The full 2024 Big Ten schedule won’t be revealed until later Thursday, but it looks like a date has been set for Penn State and USC.
Brett McMurphy of The Action Network reported Thursday afternoon that, per sources, Penn State will be at USC Oct. 12.
B1G '24 schedule highlights, sources told @ActionNetworkHQ
9/21 USC at Mich
9/28 Wis at USC, Ore at UCLA, Wash at RU
10/5 UCLA at Penn St, Mich at Wash, Iowa at OSU, USC at Minn
10/12 OSU at Ore, Wash at Iowa, PSU at USC
10/19 UCLA at RU
10/26 Neb at OSU, MSU at Mich
11/2 Ore at…— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 2, 2023
This will be Penn State’s first game at USC since 1991.
Penn State lost that game, 21-10, but went onto win the Fiesta Bowl that season and finish No. 3. A receiver on that Penn State team was Terry Smith, who’s Penn State’s current cornerbacks and associate head coach. Smith was on James Franklin’s staff the last time PSU and USC played in general. That meeting took place in the Rose Bowl Jan. 2, 2017. USC won that one, 52-49, in one of the most thrilling Rose Bowls ever.
USC isn’t the Penn State 2024 conference game that’s been leaked.
The week before USC, the other California team that’s starting play in the Big Ten next season, UCLA, will be coming to Beaver Stadium.
Penn State hasn’t played UCLA since 1968.
That series history has amounted to just six meetings played annually from 1963-68, of which Penn State won four, the most recent being in Joe Paterno’s first undefeated year of ‘68. Despite ending that season 12-0, Penn State didn’t get the chance to play for a national title. If PSU finishes the 2024 regular season undefeated, there won’t be a similar situation due to the expanded playoff from four to 12 teams starting next season.
Other Penn State games on the schedule McMurphy reported were Nov. 2 against Ohio State and Nov. 9 against Washington, both of which will be at Beaver Stadium. Ohio State is an old foe, while Washington will be starting Big Ten play next season.
