Penn State travels to the West Coast on Saturday for a ranked matchup with the USC Trojans on Saturday.

The game will serve as the 11th meeting all-time between these two programs, and the first as Big Ten Conference opponents.

USC has won the last three matchups dating back to 2000 — the last two of which came during the Rose Bowl in 2009 and 2017, respectively. The Trojans lead the all-time series 6-4, and the last regular season matchup was in 2000 on a neutral site.

Heading into Week 7, Penn State has emerged as an early 3.5-point favorite over the Trojans, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The over/under point total is set at 52.5.

How to Watch Penn State vs. USC

Time: Oct. 12 | 3:30 p.m. ET
Channel: CBS, FuboTV (streaming)
Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – Los Angeles, CA

The most recent matchup between these two squads was one both fanbases remember quite well. For Penn State, the offensive tandem of Saquon Barkley and Chris Godwin could not stop the Trojans offense led by Sam Darnold — who recently regained relevancy in the NFL in 2024 — and JuJu Smith-Schuster 52-49.

While it’s unsure whether Saturday’s matchup will provide similar fireworks, it appears that the key to Saturday’s matchup will be whether or not the Nittany Lions defense can stifle Miller Moss and the high-powered USC offense.

For the Trojans, if they can send Penn State back to Happy Valley with a loss and get back on track after last week, the only ranked battle left on the schedule for USC is a Nov. 30 matchup against Notre Dame. For Penn State, they meet Ohio State on Nov. 2, but it is the last ranked battle on their docket as well.

Not only will this matchup have implications within the Big Ten’s standings moving forward, but the College Football Playoff as well if the Trojans can pull off the upset on their home turf.

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