It’s almost USC gameday, folks!

Penn State returns to the West Coast for the first time since it played Utah in the Rose Bowl in 2023 on Saturday with a matchup in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Although USC fell out of the AP Poll this week, the Trojans are perhaps the Nittany Lions’ toughest opponent yet.

Our staffers feel confident that Penn State will get the job done, despite the cross-country travel.

Fernando Martinez Ruiz De Esparza (5-0): Penn State 27, USC 21

Folks, this game will not be easy for the Nittany Lions.

Even though Penn State moved up to No. 4 in the rankings last week, it didn’t look particularly good in their win against UCLA. Once again, the offense got off to a slow start and the defense had to bail them out in the first half before pulling away in the second half. This cannot happen against a good USC team. The key for the Nittany Lions to win this game is to dominate USC’s run defense. Their run defense ranks 88th in the country and was the main reason for their two losses this season. For that reason, I expect great games from Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen.

As for USC, this team is still incredibly talented despite being unranked. The Trojans beat a ranked LSU team in week one, and they have a great coach in Lincoln Riley and a good quarterback in Miller Moss. In my opinion, the Trojans should not be unranked despite their losses. They will have the home-field advantage and will be highly motivated to bounce back after a crushing loss against Minnesota last week. This has all the elements to be a trap-game for Penn State.

However, the Nittany Lions will win this game in the end due to their elite run game and defense but do not be surprised if USC pulls off the upset on Saturday.

Michael Siroty (4-0): Penn State 27, USC 20

A close game is coming in Los Angeles. Penn State’s pass defense has looked shaky at times this year, and aside from some unforced interceptions, USC has had solid quarterback play from Miller Moss, who has explosive weapons surrounding him. However, Penn State is simply the better team.

The Nittany Lions will need their defensive stars, such as Abdul Carter, A.J. Harris, and Tony Rojas to show up in this game, and I believe they will. On the offensive end, Nick Singleton’s likely return will be key. In the end, I see the blue and white beating the Trojans by a touchdown.

Aidan Conrad (5-0): Penn State 27, USC 24

A near-top-10 matchup that turned into a top-five versus an unranked team within a week — that’s pretty crazy. This game is still going to be as close as it was when we were ranked similarly. If Singleton is ready to go, then our run game is the deciding factor to a Nittany Lions win.

Cooper Cazares (4-0): Penn State 28, USC 24

The first big test for the Nittany Lions after the Illinois game is upon us. The trip out west to USC will be a revenge game for the 2017 Rose Bowl where the Nittany Lions fell to the Trojans in a true classic 52-49. With that being said, it’s a new year and two new teams. USC is coming off of a bad loss at Minnesota while Penn State bumped up to No. 4 in the newest AP Poll after defeating UCLA.

This game will be closer than people realize. The Nittany Lions start slow and have to come back against the Trojans in this one, winning 28-24. Penn State fails to cover the 5.5-point spread but keeps the undefeated season alive heading into its second bye week.

CJ Gill (5-0): Penn State 27, USC 21

It’s finally time to see what the Nittany Lions are made of. This game would have been a top-10 matchup if USC hadn’t lost to Minnesota last week, but the Trojans fell to the Gophers on the road. Despite USC’s 3-2 record, the Trojans are still a very good team and will pose a serious threat to Penn State this Saturday.

I expect Andy Kotelnicki to commit to the run game early and often against a USC very poor run defense. If Nick Singleton is fully healthy, I could see the big play threat surpassing 150 yards rushing. Drew Allar won’t need to be perfect for the Nittany Lions to win, but he will need to make a few big-time throws throughout the game as well as not hurting the team with turnovers and negative plays.

The Nittany Lion defense will face the best offense it has so far this season in USC. The secondary will be tested by Miller Moss and his wide receivers on every possession. However, Penn State should have a significant advantage at the line of scrimmage with Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton rushing the passer. Between the run game and its front seven, Penn State should be able to get past the Trojans and fly back to State College 6-0.

Jamie Lynch (5-0): Penn State 24, USC 21

This is not a game that Penn State typically wins. And frankly, I can see my score prediction going the other way. The Nittany Lions have never beaten the Trojans in Los Angeles, or at all in the 21st century. Penn State is the No. 4 ranked team in the country and, conveniently, USC was just upset by Minnesota. The cardinal and gold will be playing with a vengeance.

That being said, I’m confident that the Nittany Lions can get the job done if they play their best football. The potential return of Nick Singleton should help Penn State regain offensive explosiveness, and USC has some glaring flaws on defense, especially with the status of linebacker Eric Gentry in question.

While I don’t expect this game to be anywhere close to the shootout we saw in the 2017 Rose Bowl, it will be a nail-biting matchup. Penn State’s moment is here. Win, go into the bye week, and make the path to its first College Football Playoff significantly clearer.

Oscar Orellana (1-0): Penn State 56, USC 0

If you know me, you know how much I hate USC. Let’s give this unranked, no-good, lost-to-Minnesota team the Kent State treatment. Blowout incoming.

Ericka Apolskis (0-0): Penn State 35, USC 28

I’m feeling confident that Penn State will come out on top against USC this weekend but in a tight game. I’ll be at the Coliseum, and if history repeats itself, USC is in for a rough day — especially since I’m notoriously bad luck for my parent’s alma mater. Almost every USC game I’ve attended growing up, particularly against ranked teams, has ended in a loss for the Trojans. So, to put it simply, we are beating the Trojans.

James Russell (2-0): Penn State 37, USC 34

No. 4-ranked Penn State has a chance to prove it deserves its ranking after defeating UCLA 27-11 at Beaver Stadium. USC presents a tough challenge for this undefeated Nittany Lions team. Trojan quarterback Miller Moss ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 1,398 passing yards, the best of any quarterback Penn State has faced. Moss has shown he can excel in Lincoln Riley’s air raid offense, giving the Nittany Lions’ secondary its toughest matchup yet.

One USC wide receiver to watch out for is Zachariah Branch, a true playmaker. Although this USC team runs a pass-first offense, its offensive line has been suspect through five weeks. Standout Penn State edge rushers Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton will be a deciding factor in whether the Nittany Lions return to Pennsylvania undefeated. On the offensive side of the ball, Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen will have big days running the football for the Nittany Lions.

Nolan Wick (5-0): Penn State 31, USC 35

I hate to be that guy, but I’m going to be that guy. Let’s not forget USC was No. 11 in the country before it barely lost at Minnesota last week. This is the same team that took down LSU in Las Vegas and went toe-to-toe with Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Trojans are feisty, they have a great team, and they’ll be as hungry as ever. Overlook them at your own risk.

The “want-it” factor is in USC’s favor. It has so far been challenging for Big Ten teams on the East Coast and Midwest to win on the West Coast, so add another tick to USC’s column. Slow starts have been problematic for the Nittany Lions, and nothing so far suggests that won’t be the case in Los Angeles. Plus, I won’t believe James Franklin will do anything better than 10-2 until I see it happen. Sorry, everyone, but Penn State’s stint as the No. 4 team in America will end barely after it began.

CJ Doebler (5-0): Penn State 34, USC 27

Even though there’s no longer a ranked matchup going down in Los Angeles on Saturday, the Nittany Lions are still going to face a tough test with the Trojans. Quarterback Miller Moss will give the secondary its biggest challenge yet, but the defensive backs and safeties will have help from a strong defensive line beginning to come into its own as the season reaches its midpoint.

On the other side of the ball, the offense should have Nick Singleton back, bringing an explosive element back to the group. The Trojan defense lost one of its best linemen when Bear Alexander decided to redshirt after the first three games of the season, but Penn State’s offensive line should be able to handle the USC pass rush. It’ll be close and it’ll be tough, but the Nittany Lions avoid an upset in the Coliseum.

Mitch Corcoran (5-0): Penn State 30, USC 22

Penn State matches up really well with USC. Minnesota had 193 rushing yards against the Trojans last week, and with Nick Singleton’s return looking likely, Penn State will rush for around 200 yards, too.

Minnesota also has the best pass defense on a yards-per-game basis and stifled USC’s passing attack. Penn State ranks 12th in passing defense and USC quarterback Miller Moss could struggle again. USC keeps it a one-score game because teams have struggled this season when traveling multiple time zones, but it isn’t enough to beat Penn State.

Joe Lister (5-0): Penn State 28, USC 34

Sigh. Someone has to be a realist.

First, a discloser: I am a massive USC fan. Second, another discloser: I just got out of a dinner where I told a table of USC fans how much their team sucks. A third discloser: I was lying.

James Franklin just won’t do it. The secondary was too weak against UCLA last week to make me feel like Miller Moss can be properly contained, and Zachariah Branch is going to be the best offensive threat this team has seen. USC’s defense isn’t quite physical enough and, as we saw with the Minnesota game, USC can be wildly inconsistent. But it doesn’t matter. Penn State will lose.