everywhere in between.

These are the three universes in which Joe Paterno lived his extraordinary life, and sadly but perhaps not entirely unfairly, they are also the three universes in which that life will judged.

Inside.

Outside.

Everywhere in between.

More: An Honest Assessment of an Immeasurable Life

It's the last podcast of the year. In their farewell to the 2011 season, Tim and Mike recap Alabama's dominant win over LSU in the national title game, examine Penn State's hiring of Bill O'Brien, discuss the impending arrival of the "Plus One" system in college football and, most importantly, unveil their candidates for the 2012 TCFA Podcast Road Trip. They also whine about the fact that it is January.

More: Podcast, Episode 47

Tim and Mike chat about the single greatest Clemson meltdown in the history of Clemson meltdowns, the awesomeness that was the Rose Bowl and the not-so-awesomeness that was the Ticket City Bowl. Also, discussion of Penn State's awful coaching search and a full report on Mike's trip to Costa Rica.

NOTE: This show was recorded Thursday evening, a couple hours before the Bill O'Brien-to-Penn State rumors started to hit. We mentioned O'Brien in passing but did not know at the time that he was going to be (reportedly) "the guy." We'll have full reaction on this (potentially program-crushing) hire on next week's show. Cheers.

More: Podcast, Episode 46

Tim and Mike talk yet again about Penn State's interminable coaching search. Also: The genius of Jim Delany, the bowl games that were, and the bowl games yet to come. Then Tim picks Penn State to beat Houston in the TicketCity Bowl, and Mike tells Tim he's insane. Good times.

More: Podcast, Episode 45

Tim and Mike chat about the NCAA's surprisingly tough sanctions against Ohio State, Penn State's abject inability to hire a coach and the early bowl game results. Plus, a look ahead to the bowl games to come, and general misery regarding the impending end of college football season.

More: Podcast, Episode 44

Tim and Mike chat about Todd Graham's bizarre exit from Pitt, Penn State's neverending coaching search and, of course, Indiana's huge (basketball) win over Kentucky. Also, previews of all of the early bowl games, including the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Only because we love us some bowls. And you should, too.

More: Podcast, Episode 43

Tim and Mike chat about the Alabama-LSU rematch and also discuss why the rematch isn't the end of the world. Plus, a look ahead to some of the best bowl matchups of the year, the year-end TCFA awards, and news from the bar tour.

More: Podcast, Episode 42

The hangover

HOW AM I FEELING: Tired and mildly frustrated, but not in any way whatsoever apoplectic. Tired because the season is a long, soul-crushing grind that, inevitably and always, leaves me feeling like an emptied vessel by the time December rolls around. Mildly frustrated on behalf of My Beloved Penn State Nittany Lions, who drew the proverbial short straw in this year's bowl madness (more on this in a bit). But, unlike the rest of the nation, no, I am not feeling apoplectic about the supposed injustice done to Oklahoma State, who was passed over in favor of Alabama for the right to play LSU in the Mythical National Championship Game. Because they weren't actually passed over. They had their chance. They lost to Iowa State. Life goes on.

More: Over And Out

And so now, it's pretty much over.

Fourteen weeks.

Fourteen Saturdays.

Untold hours spent in front of the television, or tailgating in the glorious Autumn sunshine, or jammed into the bleachers, taking in the unmatchable atmosphere that is college football.

Four months, the greatest four months of the year, gone. Just like that.

We had college football season. We cheered its arrival. We welcomed it in September, we lived it in October, we suvived it in November. And now here we are, in early December, with just one true college football weekend left, and the more philosophical among us might indeed ask: What did it all mean?

More: At Season's End, What Is Left?

Tim and Mike talk about Mike Leach's hiring at Washington State, Urban Meyer's hiring at Ohio State and where in the world Penn State goes from here. Also: Previews of all of the games of the week here in college football's Championship Week. Enjoy, folks. The season is nearing its sad end.

More: Podcast, Episode 41

The hangover

HOW AM I FEELING: Done. I am feeling done. Goddamned done. After 13 weeks, 25 columns (here), another 30 or so elswhere, 14 award-winning podcasts* and, of course, thirteen straight Saturdays of all-out, all-day college football watching, I have just about had enough of this, the College Footballing Year of 2011. It's been a blast, yes, as it always is. But at some point it's gotta come to an end. That end is now very clearly in sight. Sad, perhaps, but necessary. Oh, also, Penn State got steamrolled 45-7 by Wisconsin, bringing an end to the single most bizarre regular season that any team has ever endured in the history of Our Great Game. More on that in a bit.

More: Thoughts From The Valley: The End Draws Near

Tim and Mike talk RichRod to Arizona, Urban Meyer to Ohio State, and what comes next at Penn State. Plus, a lengthy discussion about how and why a playoff would do nothing less than destroy everything we love about college football. Happy Thanksgiving, all. Viva college football.

More: Podcast, Episode 40

The hangover

HOW AM I FEELING: Thankful. So very thankful. Thankful for my wife and my kids and my life in general. Thankful for this, the greatest week of the year, and thankful for the pending arrival of Thanksgiving, greatest holiday of the year. And thankful, of course, for college football. Which, as we saw just this past weekend, remains, quite unquestionably, the single greatest sport that This Wonderful World has ever seen. This Saturday past, in so many ways, was perfection. And, no, I'm not saying that only because My Beloved Nittany Lions went into Columbus, with the world on their shoulders, and gutted out a 20-14 win that moved them within one win of The Inaugural Festival of Delany. I'm saying it, too, because what we just witnessed was nothing short of historic. But more on all of this in just a bit.

More: Thoughts From The Valley: For One Day, We Achieved Perfection

I am writing this on Thursday morning, just a few minutes after reading yet another saddening, maddening story about the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State.

The story in question came from The New York Times, was written by investigative-reporting ace Jo Becker, and basically laid out, in very stark terms, just how and why this colossal mess unfolded, just how and why a suspected predator like Sandusky was allowed prey on vulnerable boys for years and years, just how and why the too-small, too-insular world of State College, Pennsylvania, either refused to act or didn’t know how to act in the face of truly monstrous allegations.

Becker’s piece was remarkably well-written, excruciatingly detailed and unequivocal in its ultimate conclusion: People at Penn State knew. Specifically, people in position power at Penn State knew.

And yet they did nothing. So the damage went unchecked.

More: Make Alternate Plans

Tim and Mike chat about Mike's trip to Clemson before delving into the ever-unfolding mess at Penn State. Other topics: The classic that was TCU-Boise State, the looming rematch of LSU and Alabama, Mike's lock of the week and so much more. Plus, a listener question of the week regarding pre-game speeches. Tune in, won't you?

More: Podcast, Episode 39