White Out vs USC

[PSUForever]

Surprised this didn't even warrant a thread so I will start one. I know it is not a huge surprise but it still is good to officially name this the WO game as USC is a quality opponent. First really big game in the Campbell era.

October 10th is a weak/uninspiring slate of games in the B10 that day. I wonder what the Big Nooner game will be that day?

The B10 games that weekend are:

Fri night: Illinois vs Sparty
Iowa vs UDub
Sat:
PSU vs USC
Indiana vs Nebraska
Minny vs Purdue
Maryland vs OSU
UCLA vs Oregon
NW vs Ball State

Of note is our WO game is up against Bama vs Dawgs. Which game gets better ratings?

 

[OUIrPSU]

Surprised this didn't even warrant a thread so I will start one. I know it is not a huge surprise but it still is good to officially name this the WO game as USC is a quality opponent. First really big game in the Campbell era.

October 10th is a weak/uninspiring slate of games in the B10 that day. I wonder what the Big Nooner game will be that day?

The B10 games that weekend are:

Fri night: Illinois vs Sparty
Iowa vs UDub
Sat:
PSU vs USC
Indiana vs Nebraska
Minny vs Purdue
Maryland vs OSU
UCLA vs Oregon
NW vs Ball State

Of note is our WO game is up against Bama vs Dawgs. Which game gets better ratings?

Not ours

 

[Rocco3]

Surprised this didn't even warrant a thread so I will start one. I know it is not a huge surprise but it still is good to officially name this the WO game as USC is a quality opponent. First really big game in the Campbell era.

October 10th is a weak/uninspiring slate of games in the B10 that day. I wonder what the Big Nooner game will be that day?

The B10 games that weekend are:

Fri night: Illinois vs Sparty
Iowa vs UDub
Sat:
PSU vs USC
Indiana vs Nebraska
Minny vs Purdue
Maryland vs OSU
UCLA vs Oregon
NW vs Ball State

Of note is our WO game is up against Bama vs Dawgs. Which game gets better ratings?

A good story line is Lynn coming from USC to PS.

 

[PSUForever]

A good story line is Lynn coming from USC to PS.

Interestingly Gary Patterson is now USC's DC. He is a really good coach, especially defense. I wonder if he elevates their D versus what Lynn could do there. Hopefully Lynn can deliver for us, although not hard to improve from Jim "I'm grouchy and way overrated" Knowles.

 

[Midnighter]

 

[ChiTownLionPSU]

Hopefully someone emerges as an elite edge rusher by then. USC will have a high-octane passing attack and we appear to have some pretty good coverage guys, just need to get to the QB.

 

[Rocco3]

Interestingly Gary Patterson is now USC's DC. He is a really good coach, especially defense. I wonder if he elevates their D versus what Lynn could do there. Hopefully Lynn can deliver for us, although not hard to improve from Jim "I'm grouchy and way overrated" Knowles.

Our squad has some things to prove for sure. I think we will need some time, a few games to grow together as O and D units. The D imo is ahead of the O which is what we would normally expect. While there has been some great practice reports we will have to wait and see how that translates to actual games. I think there are reasons to be encouraged but we better not overlook that road trip to Temple. Even a road trip to a lowly team like Temple could catch us by surprise for a group wh at that point would have only played one game together. I like some others have some early concerns. On any given Saturday anyone can be upset.

 

[Marshall2323]

I hope the grounds crew cuts the grass.

 

[Nittering Nabob]

Interestingly Gary Patterson is now USC's DC. He is a really good coach, especially defense. I wonder if he elevates their D versus what Lynn could do there. Hopefully Lynn can deliver for us, although not hard to improve from Jim "I'm grouchy and way overrated" Knowles.

I don’t see Patterson fitting in there

He’s a very good DC, but I don’t think he’s good at dealing with self-entitled players. USC is loaded with spoiled children.

 

[PSUFTG]

I don’t see Patterson fitting in there

He’s a very good DC, but I don’t think he’s good at dealing with self-entitled players. USC is loaded with spoiled children.

I can't imagine that USC players are any more "spoiled" than players anywhere else (assuming they were highly-recruited and "fawned over" recruits)

USC's defense was crappy last year (nearly 30 points per game to the 5 ranked teams they faced) - and they create essentially no "havoc" against decent teams (a total of just 5 sacks, and - amazingly - just 14 total TFLs in those 5 games as well) so there is a lot of room to go up.

I expect the USC defense was just not all that talented last year - but that is still really bad.

Will Patterson get that done in year 1? Who knows?
He does have a very good track record, but time will tell.

I would be both surprised and disappointed if PSU can't put up a fairly large chunk of points in USC. They really looked bad most of last year.
I would be more concerned about stopping their O - which should have a decent run/pass mix this year (tilting more to the run, probably, while they try to get some freshman up to speed replacing their VERY good WR corps from 2025, which is nearly all gone this year)

 

[PSUForever]

I don’t see Patterson fitting in there

He’s a very good DC, but I don’t think he’s good at dealing with self-entitled players. USC is loaded with spoiled children.

You may be right. Riley is a soft, finesse coach so it will be interesting to see if Patterson can impact that culture.

 

[Shepdogg]

It is going to be a tough game no matter how you slice it.

 

[LionJim]

It is going to be a tough game no matter how you slice it.

As far as I’m concerned, every game is a tough game. Nothing comes easy these days.

 

[Parkland Fan]

As far as I’m concerned, every game is a tough game. Nothing comes easy these days.

Have they announced the starting time yet?

 

[DaytonRickster]

Have they announced the starting time yet?

7:30 televised on NBC.

 

[Marshall2323]

I can't imagine that USC players are any more "spoiled" than players anywhere else (assuming they were highly-recruited and "fawned over" recruits)

USC's defense was crappy last year (nearly 30 points per game to the 5 ranked teams they faced) - and they create essentially no "havoc" against decent teams (a total of just 5 sacks, and - amazingly - just 14 total TFLs in those 5 games as well) so there is a lot of room to go up.

I expect the USC defense was just not all that talented last year - but that is still really bad.

Will Patterson get that done in year 1? Who knows?
He does have a very good track record, but time will tell.

I would be both surprised and disappointed if PSU can't put up a fairly large chunk of points in USC. They really looked bad most of last year.
I would be more concerned about stopping their O - which should have a decent run/pass mix this year (tilting more to the run, probably, while they try to get some freshman up to speed replacing their VERY good WR corps from 2025, which is nearly all gone this year)

Reality has a nasty way of playing out differently than anticipated outcomes. LOL
I'd say that Riley is apt to put together a high scoring flashy offense. My concern is, that from where I set today, I'd be wary of PSU's offense getting into a point matching style of game.
PSU's defense will need to force a number of 4 and outs and turn long drives into field goal attempts. USC isn't likely to be one dimensional, therefore a defense built to stop the run is not necessarily a deal breaker for Riley's game plan.
10 win formula for success seems to be 1. possess the ball 2. achieve an early lead 3. stop the run 4. Make offenses 1 dimensional (but here's the rub)....then generate a pass rush to allow a very good defensive secondary to produce turnovers.
This formula can produce 9 wins and the other 3 will determine if the season is successful or ho-hum.

 

[PSUFTG]

Reality has a nasty way of playing out differently than anticipated outcomes. LOL
I'd say that Riley is apt to put together a high scoring flashy offense. My concern is, that from where I set today, I'd be wary of PSU's offense getting into a point matching style of game.
PSU's defense will need to force a number of 4 and outs and turn long drives into field goal attempts. USC isn't likely to be one dimensional, therefore a defense built to stop the run is not necessarily a deal breaker for Riley's game plan.
10 win formula for success seems to be 1. possess the ball 2. achieve an early lead 3. stop the run 4. Make offenses 1 dimensional (but here's the rub)....then generate a pass rush to allow a very good defensive secondary to produce turnovers.
This formula can produce 9 wins and the other 3 will determine if the season is successful or ho-hum.

No doubt.
And anyone can try to make educated guesses (some more reasoned than others), but no one has any reasonable basis to feel comfortable about how either of these teams will play out (ie, how "good" either one will be - or even what their strengths and weaknesses will be).
That is probably true for most teams now - given how drastic roster turnover is from year to year. That was always the case in college football - but times a factor of ten now that we are in the "100% free agency period every year" era.
Penn State is one of the most drastic situations - it is essentially a completely new program - much like Colorado was in the first year of Neon Deion. USC less so, but still HUGE turnover.

 

[CVLion]

On any given Saturday anyone can be upset.

Especially our fans… regardless of what actually happens on the field.

 

[LionJim]

Especially our fans… regardless of what actually happens on the field.

Too easy, but I didn’t think of it myself so you get an attaboy.

 

[Catch1lion]

USC will be excited to play in front of a packed stadium. Pitt West for attendance.

 

[313oldman]

Interestingly Gary Patterson is now USC's DC. He is a really good coach, especially defense. I wonder if he elevates their D versus what Lynn could do there. Hopefully Lynn can deliver for us, although not hard to improve from Jim "I'm grouchy and way overrated" Knowles.

he is very accomplished, stiil think the one constant in bad defense under lincoln riley is lincoln riley...everywhere he's been it's been noted that practices are all about the offense, everything is tailored to running the offense like a 7 on 7...his defenses can't really practice the defense in that scripted environment

 

[Parkland Fan]

7:30 televised on NBC.

Thanks

 

[Rocco3]

Especially our fans… regardless of what actually happens on the field.

The thing that I like to remind folks on this board is that our opinions are NOT representative of the general fanbase though some think their opinions here matter. What gets discussed among ourselves is just that. Oh imo of-course.