It's almost time for Penn State Football as the Nittany Lions will head out west to take on Big Ten newcomer USC this Saturday afternoon for a showdown in the LA Memorial Coliseum.
With that being said, our staff here at Happy Valley Insider offers their predictions for Saturday's afternoon's showdown between the two programs.
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SPREAD: Penn State -4.0 pts || Over/Under: 50.5pts
DYLAN CALLAGHAN-CROLEY — Penn State: 34 || USC: 24
I’ll start off saying I think USC is a good team, even a really good team. That being said, they’re not nearly as good as I believe some national pundits are giving them credit for. This is a Trojans squad that has some legitimate issues on both sides of the ball. The defense while improved still has a long ways to go and the offense is good but by no means great. This is an 8-4 team.
However, the Trojans now have they’re backed up against the wall after the loss to Minnesota last week which definitely changes a little bit about this weekend’s game. I expect the Trojans to come out with some fire know that they lose this game, their season is really over in the grand scheme of things. A third loss, but all, but eliminate them from the CFP conversation. On top of that teams have struggled this year in the Big Ten traveling more than two times zones with a 1-8 record. The only team to win traveling to order more time zones was the Indiana Hoosiers when they defeated UCLA a few weeks back. So I believe both of those factors need to be considered here in this game and prediction.
That being said from a pure football prospective, Penn State is the better team and I’m not sure it’s particularly close, especially in the trenches and I believe that’s where this game will be won.
While I will not project it to be such a game, I do believe this game has potential to be an Auburn 2022 type win for Penn State. This is an opportunity for James Franklin and his team to make a statement as a top five team in the country and announce that they are a true contender for this year’s College Football Playoffs, and potentially even a national championship. True contenders win these games, And Penn State over the years, has had opportunities to make statements in these type of games, but they’ve often come up short. I don’t expect that to be the case on Saturday in Los Angeles.
If Penn State can survive the first 15 to 20 minutes of game action on Saturday I believe they’ll be well equipped to come away with a big victory and to improve to 6-0 on the season.
MARTY LEAP — Penn State: 27 || USC: 21
USC is a name brand, but that needs to be put aside some heading into this matchup. The Trojans have talent, especially at the wide receiver position, and Miller Moss may be the best pure passer Penn State will face all season. However, the Trojan offensive line is nothing short of a mess right now which is not a recipe for success against a defensive line that features the likes of Abdul Carter, Zane Durant, Dani Dennis-Sutton, etc.
So far this season USC's offensive line has been one of the worst not just in the Big Ten, but in the Power 4. Their defensive line has been better than the offensive line, but that group lacks depth and is undoubtedly the inferior group when talking about the upcoming battle with Penn State's offensive line.
The Trojans will likely come out swinging, playing as a desperate team. This is a game USC absolutely must win to have any chance of salvaging their season, as well as to avoid some difficult discussions on the direction of the program.
Penn State is the better team and has a massive advantage in the trenches. If this game was at Beaver Stadium, I'd likely pick the Nittany Lions to roll by 14+ points. But in the coliseum, 2,000+ miles from home, against a desperate - and talented - USC team the Nittany Lions find themselves in a fight for three quarters before their advantage in trenches wears down USC and Penn State improves to 6-0.
RICHIE O'LEARY — Penn State: 34 || USC: 20
This is not the USC team's of the past, as they are just starting to figure out how tough the Big Ten Conference can be. Yes, they beat a decent LSU team to start the season, but after that it's rough sledding as they now 1-2 in conference with losses to a not so hot Michigan team and a middle of the pack Minnesota team.
After watching more film from this year's Trojans team, they struggle to keep QB Miller Moss upright for most of the game, as both of their tackles have had serious pass protection issues. Combine that with a very talented duo of Abdul Carter and Dani-Dennis Sutton coming to town and you have a recipe for disaster. Flip to the other side of the ball and their defense has seen some serious issues stopping the run, as they gave up 40 car. for 193yds / 3 TDs versus Minnesota and 46 car. for 290yds / 3 TDs versus Michigan. Factor in what appear to be a healthy Nick Singleton in practice this week to go along with Kaytron Allen and it should spell doom for this USC defense.
Despite the Big Ten as a whole struggling when traveling over two time zones this season, expect the Nittany Lions to take care of business.
DUB JELLISON — Penn State: 31 || USC: 28
Lincoln Riley's squads have had the same blueprint since he became a head coach. Stellar offense, mixed with inconsistent defense. That hasn't been a recipe for success in the Big Ten so far. The Trojans have struggled to contain the ground games of Michigan and Minnesota in two defeats, and Penn State has been a better rushing team than both this season.
Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen being back on the field together should be the anchor for the Penn State offense on Saturday, against a USC defense that is second-worst in the conference defending the run.
The Trojans' offense has been strong through five games, but Miller Moss has been turnover prone the last three weeks, throwing four interceptions during that stretch. Expect the Nittany Lions defense to continue that trend on Saturday.
This USC team will come ready to play, hungry after dropping its second conference game to Minnesota last week, but that won't be enough to beat the Nittany Lions. I have Penn State getting tested, but pulling out its closest victory of the year in Los Angeles.
ZANE BRANCEFIELD — Penn State: 24 || USC: 10
Miller Moss may be a great quarterback with many different weapons. Three of which have over 200 receiving yards. As well as a running back with over 400 yards. However, the Penn State defense has been able to slow down big offenses and this game will not be different. The Nittany Lions are also exceptional in the second half which will prevent a comeback. The Penn State offense also has Nick Singleton back this week which will help them to pound the run game. This in turn allows Drew Allar to show off his arm talent and involve the pass game. The Nittany Lions should easily win this game despite people saying traveling to California is an issue.
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