USC coach Clay Helton might have summed it up best Sunday evening: “I think you’re dealing with two of the hotter teams in the country right now.”
Neither the Trojans nor the Nittany Lions have lost since September. Penn State is riding a nine-game winning streak after rallying from a three-touchdown deficit to beat Wisconsin for the Big Ten championship. And the Trojans are on an eight-game win streak, with seven of those victories decided by double digits.
That’s not where the comparisons stop, however. Both programs feature top-30 defenses and exciting offenses. Penn State sophomore Saquon Barkley is the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and rushed for 1,302 yards, while USC sophomore Ronald Jones II rushed for 1,027 yards -- and actually outgained Barkley over the last five games. USC quarterback Sam Darnold threw for 26 TDs and boasts a passer efficiency mark of 161.0; Penn State signal-caller Trace McSorley tossed 25 TDs and has a 156.6 passer efficiency.
“The one thing that jumps out at you right off the bat is offensively how talented they are with Barkley and McSorley and the points they’re putting up,” Helton said.
Said Penn State coach James Franklin: “I’ve heard a lot of people say on the radio as well as on TV that they may be the most dangerous team in the country right now.”
Neither Penn State nor USC has reached “The Granddaddy of Them All” since the 2008 season, when the teams met each other in the Rose Bowl. USC won 38-24.
Here’s an early look at this season’s sequel:
Most intriguing matchup: Penn State secondary vs. USC receivers. The Trojans definitely boast some playmakers on the perimeter -- wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster recently was projected to go No. 13 overall in the 2017 NFL draft -- and, statistically, Penn State has faced a better passing offense only once. That team? The Indiana Hoosiers, who might’ve upended Penn State if not for five turnovers. The Nittany Lions’ defensive backs will be tested, so it’ll be interesting to see how they stack up.
Penn State player who could have a big game: McSorley. Apologies to Barkley, but McSorley has just been on an absolute tear lately. Based on passer efficiency, he’s coming off Penn State’s fourth-best quarterback performance in 12 years. And, in the game before that (Michigan State), he posted Penn State’s best QB showing in at least the last 12 years. Over the last two games, McSorley has arguably been the country’s best signal-caller. Seriously. In that time, he completed 72 percent of his passes for 760 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions.
Key to victory: Big plays, big plays, big plays. There’s no secret ingredient to the Nittany Lions’ offense; it has been fueled by explosive plays. So the key here will be no different than it has been all season. During Penn State’s nine-game winning streak, the Lions have amassed at least six plays of 20 yards or longer in every game. Against Wisconsin, 52 percent of the Lions’ offense came on just six plays. Penn State isn’t built for long, sustained drives. It isn’t great on third downs. But, boy, is it explosive. And it’ll need to be once more against USC.