Penn State has a pretty big football game coming up Saturday against USC.
The Trojans would be in the top 10 had they beat Minnesota Saturday.
But since they lost 27-24, they’re now ranked nowhere in the top 25.
USC is 3-2, and there’s been a common theme in both losses. Penn State has the chance to put the final nail in USC’s College Football Playoff coffin. Here are five things to know about USC.
COLD LIKE MINNESOTA
Had USC taken care of business Saturday, this game would be a matchup between one top 4 team and another top 10 team. But Minnesota won, and as a result, this isn’t even a battle of top 25 teams. For USC to make it to the college football playoff— which many expected them to after it upset LSU in Vegas Week 1– it likely needs to win out, and that would start with Penn State. The Minnesota game put Coach Lincoln Riley’s team against the wall, and Penn State has a chance to put the nail in the coffin.
LESS FILLING, TASTES GREAT
USC wouldn’t be a disappointing 3-2 if it isn’t have problems. Quarterback is not among those problems. Succeeding a Heisman winner and No. 1 overall draft pick like Caleb Williams isn’t easy, and although Moss isn’t Williams, he’s done a quality job. He’s completed 64.5 percent of his passes and has thrown for nine touchdowns compared to four interceptions. He’s fifth in the Big Ten in passing and had perhaps his best game of the season two weeks ago against Wisconsin, completing 30 of 45 passes for 308 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. But he struggled against Minnesota, going 23 for 38 for 200 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Penn State hopes to see the Moss that showed up in Minneapolis.
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A big question surrounding USC coming into the season was how it would adjust to “Big Ten physicality.” Based on its two losses, not well. This past Saturday night, Minnesota’s Darius Taylor— who picked up a combined 70 yards on 23 carries in the previous two games— went crazy, going for 144 yards on 25 carries. In USC’s other loss, which took place at Michigan, the Wolverines scored 27 points despite throwing for 32 yards. What does that tell you? USC has struggled stopping the run, and Penn State has two of the best running backs in the country in Nick Singleton (408 yards, three TD, 7.7 YPC) and Kaytron Allen (367 yards, two TD, 5 YPC), so if both are there, USC will be in trouble. Singleton didn’t play against UCLA this past Saturday, so Penn State needs to get him back ASAP.
AN IMPROVED DEFENSE?
Last season, USC defensive coordinator Alex Grich got fired with two games left in the season. Why did this happen? Well, USC was giving up 34.5 points per game, so that didn’t help. Is USC better this year on the defensive side? Well, of 18 Big Ten teams, USC is seventh in yards per game, giving up 442.4. As for points per game, USC ranks sixth, giving up 30.8. So although things are improved statistically under new coordinator and former Penn State DB D’Anton Lynn, there are still problems in the runs defense, which we covered earlier. But USC’s secondary ranks fifth in the Big Ten in pass yards per game, granted that’s helped by playing Michigan. USC’s secondary could have a chance to prove itself against Penn State QB Drew Allar and company. We’ll see if Lynn’s unit answers the bell.
THE BIGGEST TEST YET
This is Penn State’s biggest test. Play in a hostile environment at West Virginia Week 1 wasn’t easy, neither was going against a Top 20 squad in Illinois more than a week ago. But even an unranked USC team in the Coliseum is daunting, and this team is a few plays away from being undefeated and ranked near Penn State. So, buckle up.
