The time is coming, folks. There are just three more sleeps until students and fans find themselves back in Beaver Stadium for the first time in almost two years.

While there are always classic songs like “Sweet Caroline” or “Mo Bamba” to sing, there’s usually one song that defines each season. Our staff members have come together once again to predict this season’s anthem.

Dana Nunemacher: ‘Bad Habits’ — Ed Sheeran

I suck at keeping up with music trends, but one song that has stuck out to me is “Bad Habits.” I’ll roll with that as my choice. You know, Penn State football is kind of a bad habit considering the amount of money spent on tickets and the disappointment that I live through each weekend. Beaver Stadium DJ, turn up some Ed Sheeran!

Tobey Prime: ‘Pursuit Of Happiness (Extended Steve Aoki Remix)’ — Kid Cudi

This song is pretty self-explanatory. The melody of Kid Cudi, with arguably the greatest beat drop in history, makes this one of the most hype songs of all time. This is Project X meets Nittanyville. Beaver Stadium, do the right thing and make this the song of the year.

Sam Fremin: ‘Physical’ — Olivia Newton-John

In 1982, Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical” ended as the year’s No. 1 song. Coming off a disappointing 2020 season, what better way to encourage a return to form than to use the top song from the year Penn State won its first consensus national championship? Furthermore, every time Newton-John’s voice blares through the stadium, it will serve as an instant reminder to our players to play “physical,” lightening the load on the coaching staff. This genius, multi-level pick is a no-brainer.

David Beck: ‘Good 4 U’ — Olivia Rodrigo

The vast majority of Penn State students will say that they have heard “Good 4 U.” A minority of those will say that they actually like the song, even though we all know it’s an absolute banger and a pinnacle guilty-pleasure song. There’s no reason why “Good 4 U” won’t incite a stadium-wide karaoke contest given how popular the song has been for the past four months. I would be shocked if Penn State’s DJ didn’t let “Good 4 U” rock at least once this season.

Frankie Marzano: ‘Renegade’ — Styx

I think that this one is a no-brainer. There’s nothing that gets a crowd more amped up than when a song starts out slow and quiet and goes from zero to a hundred in an instant. The transition between the intro and chorus of “Renegade” will always get me hyped up. It’s even proven to work — the Steelers play it at every game to hype the crowd up.