The Pate State / The Wire
Updated OCT 9, 2026Penn State faces USC with playoff outlook under pressure
What Happened
Penn State, riding a two-game losing streak into a home game with 5-1 USC, will try to steady its season Saturday, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m. ET at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions are 3-2 after losses to Wisconsin, 24-20, on Sept. 26 and Northwestern, 34-13, on Oct. 2. USC has won five of six, including a 25-21 victory over Washington on Saturday, Oct. 3, after its 41-27 loss to Oregon. A Penn State loss would drop the Nittany Lions to 3-3 and put their playoff path under real pressure. Josh Pate's preseason bracket placed Penn State No. 7 in the playoff field, making a home loss to the 5-1 Trojans a direct challenge to that projection. Penn State plays at Michigan on Oct. 17, but USC is the immediate test: the Trojans arrive with the stronger record and recent momentum, while the Nittany Lions have home field and a slide to stop.
THE PATE STATE READ
(Josh has not yet commented.)
Sources: On3
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