It all looked straightforward: No. 7 Penn State (-27.5) was going to beat UCLA Saturday afternoon, and No. 11 USC (-9) was going to do the same to Minnesota Saturday night.
Although Penn State didn’t clean UCLA’s clocks the way many expected, it got the job done with a 27-11 win.
On a day where Alabama lost at Vanderbilt, there’s a lot to be said for a heavy favorite doing what it has to do. USC didn’t do that. A 1-yard run by Max Brosmer on 4th and goal with 56 seconds left broke a 17-17 tie, and Makai Lemon picked off USC QB Miller Moss on the ensuing possession to seal the deal, and Minnesota for a 24-17 win.
THE KID FROM ESKO! #RTB #SkiUMah #Gophers
📺 @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/s6y6z7nBU7
— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) October 6, 2024
USC is now 3-2 when, after it upset then-No. 13 LSU in Las Vegas Week 1, it looked like the Trojans may be 5-0 coming into the Penn State game. But a loss at Michigan ended that dream, and losing at Minnesota puts USC’s College Football chances on life support.
Penn State has a chance to put the nail in USC’s College Football Playoff coffin next week with a win at the Coliseum.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Before the upset, Penn State was favored by 3.5 points on the road per FanDual Sportsbook, which translates to 6.5 points if you believe that the home team is given three points.
If Penn State doesn’t win the Big Ten, having quality wins would help greatly in receiving an at-large bid to the expanded 12-team playoff. Before the Minnesota game, USC looked like a quality opponent. Now, that’s being called into question.
PSU and USC are scheduled to play at 3:30 eastern time (12:30 pacific) on CBS at the Coliseum.
It will be the first meeting between the two teams since USC started playing in the Big Ten this season.
And one more thing: Penn State plays at Minnesota Nov. 23.
